It is the first test for affirmative action before the current court with its six-justice conservative majority and three justices of color.
"That would be a sea change in American law with huge implications across society," said Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center.
Baruch College, part of the City University of New York, is one of the most diverse college campuses in America. More than 70% of students are non-white.The group, led by longtime affirmative action critic Edward Blum, is asking the Supreme Court to outlaw consideration of race in admission to public and private colleges and universities nationwide.
"An applicant's race is only one among dozens of factors," UNC wrote in its brief to the high court, as admissions officers bring "together a class that is diverse along numerous dimensions -- including geography, military status, and socioeconomic background." "In UNC's academic judgment, diversity is central to the education it aims to provide," the school told the court. "Ideally, UNC could achieve this diversity without consideration of race … [but it] remains necessary."Since 1996, 10 states have banned the use of race in public university admissions. But roughly one-in-five U.S. public universities still consider race during the admissions process, according to a report by Ballotpedia.
Baruch College, part of the City University of New York located in lower Manhattan, is one of the most racially diverse campuses in the country, with more than 70% students of color. The school does not consider race in admissions. "Race has to be part of the conversation. I also think socioeconomic status is really important, and we need to find a way to talk about both of them in a nuanced way," said Jake Moreno Coplon, CEO of America Needs You, a nonprofit that helps first-generation college students get accepted to college and navigate the transition.
More than 60% of Americans said they would support a ban on race-based affirmative action, according to a Washington Post-Schar SchoolThe views appear to be shared by majorities across racial and political groups. A Pew Research Centerearlier this year found 68% of Hispanics, 63% of Asian Americans and 59% of African Americans oppose the use of race or ethnicity in college admissions.