Affirmative action
in higher education is still necessary to remedy a long and lasting history of
segregation in American public schools.
Written by Kene Anusionwu
keneanusionwu.com-Kenmix23@gmail.com
When I
arrived in America in 2005 I realized several hidden problems that existed in this country,
although as a child in England I had been taught that American’s pioneered a
great civil rights movement to end segregation during thr 1960’s , all one had
to do was enter the average public school in any major city in America and see
that segregation still exists within
public schools across the nation, and the clear inequality in resources from
predominantly white to predominantly minority
based schools is having an adverse long term effect on ethnic minority
students within this country. Affirmative action admission plans in higher
education is and has been a step towards mending these discrepancies that exist
within public elementary and high schools across the nation.
Affirmative
action when first administered by American Universities and Colleges was considered a way to help remedy the long and lasting
history of discrimination against African Americans and ethnic minorities within
higher education. The U.S Supreme court has held that it is constitutional for
state or local governments to implement plans to remedy past discrimination.[1]The
United States Supreme court in Regents of The University of California v. Bakke
[2] for the
first time addressed the issue of determining whether admissions based
affirmative action plans in higher education were a constitutional means of
admitting students when a school admits students based on race. Although the
court did not uphold the Universities affirmative action admissions plan, the
court mentioned the importance of diversity in higher education “The nation’s
future depends upon leaders trained through wide exposure to that robust
exchange of ideas which discovers truth out of a multitude of tongues, rather
than through any kind of authoratuve selection. Id. . Grutter v. Bollinger[3] a recent
U.S. Supreme court decision furthered the court’s reasoning in Bukke, however Grutter applied justice powell’s conccurance in Bakke and made it the law. Grutter
held that diversity is a compelling state interest for Colleges and
Universities to implement Affirmative
action plans and is narrowly tailored towards reaching such interests therefore
passing strict scrutiny equal protection clause review.
Despite
this country’s highest court affirming the need for affirmative action
admission plans in higher education several state Colleges and Universities
across America believe that such admission plans are no longer necessary, because minorities presently have equal
opportunity in completing higher
education, however statistics speak otherwise. “Racial and ethnic minorities are
approximately 33 percent of the U.S. population, but represent only 10 percent
of the U.S. lawyer population , less than ten present of the judges , and
approximately 6 percent of law firm partners.”[4] “The number of African American males entering
the legal profession remains stagnant with only marginal increases during the
past fifteen years.”.[5] Recent
social science studies show the benefits of diversity in higher education, students
who arrive at college with little or no previous interracial contact can see
physiological benefits of interracial interactions within the first few weeks
of being on campus.[6]
In 2012 researchers from Columbia, Stanford, and Tuffs Universities released a
study that examined over forty years’ worth of research on interracial
interactions compiling data from 81 different studies. [7] This study showed that interracial group
contact reduces prejudice and improves attitudes towards each other , these
interactions help reduce bias , anxiety and reduces the possibility of negative emotional responses Id. Studies have also shown that the random
assigning of interracial roommates in first year dorm’s reduces prejudice and
increases ethnic heterogeneity of students and within such students friendship circles.
Id at6
Affirmative action admission based plans not only
benefit ethnic minority groups, they also help to educate others who ordinarily
would never encompass other cultures or even share space with other racial
groups. Diverse class rooms add a certain benefit to the environment of Colleges and Universities and prepare
students for the realities of this country which is gradually becoming more and
more diverse every day. In all aspects of life an individual within this
country will have to encounter a situation where they will be confronted with
individuals from different cultures and backgrounds, through a diverse
education ignorance and hostility can be avoided and a true respect for others
may slowly but surely be installed within all educated Americans. Racism
generally does not come from a hatred towards a specific group, racism usually manifests
from a misunderstanding of others and a generational implementation of
ethnocentric beliefs where one has never been exposed to the cultures of ethnic
groups which they have been taught to hate.
Affirmative Action admission based plans are extremely important for all
ethnic minority students within this country, and without these admission plans
ethnic minority students will be significantly underrepresented in higher
education.
[1]
Richmond v. Croson, 488 U..S. 469 (1989).
[2]
Regents of The University of California v. Bakke , 438, U.S. 265 (1978).
[3]
Grutter v. Bollinger 539, U.S. 306,
(2003).
[4]
Anthony Jenkins, Diversity matters here
and now, 90 JAN Mich, B.J. 14 (2011).
[5]
Floyd Weatherspoon, The status of African
American males in the legal profession a pipeline of institutional roadblocks
and barriers, 80 Miss, L.J. 259 (2010).
[6]
Brief of social and organizational phycologists as amici curiae supporting Respondents. Fisher v. University of Taxas at Austin. Catolougue, inc 12 U.S.
(2012) (No. 11-345), WL. 3308289.
[7]
Negin R. Toosi Nalini Ambady, Laura G Babbitt & Samuel R. Sommers, Dyadic
interracial interactions A meta Anlysis, 138 Psychol Bull 1. 6-7 (2012).
