Activist Edward Blum with the group students for fair admissions sued Harvard and the University of North Carolina arguing that race conscience admissions criteria unconstitutionally discriminate against Asian American students Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund President Thomas Saenz says he expects the court to rule against affirmative action but he says colleges still can address the problem from a different angle.
California banned preferential treatment in education and government in 1996 with proposition 209. Since then, the share of Black, Native American and Latino students in public universities has fallen. For example, Latinos made up 59 percent of the state's high school graduates in 2019, but only 29% of that Year's freshman class at the University of California. Sally Chen, with the group Chinese for Affirmative action says Blum is no friend no students of color.
Private colleges and universities in California were not covered by Prop 209 and can still use crate race conscience admission policies but that could change if the Supreme Court rules against Harvard University, a private institution.
