The U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings on Thursday that race-conscious college admissions programs are unlawful was widely expected but still deeply discouraging.
The nation’s highest court, at its best a great protector of minority rights and equal access to education, now sides with those who want to narrow educational opportunities for minorities. It is a grim and bewildering turn away from of the court’s previous opinions and the nation’s long march toward equality.
The rulings come in two lawsuits brought by a conservative group, Students for Fair Admissions, against Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
