Living in a post-affirmative action world; ruling against Michigan could boost minority achievement, says one scholar. But others are not so optimistic - Ruling On Affirmative Action - University of Michigan

Black Issues in Higher Education, Feb 27, 2003 by Ronald Roach

Observers point out there's been little or no discussion about admissions to graduate school programs. And some point to the fact that specialized academic programs that provide summer academic experiences for minority undergraduates are now under attack. Princeton University this month announced that it's doing away with a minority-only summer program that helped prepare students for graduate study in public policy and international affairs.

Unless such efforts are retooled as race neutral, more programs will face challenges and fold, according to experts.

Taking the Pulse

A Los Angeles Times poll found by a 2-1 majority, Americans back
President Bush's opposition to preferences for minority applicants at
the University of Michigan. But they would support a more general
program that gives job and education preferences to those from
economically disadvantaged backgrounds, regardless of race or sex.

* President Bush said that he opposes a program of racial preferences
for minority applicants at the University of Michigan, and the Bush
administration urged the Supreme Court to declare the university's
admissions system unconstitutional. Do you approve or disapprove of the
Bush administration's position?

                      All   Whites   Minorities

Approve               55%      59%          46%
Disaprove             27%      21%          41%
Don't know            18%      20%          13%

* How close do you think we are to eliminating discrimination against
racial and ethnic minorities in America once and for all?

                      All   Whites   Minorities

Very close             8%       6%          11%
Fairly close          30%      34%          22%
Not too close         31%      32%          28%
Not close at all      28%      26%          33%
Don't know             3%       2%           6%

* Would you favor or oppose an affirmative action program that gives
preference in jobs and education to people who come from an
economically disadvantaged background, regardless of their gender or
ethnicity?

                      All   Whites   Minorities

Favor                 60%      56%          68%
Oppose                31%      33%          25%
Don't know             9%      11%           7%

* How often do you think affirmative action programs designed to help
women and minorities get better jobs and education end up depriving
someone else of their fights?

                      All   Whites   Minorities

Almost always          6%       6%           7%
Quite a lot           28%      31%          20%
Only occasionally     47%      48%          43%
Almost never           9%       5%          20%
Don't know            10%      10%          10%

* Do you think affirmative action programs designed to help Blacks and
other minorities get better jobs and education go too far these days,
or don't they go far enough, or are they just about adequate now?

                      All   Whites   Minorities

Go too far            36%      40%          26%
Don't go far enough   18%      12%          34%
Adequate now          36%      38%          31%
Don't know            10%      10%           9%

The L.A. TIMES contacted 1,385 Americans nationwide by telephone
between Jan. 30-Feb. 2, 2003. The margin of sampling error for the
entire sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

SOURCE: LOS ANGELES TIMES