The Supreme Court heard one of the most anticipated cases this year on Oct. 31.
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two affirmative action cases: Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina and Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College.
Both cases challenge affirmative action. Cornell Law defines affirmative action as, “a set of procedures designed to; eliminate unlawful discrimination among applicants, remedy the results of such prior discrimination, and prevent such discrimination in the future.”
The question being asked: should universities use race as a factor in the admissions process?
The conservative majority seems to have a top priority this session and that is to kill affirmative action.
“Your position is that race matters because it’s necessary for diversity, which is necessary for the sort of education you want. It’s not going to stop mattering at some particular point,” Chief Justice John Roberts said according to the Associated Press.
On the other hand, Justice Sonia Sotomayor has been a long-time advocate of affirmative action and she has even called herself a “perfect affirmative action child.”
With a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court, affirmative action supporters like Sotomayor are in the minority.
While the future of affirmative action is unclear, after the Supreme Court’s discussions, it appears that the Supreme Court is ready to rule that race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina were unlawful.
This decision will put an end to decades of precedent allowing colleges and universities to consider race as a factor in the admissions process that promoted and fostered diversity.