The Supreme Court’s decision to end the use of race and ethnicity in university admission decisions has been hailed by two-thirds of Americans as “mostly a good thing,” according to a poll by the Gallup Center on Black Voices.
However, black Americans are divided in their assessment of the decision, while majorities of Asian, White and Hispanic adults view the ruling mostly positively.
The decision, made in June 2023 in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, has led to the reversal of decisions by the court that had permitted the practice of race-conscious admissions programs in the past. The ruling has sparked intense debate among students, university officials, and civil rights activists across the country.
The Gallup poll found that previous surveys had consistently shown that around 70% of Americans favored colleges deciding admissions solely on merit rather than considering a student’s racial or ethnic background. However, the new ruling has raised concerns that merit alone may not be enough to ensure a diverse and inclusive student body.
Critics of the ruling argue that it may limit access to higher education for students from historically marginalized communities, including black, Indigenous, and people of color. They claim that the decision fails to recognize the systemic barriers faced by these students and the benefits of diversity in higher education.
Supporters of the ruling, on the other hand, argue that affirmative action policies may discriminate against qualified non-minority candidates and that race-neutral alternatives should be used to promote diversity and fairness.
