In October, a poll found that more than six in 10 Americans support banning the consideration of race in college admissions, which Townhall covered.
Broken down, 63 percent of all U.S. adults surveyed said they would support the Supreme Court banning colleges and universities from considering a student's race and ethnicity when making decisions about student admissions. This included 66 percent of white respondents, 47 percent of black respondents, 60 percent of Hispanic respondents, and 65 percent of Asians and Pacific Islanders.
“You shouldn’t ask a race question,” one of the respondents said. “If they’ve got the grades, it doesn’t matter if they’re purple.”
Now, a new poll is showing that “two in three Americans (68%) say the Supreme Court’s June 2023 ruling to end the use of race and ethnicity in university admission decisions is ‘mostly a good thing.’”
Diverse reactions in the Black community to the Supreme Court's 2023 higher-education ruling: Older Black adults largely view it negatively, while younger Black adults are split on its impact. https://t.co/5OFMZDUpR6
— GallupNews (@GallupNews) January 16, 2024
In the findings, 52 percent of black adults said the decision is “mostly a good thing,” while 48 percent said it’s “mostly a bad thing.” Majorities of Asian adults, Hispanic adults, and white adults supported the decision (via Gallup):
Although Black adults are divided on the appropriateness of the ruling, they are much more inclined to think it will have a negative than a positive (or no) impact on higher education, generally, and for members of their own racial group. About half of Black adults say the ruling will negatively impact higher education in the U.S. (50%) and the ability of applicants of their own race to attend college (52%). However, 33% of Black adults view the decision as a positive development, saying it will positively impact higher education, while 27% say it will make it easier for Black applicants. The rest view it as one that will not bear any consequences, with 17% saying it will not impact higher education and 22% saying it will make no difference to future Black college applicants.
According to Gallup, even a slight majority of black Americans think the Supreme Court's decision to "end the use of race" in college admissions was a good thing: pic.twitter.com/Wy6rcath1K
— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) January 16, 2024
The case that was brought to the Supreme Court surrounded Harvard and the University of North Carolina, alleging that their race-based college admissions practices actively discriminate against high-achieving students who don't fit the woke mold, often Asian American applicants, which Mia covered.
“While the ruling affects certain racial or ethnic groups of prospective students more than others, some applicants may feel empowered to apply to more selective schools, while others may be less likely to apply to such institutions,” Gallup noted in its write-up. Although the ruling receives fairly wide public support, predictions about the specific impact of the decision draw mixed responses across racial lines, underlining the uncertainty experienced by universities and students alike as they prepare for the next school year.”