https://hechingerreport.org/michael-wang-became-a-poster-child-for-protesting-affirmative-action-now-he-says-he-never-meant-for-it-to-be-abolished/ Covering Innovation & Inequality in Education Mon, 16 Oct 2023 16:26:30 +0000 hourly 1 https://hechingerreport.org/michael-wang-became-a-poster-child-for-protesting-affirmative-action-now-he-says-he-never-meant-for-it-to-be-abolished/comment-page-1/#comment-48628 Sun, 04 Jun 2023 06:37:13 +0000 https://hechingerreport.org/?p=93592#comment-48628 Our debates about affirmative action in higher education are, more fundamentally, debates about realistic chances to access economic, political, and social resources. People with better credentials, like a degree from a prestigious college, have better chances. These stakes are high, which is why we argue so passionately even as we anxiously await the Supreme Court’s latest decision about affirmative action in higher education.
Despite judicial decrees and legal ideals, race continues to be significant. Black students, for example, accrue college-going debt at a greater rate, but acquire degrees at lesser rates than students of other races. Such trends indicate diminished chances for black people and are sufficient to make us suspect systemic causes.
However, even if the Supreme Court soon outlaws race-conscious affirmative action in higher education, advancement toward racial equity can be an ironic result. Decision-makers from higher education can present recruitment sessions and even sponsor courses at schools in neighborhoods where they have not gone before. They can further deemphasize national standardized tests while weighing interviews and personal statements more heavily. They can advocate for more equitable public schooling.
They cannot, however, simply ignore race.

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