THE BLAZE - CHRIS ENLOE - NOV 1, 2022
'I've heard similar arguments in favor of segregation'
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said Monday that pro-affirmative action arguments being made before the court reminded him of pro-segregation arguments.
What is the background?
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina on Monday.
The significance of the cases cannot be overstated. First, the court will decide whether race can play a role in college admissions, which is currently legal and is known as "affirmative action."
Second, the court will determine "whether Harvard College is violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by penalizing Asian American applicants, engaging in racial balancing, overemphasizing race and rejecting workable race-neutral alternatives," according to SCOTUSBlog, and whether "a university can reject a race-neutral alternative because it would change the composition of the student body, without proving that the alternative would cause a dramatic sacrifice in academic quality or the educational benefits of overall student-body diversity."
During oral arguments, Thomas asked North Carolina Solicitor General Ryan Park for a definition of "diversity" and to explain the "educational benefits" of diversity.
"Mr. Park, I've heard the word 'diversity' quite a few times, and I don't have a clue what it means," Thomas noted. "It seems to mean everything for everyone.
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