The History of Affirmative Action in Higher Education

On Thursday, the Supreme Court overturned decades of precedent by striking down affirmative action and declaring that the race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina were unlawful.

Adam Liptak, who covers the United States Supreme Court for The New York Times, explains the ruling, and what it means for American society.

Guest: Adam Liptak, who covers the court for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• The Supreme Court’s vote to reject affirmative action programs was 6 to 3, with the liberal justices in dissent.
• In 2016, in its last major case on affirmative action in higher education, the Supreme Court upheld an aspect of an idiosyncratic admissions program at the University of Texas at Austin.

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