Recently, the news has been inundated with updates on President Trump’s impeachment inquiry. It’s everywhere. But something that's more relevant to UNC and college students also happened last week — a federal judge decided that Harvard University can still use race in their admissions process.
This is big news. The decision is part of the greater debate around affirmative action going on in higher education in the U.S. Students for Fair Admission (SFFA), the group that sued Harvard, also sued UNC in 2014. SFFA sued both universities on the grounds that their admissions practices unfairly discriminate against white and Asian applicants by giving advantages to Black, Latino and other minority groups. SFFA wants to eliminate race from being used in admissions practices.
The result of that case could not only affect the student body at UNC, but also set a precedent for public universities across the U.S.
Harvard’s victory last week is important for ensuring diversity and representation on college campuses. Eliminating race from the admissions process would wipe out important aspects of students’ lived experiences which contribute to, but do not wholly define, their learning at universities.
At its core, affirmative action was put in place to ensure that minority groups were guaranteed representation in working environments and schools. Using race, admission offices can evaluate applicants to ensure the incoming class resembles the population they serve.
Challenging affirmative action’s place in admissions policies today implies there is no longer a need for race consideration in constructing a class. That is not true. Racial inequality and disparities still pervade the education system.
In the Fall of 2018, white and Asian students made up around 84 percent of the incoming class at UNC. African American and Hispanic people represent roughly 30 percent of North Carolina’s population, but only 11 and 9 percent of 2018's class of first-years, respectively.
Beyond numbers, understanding race is important when racial inequality in education is still present. Unfortunately, disparities in resources and access affect different racial communities in distinct ways. Generalizing on race is not right, but neither is ignoring it. The way race shapes experiences and ideas is invaluable to those applying to college, and should be for those admitting them.
The upcoming lawsuit against UNC is not about supporting a more equal process, it is about dismantling ways in which minority students lack access to higher education. Admission cannot be race-blind because existing systems continue to discriminate against and oppress certain racial groups.
