President Trump has long been viewed as insensitive and ignorant in regard to race and a new policy looks to only enforce that belief. Last week, the Trump administration reversed an Obama-Era policy that encouraged colleges and universities to consider race as a factor in their acceptance decision.
This policy reversal reveals that the Trump administration is looking toward making colleges “colorblind” in their enrollment decisions despite the benefits that come with affirmative action for minority applicants.
“The Supreme Court has determined what affirmative action policies are constitutional, and the court’s written decisions are the best guide for navigating this complex issue. Schools should continue to offer equal opportunities for all students while abiding by the law,” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said in a statement.
According to the New York Times, Democratic Representative Nancy Pelosi said that a rollback of “vital affirmative action guidance offends our nation’s values” and called it “yet another clear Trump administration attack on communities of color.” This statement was in regard to a different position the Trump administration took in a case regarding one of the nation’s most elite colleges.
In a separate Affirmative Action position, the Trump administration is currently pursuing a Supreme Court case in support of Asian-American applicants who believe that Harvard University purposely set aside their applications in order to consider applicants of other minority races.
According to the Ivy League school’s most recent statistics, 22 percent of students are Asian-American while 14 percent are African-American and 11 percent are Hispanic or Latino.
This case that could have a huge impact on colleges and universities in the country, as reported by the Harvard Crimson, will be going to trial in October.
