Over the last few years, even as the U.S. Supreme Court was considering the constitutionality of race-conscious policies in postsecondary admissions in "Fisher v. University of Texas" (2016), a new wave of attacks in the conservative agenda to dismantle affirmative action (as the policy is more commonly called) emerged. First, in 2014…

Legal decisions about affirmative action in higher education do more than impact how admissions policies are structured. The discourse produced in these decisions structures how race is talked about, understood, and enacted in the context of higher education and beyond. However, critique of affirmative action rhetoric in the legal realm tends to…

A primary principle of critical race theory is "interest convergence," or the notion that progress toward racial equality will only be made when it converges with the interests of whites. Although I generally concur, I posit that "interest" must be rendered more complex in order to fully understand the pernicious effects of racism on all people,…

Reviews hidden assumptions within the concept of reverse discrimination (e.g., racial and gender discrimination is a thing of the past), reviewing what is known about how affirmative action affects Whites. To the extent that affirmative action negatively impacts Whites, the article suggests substituting the more neutral term of "reduced…

Investigated black-white differences in beliefs about affirmative action, examining conversations among small groups of friendly acquaintances (either all black, all white, or mixed). Cultural belief in the person as an individual transcended race. Most of the black groups and half of the white groups believed society fell far short of true equal…

The intervention of government to require speeial treatment of designated groups on the basis of race, color, or sex is inconsistent with principles of equal treatment under American law. Regardless of past discrimination against certain classes, governmental determination to favor them at the expense of White males is not justified. (Author/WI)

Surveyed 244 white counselors to examine whether these counselors were encountering racial concerns with their white clients. Findings revealed that 45% of responding counselors reported white clients raising racial issues relevant to counseling, with 26% reporting white clients with racial concerns as a main counseling issue. (Author/NB)

Today, the United States stands at a critical crossroad with regard to civil rights; the choice is between an officially colorblind society and a government-supported, race-conscious one. The purpose of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments was to end a discriminatory system and to erect in its place a regime of race neutrality. In 1896, the…

Data collected by the Louis Harris polling organization in 1978 concerning Black attitudes toward affirmative action programs were analyzed. It was found that Blacks who are optimistic and do not feel powerless generally support these programs. Whites who were also polled felt ambivalent toward them. (CJM)

Public attitudes toward affirmative action and racial discrimination were measured in a telephone survey of 648 respondents in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. In addition to focusing on how government affirmative action policies impact on racial minorities and women, the study investigated individual attitudes on the extent of racial…

This paper examines the use of racial and ethnic preferences in college admissions, focusing on the extent of their use and their impact on the careers of the intended beneficiaries in light of the California Civil Rights Initiative, which is designed to end such preferences. A study by Kane (1995) found that at the most selective four-year…

The backlash against affirmative action has produced the myth of reverse discrimination in higher education, but every available indicator demonstrates that white males still do dramatically better than any other group. Blacks, Hispanic Americans, and women are still more likely to be off the tenure track. (SLD)

Books in the Opposing Viewpoints Series present debates about current issues that can be used to teach critical reading and thinking skills. The varied opinions in each book examine different aspects of a single issue. The topics covered in this volume explore the racial and ethnic tensions that concern many Americans today. The racial divide…

Race is only one of the prisms through which to examine the political and social life of Americans, but it is one in which there has been insufficient determination of contemporary dynamics. For this discussion, the most important issue is the debate within the black community regarding the nature and causes of the crisis facing African Americans…

Determines the impact of affirmative action programs in response to charges that they are policies of reverse discrimination. Reviewing affirmative action programs submitted by Michigan State departments, researchers determined no reverse discrimination was apparent based on low numbers of reverse discrimination complaints filed by whites. (GR)