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California's fight with affirmative action

Jan 4, 2023

The podcast discusses California's experience with affirmative action, exploring the impact of a previous ban on diversity in education. It also delves into the challenges to affirmative action in the Supreme Court, the UC system's stance on the issue, and efforts to diversify California's public schools without using race and gender as factors.

19:59

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Quick takeaways

The podcast highlights the significant decrease in black and Hispanic admissions to public education in California after the ban on affirmative action in 1996.

The episode outlines the University of California's efforts to diversify their student body through alternative measures, such as considering income and socioeconomic status, guaranteeing admission to top-performing students, and implementing a comprehensive review process.

Deep dives

The Supreme Court's Impending Decision on Affirmative Action

The podcast episode discusses the Supreme Court's consideration to abolish affirmative action, with a case challenging its constitutionality. Schools are concerned about maintaining diversity without affirmative action, as it has been essential in higher education admissions for decades. The podcast highlights California's experience after banning affirmative action in 1996, resulting in a significant decrease in black and Hispanic admissions to public education. It emphasizes administrators' belief that nothing can fully replace affirmative action in diversifying college campuses.

Introduction

2min

Challenges to Affirmative Action in the U.S. Supreme Court

8min

Diversifying California's Public Schools

4min

The UC system's stance on affirmative action and the views of California voters

2min

The push for diversity and the potential impact of banning affirmative action

5min

The Supreme Court appears ready to abolish affirmative action later this year. The case seeking to declare it unconstitutional has schools that consider race in admissions worried about how they can continue to build diversity among their students without affirmative action.

Here in California, though, we already know what happens when programs like affirmative action are banned. In 1996, voters passed a first ballot initiative in the country to ban the consideration of race or gender and public education.

Today, how the University of California system has dealt with a 25-year ban on affirmative action. And what we can learn if a national ban does happen. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times reporter Teresa Watanabe

More reading:

California banned affirmative action in 1996. Inside the UC struggle for diversity

Are Asian American college applicants at a disadvantage? Supreme Court debate stirs fear

Column: Affirmative action challenges aren’t about ending discrimination. Their goal is white supremacy

Some audio in this episode is courtesy of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library.