Since the post-George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter/Antifa riots of last summer, the left has become increasingly insistent about the need to "do more" to eliminate what it sees as "systemic racism"--a demand that implicitly, and often explicitly, rejects as woefully inadequate the results of what is by now almost fifty…

This study examines the impact of affirmative action bans in six states (California, Washington, Florida, Texas, Michigan, and Nebraska) on the matriculation rates of historically underrepresented students of color in public medical schools in these states. Findings show that affirmative action bans have led to about a 17% decline (from 18.5% to…

Affirmative action in college admissions was effectively banned in Texas by the Hopwood ruling in 1997, by voter referenda in California and Washington in 1996 and 1998, and by administrative decisions in Florida in 1999. The "Hopwood" and "Johnson" rulings also had possible applicability to public colleges throughout Alabama,…

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.…

This study uses data from the CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment and Degrees and a methodology that supports causal inference to examine the effects of affirmative action bans in Texas, California, Washington, and Florida on graduate student of color enrollment. The findings show that the bans have reduced by 12.2% the average proportion of…

The author reports on the ruling of a divided appellate court that held that the state law unconstitutionally made it harder for minorities to seek preferences than for other groups. The court struck down a voter-passed ban on the use of race-conscious admissions by Michigan's public colleges, holding that the measure had unconstitutionally put…

This article examines the "Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle Public School District No. 1" decision in light of its impact on the "Brown" ruling that preceded it. The Supreme Court's 5-4 vote on the matter of desegregation and equal access to educational opportunity signals that a divide exists in the United…

In "Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1," a highly contentious and divided Supreme Court invalidated race-conscious admissions plans in two urban school systems, Seattle and Louisville. As such, "Parents Involved" was the latest chapter in the Court's almost 40-year history of reaching mixed…

This article reports on a U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down two voluntary school-integration plans in a 5-to-4 ruling issued last week. Its decision left solidly intact its precedents dealing with affirmative action in higher education. Rather than signaling any clear desire to revisit its past decisions on race-conscious admissions…

By accepting two appeals on the voluntary use of race in assigning students to public schools, the U.S. Supreme Court will likely decide the constitutionality of widespread practices that school districts use to promote diversity. And the decision could affect schools in unforeseen ways. In both cases, parents of white children have challenged…

Reports on increasing efforts of universities, especially those in states where racial preferences in admissions have been outlawed, to recruit more minority students by soliciting transfer students from local community colleges. Some institutions are easing admissions policies for transfer students, holding "diversity fairs," and…

The U.S. Supreme Court provided evidence that its membership had shifted to be more critical of affirmative action as it heard oral arguments last week in two cases involving the race-based assignment of students to public schools. Although the court did not exhibit any desire to reconsider its stand on affirmative action in higher education, the…

In its new term, the justices will review a challenge to a student-assignment policy adopted by the Seattle school board in 1997 to enhance racial diversity at its 10 high schools, including Ballard High, beginning in the 1998-99 school year. Under the policy, which has been suspended since 2002 pending the outcome of the legal challenge, students…

Discusses what has happened to black enrollment at flagship state universities and graduate schools in five states in which race-neutral admissions have been mandated by law (Washington, Georgia, Texas, Florida, and California). Suggests that under a nationwide ban on affirmative action, black students would be largely eliminated from top…

Democrats who wanted more state support for colleges and scholarships were surprise victors in the November 1998 gubernatorial elections in Alabama, Iowa, South Carolina, and California. However, in the same election the political movement against affirmative action was strengthened in a Washington State referendum. Results of state referenda…