Krysta Jones

Access to Higher Education: The U. S. Supreme Court Decision Against Affirmative Action’s Impact on Access to Higher Education for Black and Other Minority Students

Krysta Jones

Co-convener, Black Women’s Roundtable Virginia

 

"No one benefits from ignorance. Although formal race linked legal barriers are gone, race still matters to the lived experiences of all Americans in innumerable ways, and today's ruling makes things worse, not better.” - Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

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Imagine it was the year 2050 and we had achieved educational equity in the United States, what would that look like and how would we get there? There is no doubt that any educational equity strategy should involve equal access to quality education for students from all backgrounds, and focus on an exchange of knowledge and experiences which benefits all students - critical components of effective affirmative action programs.

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In June 2023, The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled that the admissions policies at the University of North Carolina, one of the country's oldest public universities, and Harvard University, the country's oldest private university, violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

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In 1996, I was a proud Florida high school graduate headed to the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville, FL. Due to costs, an in-state school was my only option. My African-American guidance counselor had prioritized ensuring that Black students in our small primarily white school and town had opportunities to excel in our classes and in leadership roles in high school via a local DEI program. She wanted to ensure we understood all of our options to have the same experience in college.

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At UF I was a part of the STEP-UP program for students of color in math and science fields. STEP-UP was another DEI program which provided the mentoring, enrichment and social support that I desperately needed to navigate a new environment. At the time UF had about 40,000 students and 5 percent (and this number has remained constant) were African American. As a beneficiary of affirmative action and DEI programs, I received a quality education and had critical experiences which contributed to my success, and I believe I also made an impact on the UF community. 

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The SCOTUS decision has contributed to a ripple effect across our institutions. It has emboldened legislatures to roll back programs they were never comfortable with. Today, a number of universities, including UF, have also eliminated or redirected “DEI” or race-based initiatives that were creating more diverse campus communities which benefit all students. 

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California provides an example of the potential impact of the SCOTUS affirmative action decision. In 1996, California voters approved Proposition 209, an affirmative action ban at public universities in the state. Before the ban, University of California at Berkeley and the University of California at Los Angeles were roughly representative of the California high school graduate population who were eligible for enrollment at universities. “A quarter-century after California banned race-based admissions at public universities, school officials say they have not been able to meet their diversity and equity goals — despite more than a half billion dollars spent on outreach and alternative admissions standards” (Bowman, 2023).

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Black and Latino students were also less likely to earn graduate degrees or enter lucrative STEM fields. According to economist Zachary Bleemer, for the subsequent 15 or 20 years after graduation, they are earning about 5 percent lower wages than they would have earned if they had access to more selective universities under affirmative action (Bowman, 2023). The ban has acted as a deterrent to prospective Black and Latino students, and Bleemer’s  study found that high-performing minority students were subsequently discouraged from applying to schools where minority students were underrepresented.

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It is reasonable to assume that changes in affirmative action policies will increase admissions at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The tradition of excellence, quality education and additional support for these institutions is critical. Yet, not all Black students will thrive at HBCUs, and we must continue to protect the diversity at all schools, and give our students the choice to attend the school which is best for their educational and social growth.

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So, how can we reach educational equity by 2050? As a beneficiary of affirmative action in the 1990’s, my future career was greatly impacted by my time at UF, now ranked by Forbes as a top 10 “New Ivy” in the United States. While we all define “successful” equity differently, for me it would look like long term professional and personal impacts. That requires opportunities for students to pursue paths which are best for them. That means we cannot be restricted from certain institutions because our presence and success makes others uncomfortable. Another essential component is a sense of inclusion and belonging while achieving one’s education. Despite the affirmative action ruling, it is up to us to continue our advocacy for diverse quality opportunities for all students, so we can indeed achieve educational equity by 2050.

 

References

Bowman, E. (2023, June 30). Here’s What Happened When Affirmative Action Ended At California Public Colleges. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/06/30/1185226895/heres-what-happened-when-affirmative-action-ended-at-california-public-colleges