In 2003, the Supreme Court decision of Grutter v. Bollinger upheld race-conscious admissions programs within higher education to promote diversity and secure fair opportunities. Protecting affirmative action policies that proactively address historic disadvantages and work to promote greater social access for minority groups remains a priority for civil rights and racial justice advocates.
This session of OSI's Racial Justice series examined the legacy of affirmative action, the opposition, and advocacy strategies for historically disenfranchised communities in the United States.
Moderated by Alvin Starks, associate director for fellows and technical assistance at the Open Society Institute, the panel featured the following speakers:
- Karen Narasaki, National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium;
- Gerald Torres, The University of Texas at Austin;
- Kimberle Crenshaw, Columbia Law School