As I reflect on this Friday, June 30th, 2023, the Supreme Court's decision to strike down affirmative action in higher education is front and center in my mind. Affirmative action has undeniably opened doors to quality education for many individuals who otherwise may not have had the opportunity. Its impacts on society, on diverse job markets, and connections it has fostered are considerable.
Yet, in acknowledging this, I find it crucial to reflect on the implications it has had on Asian Americans and their access to top universities. Many of these students have worked tirelessly, achieving perfect SAT scores, immaculate grades and so on, only to be overshadowed by the factors of racial preferences.
Moreover, I've noticed a particularly distressing side effect of affirmative action. Black individuals who excel and enter the upper echelons of society often find themselves subject to scrutiny - the lingering question being whether they would have gotten there without affirmative action. This speculation can be demeaning and belittles their accomplishments.
The recent discourse around Justice Clarence Thomas, who voted to strike down affirmative action, illustrates this issue vividly.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson called Justice Clarence Thomas "the worst thing" that affirmative action has created as he condemned the Supreme Court decision striking down racial preferences in college admissions.
"The worst thing about affirmative action is that it created a Clarence Thomas, who benefited from the program and is now in a position where he's going to deny opportunity to many young African-American talented individuals."
Funnily enough, Justice Thomas has written that after graduating from Yale Law School, he felt that racial preference had "robbed my achievement of its true value.”
It's hard to deny that this is a reasonable thing to feel when people like Derrick Johnson reduce Thomas's achievements to those made possible by affirmative action. Imagine being constantly questioned about your worth and your accomplishments. So demoralizing.
Affirmative action also results in a skewed playing field. It implies that certain groups need to work harder than others to reach the same goals. This unequal incentive can inevitably influence outcomes and reinforce harmful stereotypes.
The recent Supreme Court ruling compels all high school students to rise to the occasion, regardless of their race or background. It's important to note that, as seen in University of California schools, diversity can bounce back after initial setbacks once race-based considerations are removed. People are resilient and often find ways to adapt and succeed when the rules change.
However, this is not to say the challenges facing Black American students have been resolved at all because of this ruling. We have merely removed a 'band-aid' solution, exposing a deep, systemic wound.
There is a pressing need for more holistic measures to support Black American flourishing and achievement - measures that do not solely rely on comparisons with students of other races at the collegiate level. The real solution must start much earlier in a student's journey.
So, while I understand the concerns and frustrations surrounding this ruling, particularly among prospective Black college students, I believe this decision could have potentially beneficial implications for American society in the long run.
Lastly, it's important to highlight that this ruling could provide a much-needed boost for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). On a recent visit to Morehouse College, I was struck by the transformative power these institutions hold in molding young minority men into future leaders; so much so that I am inspired to help create an innovation center at Morehouse.
Black men in America shouldn't feel obligated to attend Harvard or Yale to find success. More importantly, they shouldn't feel like their accomplishments are merely tokens of white society's generosity.
The questions that truly intrigue me focus on inclusivity and empowerment. How do we uplift Black Americans without diminishing the achievements of Asian Americans? How do we shape an America where more individuals can rise and succeed?
These questions resonate more deeply with me than the debates over allocation of limited seats in Ivy League institutions. Let's focus less on rearranging these artificial scarcities and more on fostering widespread, inclusive success.
Focusing on generating new abundance of educational and career opportunity is the key to a Golden Age for America.