Why Has Affirmative Action Backfired?

Using Race For Intellectual Selection is not only immoral, it does not work.

America now has fewer African-American physicians, scientists, and engineers than we would have had using race-neutral admissions policies. We have fewer black college professors and lawyers, too. 

Fifteen years ago, in 2003 the Supreme Court held that the University of Michigan’s law school could substantially relax its intellectual admissions standards in order to admit a “critical mass” of African-American and Hispanic students. Many observers interpreted that decision — Grutter v. Bollinger — as an open-ended embrace of affirmative action. It failed. 

The mismatch literature is showing Grutter to be a well-meaning but ultimately misguided deviation from what otherwise had become accepted principle — that race discrimination should not be tolerated. Perhaps in the future, the Court will not be so flexible with its principles. 

And it should take note that Race Based Preferences are immoral because they simultaneously give an unearned advantage and an unearned disadvantage. America doesn’t need more race-based strife based on what the Supreme court or the people at large accept. The gross unfairness of the Supreme Court is part of the reason President Trump is now the President. 

So what’s the answer? 

Rather simple really. Colleges that provide intellectually difficult material to those with the intellect to handle them. A second, more fair and more realistic set of colleges that provide a broad education experience that can be handled by most students. Leave the intellectuals to the intellectual.  

Views: 11