Photo by Godisable Jacob
As colleges grapple with the Supreme Court’s recent decision on affirmative action, some seem to be contemplating a shift toward reparations-based admissions policies. The debate around whether to strike down affirmative action has raised a crucial question: Should preferential treatment in college admissions or other benefits be extended to descendants of slaves as a form of reparations?
The Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) decision by the SCOTUS to get rid of affirmative action at schools has left higher education institutions searching for alternative strategies to address diversity and equity in admissions. SFFA was founded in 2014 by conservative activist Edward Blum for the purpose of challenging affirmative action admissions policies at schools.
Affirmative action, which was originally conceived in the 1960s as a means of addressing historical injustices and promoting racial equity, is no more. Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s argument that benefits given to descendants of slaves should not be considered race-based has spurred discussions about reparations-based admissions, Inside Higher Education reported.
Reparations-based admissions policies involve providing preferential treatment, similar to legacy applicants, to individuals with a direct historical connection to slavery or other forms of racial injustice. By focusing on a more narrowly defined admissions reparations program, institutions hope to make a compelling, race-neutral case.
Georgetown University and the University of Virginia have taken steps in the direction of admissions reparations. Georgetown provides preferential treatment to applicants descended from the 273 people who were once enslaved and sold by the Maryland Province of Jesuits. Meanwhile, the University of Virginia offers an optional essay for applicants to describe their “personal or historical connection” to the university, including being descendants of those who worked at the institution, ABC News reported.
Institutions are also looking into other ways to address their historical ties to slavery. This includes erecting monuments, taxing endowments, offering alternative campus tours that highlight the university’s history of slavery, and supporting descendants of those enslaved by the universities.
Photo by Godisable Jacob: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-wearing-black-graduation-coat-sits-on-stairs-901962/
