In "Badges and Incidents," Michael J. Kaufman undertakes an interdisciplinary investigation of American education law and pedagogy. By weaving together the invaluable insights of law, education, history, political science, economics, psychology, and neuroscience, this book illuminates the ways in which the design of the American…

What explains the rise of race-conscious affirmative action policies in undergraduate admissions? The dominant theory posits that adoption of such policies was precipitated by urban and campus unrest in the North during the late 1960s. Based on primary research in a sample of 17 selective schools, we find limited support for the dominant theory.…

The homepage of the Project on Fair Representation (POFR) features a smiling photo of Abigail Fisher, the young White woman at the center of "Fisher v. the University of Texas," which could end race as a criterion in university admissions. Edward Blum, founder of POFR, a conservative advocacy group, connected Fisher with Wiley Rein LLP,…

The gap between Blacks and Whites in educational outcomes has narrowed dramatically over the past 60 years, but progress stopped around 1990. The author reviews research suggesting that increasing the quantity and quality of schooling can play a powerful role in overcoming racial inequality. To achieve that goal, he reasons, our knowledge of best…

Opponents of higher education affirmative action programs are gearing up to launch their largest attack in recent years. The planned assault comes in the wake of the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that severely limited the use of race in K-12 integration plans. It was Ward Connerly, the chairman of the American Civil Rights Institute, a…

Analyzes three landmark Supreme Court cases in which the value of literacy and the reality of racial discrimination were contested. Concludes that there is an ideology in which the economy of literacy is regarded as white property and argues that these court decisions have stalled the civil rights movement. (Contains 59 references.) (SK)

Papers presented at a 1984 lecture series and symposium on the impact of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Supreme Court decision case are collected in this report. The papers (and their authors) are: (1) "Legal Aspects of the Brown Decision" (Robert L. Carter); (2) "Desegregation/Integration and the Media: Fallout from…

The history of the ideal of equality is traced from Plato to the present. The relevance for American society of equality of opportunity and of condition is explored, especially in terms of legal developments and educational policy. An intermediate judicial standard has evolved, straddling rational basis and strict scrutiny interpretations. (AF)

This article provides a brief history of affirmative action in the United States. The author describes the impact of the "Brown v. Board of Education" on minority life science education. She also discusses how The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Minorities Affairs Committee (MAC) can improve the minority science pipeline.…

"Brown v. Board of Education" reminds this author, a linguist, of the linguistic diversity among black Americans, be they descendants of enslaved Africans--as he is proud to be--or Africans who escaped slavery. There is as much linguistic diversity among their race as among any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. When the…

Although this author knew very little about the details of "Brown v. Board of Education" as a legal matter when he read about it as a young second-year student at the University of Cape Town in 1954, the Court's verdict had a direct influence on his political perspectives and on his aspirations as a would-be teacher for the rest of his…

This book focuses on the legal and ideological controversy over the application of affirmative action policy to combat discrimination based on race, national origin/ethnicity, and gender. After the introduction, seven chapters discuss (2) "The Roots of Affirmative Action, the Women's Movement, and the Groups Covered by Affirmative…

The hearts and minds of the American people have been won over on the issue of segregation. However, the dilemma is that while an overwhelming majority of Americans would cringe at the idea of a racially segregated America, America remains racially segregated and racial equality is more ideal than real. Even though there is almost no legal…