The Attacks on Education Equality Continue
Without Affirmative Action, California University Enrollment Plunged for Black and Latino First Years
After taking the time to process the decisions, we at Future Leaders of America (FLA) are appalled and angry at the recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings on affirmative action and student loan forgiveness. Both rulings send a disheartening message, suggesting that higher education is meant only for those with privilege.
As a pillar of society, education serves not only in preparing tomorrow’s leaders but as an equalizer with the American ideal for students from all races and ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds to have the opportunity to receive high-quality education and a pathway out of poverty. Unfortunately, this ideal has yet to become a reality.
After the passage of California’s ban on affirmative action through Proposition 209 in 1996, racial diversity in public universities plummeted. For example, the number of Black and Latino first-year students plunged nearly by half at UCLA and UC Berkeley during the first admissions year after the elimination of affirmative action. Decades and more than a half-billion dollars later, California’s UC enrollment is still not reflective of the state’s racial and ethnic makeup.
