Affirmative action, particularly as it relates to college admissions, is the practice of favoring individuals belonging to minority groups that have been discriminated against, and who continue to face discrimination. Since its inception in the 1960s in the United States, affirmative action has been a contentious topic with polarizing perspectives leading to a number of court cases that consider the legality and ethicality of the practice. In 2003, the Supreme Court ruled that educational institutions are allowed to consider race as a factor when admitting students (Grutter v. Bollinger). However, some states, including California, have passed constitutional amendments banning public institutions from practicing affirmative action. In recent years, the scope of that ruling has been challenged, notably, in lawsuits involving Harvard College and the University of Texas at Austin. In this debate on whether affirmative action should be practiced in college admissions, we will present a diverse range of speakers with nuanced views on the subject to empower individuals to articulate their own opinions or build upon existing ones.

A special thank you to Dr. Prudence L. Carter for joining us on this episode.

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