• Listen to this segment

• Listen to the entire program

Supporters of affirmative action are bracing themselves for a possible setback after the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Fisher v. The University of Texas at Austin last week. The plaintiff, Abigail Fisher, brought the case after she was rejected from UT in 2008 claiming that less qualified Black and Latino applicants were admitted due to standards favoring disadvantaged minorities. Race as a factor in college and university admissions was declared constitutional by the court in 2003 in a case involving the University of Michigan.

Observers anticipate the court will revise its 2003 position based on Justice Elena Kagan’s decision to recuse herself because of work she did on the Fisher case as the Solicitor General under President Obama. Kagan, an Obama appointee is generally viewed as a liberal voice on the court, and her departure is believed by many to be an indication that a decision to uphold affirmative action in its present form is unlikely. Several states, including California, have already outlawed the practice.

However, universities like UT Austin claimed that a small amount of race-based decision-making in admissions has greatly helped diversify its student body. Major multinational corporations like Pfizer, Shell Oil and Viacom signed onto an amicus brief supporting affirmative action. The companies claim that diverse university graduates make US-based companies much more competitive globally.

Additionally, proponents of affirmative action argue that ending affirmative action will result in a lack of racial and cultural diversity on college and university campuses around the country and further entrench inequalities borne by disadvantaged minorities.

Others have questioned the plaintiffs motives. Reports have surfaced that Fisher, who has since graduated from Louisiana State University, was aided by a right wing legal defense fund called the “Project on Fair Representation” run by Edward Blum, former investment banker and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

GUEST: Julianne Hing, Blogger/Reporter for Colorlines.com.

Read Julianne Hing’s articles:
Reports from Supreme Court: Justices Skeptical About UT Austin’s Program

Affirmative Action Is Just One Part of the Educational Equity Fight

For more information, visit www.ccfasc.org or www.facebook.com/ccfasc.