Wide Support Among Young Americans for Ending the Use of Race in College Admissions

 

The media and Democrats portray young Americans as firmly behind affirmative action.  This isn’t true.  Young Americans are ready to put racial discrimination behind us. 

Don’t believe the media and Democrats on the Supreme Court decision to end racial discrimination in college admissions.   

Democrats and the media portray Gen Z and Millennials as fully behind the use of race in college admissions.  The truth is much different. 

A plurality of Americans oppose the use of race in college admissions.  A survey by the Pew Foundation found that 50 percent of all Americans opposed the use of race versus only 33 percent that approved.  Hispanics were equally divided, 39 percent to 39 percent.  Less than half of blacks (47 percent) approve of affirmative action.

Still, universities cling to the use of race.  This demonstrates how out of touch higher ed has become with middle America. 

Young people are at best split on the issue of affirmative action.  Just as many young people disapprove of using race for college admissions and hiring as do. 

Harvard University’s Youth Poll regularly asks Americans between the ages of 18 to 29 whether “qualified minorities should be given special preferences in hiring and education.”

In the most recent poll, only 30 percent agreed with affirmative action.  33 percent disagreed.  This that held strong opinions were more unfavorable toward affirmative action.  Only 12 percent strongly agreed with affirmative action while 18 percent were strongly opposed. 

Given that young people are at most evenly divided on the issue, the predominance of young backers in the media reflects not reality but instead the media’s preferred narrative. 

Instead of attacking the ruling, President Biden should stop dividing Americans based on race.  His own record on racial matters is a dismal one.    

Polling by Harvard shows that most young people don’t like the way Biden is handling race relations.  58 percent of 18–29-year-olds disapprove of Biden’s handling of race relations, only 38 percent approve. 

55 percent of blacks and 38 percent of Democrats between 18 and 29 disapprove of how Biden’s handling race relations.