JSU student, professor fear SCOTUS’ affirmative action case could put minority students in jeopardy

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - A U.S. Supreme Court case has the potential to change the college admission process indefinitely.

Monday, court justices heard arguments on whether race should continue to be a factor in that process.

Challengers in this case target Harvard and the University of North Carolina’s admission programs.

They argue the programs violate equal protection principles, eliminate the promise of a color-blind society, and discriminate against Asian Americans.

“I feel like affirmative action being repealed is kind of like America taking two steps back in the wrong direction,” Jonas Goss said.

Goss – a freshman at Jackson State University – said minority students all over the country could be in jeopardy.

It all depends on how the supreme court rules.

“Affirmative action was created for people of our background to get a fair shake and to be allowed in some of those historically white spaces,” he said.

Some feel race shouldn’t be considered in higher education admissions whatsoever.

Conservative Activist Edward Blum has worked to end affirmative action for nearly a decade.

“Classifying students by race and ethnicity; treating them differently because of their race and ethnicity, it’s unfair,” Blum said.

On the other hand, Jacobi Grant - a professor at JSU - said diversity plays a crucial role in getting students ready for life after college.

“For our academic institutions of higher learning to properly prepare its students for work in America’s workforce, they should probably expose them to situational circumstances and diverse settings that they will encounter during their occupations,” he said.

Grant said the fact that the supreme court is taking the case up at all shows just how divisive society is.

“I do maintain hope that the judicial opinion will be apolitical and the best argument wins,” he said.

Both the JSU student and professor said - regardless of how you feel - the issue speaks to the importance of voting because even though we, as citizens, don’t choose our Supreme Court Justices, some of the people we vote into office do.

Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Copyright 2022 WLBT. All rights reserved.