Affirmative action ruling means fewer 'racial minorities in prestigious public higher education'

The Supreme Court has sent shockwaves through higher education with a landmark decision that struck down affirmative action and left colleges across the nation searching for new ways to promote student diversity. Leaders of scores of universities said Thursday that they were disappointed by what they see as a blow to diversity. Yet many also voiced optimism that they would find new ways to admit more Black and Hispanic students, despite evidence that eliminating the practice often leads to steep enrollment decreases among them.



President Joe Biden said he disagreed with the decision and asked the Education Department to explore policies that could help colleges build diverse student bodies. He also pushed against policies like legacy preferences — admissions boosts given to the children of alumni — that tend to help white, wealthy students. With the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling leaving colleges scrambling for new ways to promote diversity, FRANCE 24's Tom Burges Watson is joined by Dr. Douglas Yates, Professor of Political Science and African Politics at American Graduate School of International Relations and Diplomacy and Lecturer at the University of Cergy-Pontoise.