The United States Supreme Court again is hearing arguments about race-based considerations in university admissions policies. The cases concern such policies at the University of North Carolina (UNC), a public school, and Harvard, the nation’s oldest private university. The nation’s highest court agreed to hear the legal actions after lower courts ruled in favor of both UNC and Harvard. The lower courts ruled that both schools followed past Supreme Court rulings, called precedents. It rejected accusations of discrimination against white and Asian-American students. In 2003, the Supreme Court ruled that the University of Michigan’s law school could consider race in its admissions process to create “a diverse educational environment." In 2016, the court ruled that the constitution does not bar consideration of race in a case about admission at the University of Texas at Austin. The group Students for Fair Admissions, or SFFA, brought the legal actions against UNC and Harvard. The group’s founder, Edward Blum, is a conservative activist. He brought similar legal action against the University of Texas and also organized against the Voting Rights Act. The SFFA argued that the Constitution bars the use of race in college admissions and called for overturning earlier Supreme Court decisions that disagreed. Colleges and universities can use other, race-neutral ways to build a diverse student body, it said. The group offered the possibility of considering a student’s socioeconomic position, for example. It also said the schools should stop favoring applicants whose parents are former students. During the hearings, the justices appeared to take different sides in the dispute. Justice Clarence Thomas, who has a record of opposition to race consideration, said, “I’ve heard the word ‘diversity’ quite a few times and I don’t have a clue what it means.” Justice Samuel Alito compared race consideration to giving minorities a starting point closer to the finish line. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is the court’s newest justice and its first Black female member. She said UNC’s admission programs are “looking at the full person with all of those characteristics.” And Justice Elena Kagan called universities the “pipelines to leadership in our society” and suggested that without race consideration, fewer minority students could attend these colleges. Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar represents the Biden administration. She said the schools’ admission policies support national security interest. Prelogar said, a diverse group of military officers is critical to national security. She said that requires race-based considerations in admissions, “including at the nation’s service academies.” A decision in today’s hearing is not expected before late spring.
Title: US High Court Reviews Race Consideration in College Admission
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/A3.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='US High Court Reviews Race Consideration in College Admission' data-article-id='6275'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='14104'>The United States Supreme Court again is hearing arguments about race-based considerations in university admissions policies.</span> <span data-start-time='14104' data-end-time='28667'>The cases concern such policies at the University of North Carolina (UNC), a public school, and Harvard, the nation’s oldest private university.</span> <span data-start-time='28667' data-end-time='41188'>The nation’s highest court agreed to hear the legal actions after lower courts ruled in favor of both UNC and Harvard. </span> <span data-start-time='41188' data-end-time='49625'>The lower courts ruled that both schools followed past Supreme Court rulings, called precedents. </span> <span data-start-time='49625' data-end-time='58146'>It rejected accusations of discrimination against white and Asian-American students.</span> <span data-start-time='58146' data-end-time='73958'>In 2003, the Supreme Court ruled that the University of Michigan’s law school could consider race in its admissions process to create “a diverse educational environment." </span> <span data-start-time='73958' data-end-time='88958'>In 2016, the court ruled that the constitution does not bar consideration of race in a case about admission at the University of Texas at Austin.</span> <span data-start-time='88958' data-end-time='100063'>The group Students for Fair Admissions, or SFFA, brought the legal actions against UNC and Harvard. </span> <span data-start-time='100063' data-end-time='106104'>The group’s founder, Edward Blum, is a conservative activist. </span> <span data-start-time='106104' data-end-time='116208'>He brought similar legal action against the University of Texas and also organized against the Voting Rights Act.</span> <span data-start-time='116208' data-end-time='132021'>The SFFA argued that the Constitution bars the use of race in college admissions and called for overturning earlier Supreme Court decisions that disagreed. </span> <span data-start-time='132021' data-end-time='142229'>Colleges and universities can use other, race-neutral ways to build a diverse student body, it said.</span> <span data-start-time='142229' data-end-time='150396'>The group offered the possibility of considering a student’s socioeconomic position, for example. </span> <span data-start-time='150396' data-end-time='159375'>It also said the schools should stop favoring applicants whose parents are former students.</span> <span data-start-time='159375' data-end-time='166375'>During the hearings, the justices appeared to take different sides in the dispute.</span> <span data-start-time='166375' data-end-time='174542'>Justice Clarence Thomas, who has a record of opposition to race consideration, said, “I’ve heard the word ‘diversity’ quite a few times and I don’t have a clue what it means.” </span> <span data-start-time='174542' data-end-time='181917'>Justice Samuel Alito compared race consideration to giving minorities a starting point closer to the finish line.</span> <span data-start-time='181917' data-end-time='192938'>Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is the court’s newest justice and its first Black female member.</span> <span data-start-time='192938' data-end-time='202083'>She said UNC’s admission programs are “looking at the full person with all of those characteristics.” </span> <span data-start-time='202083' data-end-time='231917'>And Justice Elena Kagan called universities the “pipelines to leadership in our society” and suggested that without race consideration, fewer minority students could attend these colleges.</span> <span data-start-time='231917' data-end-time='239021'>Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar represents the Biden administration. </span> <span data-start-time='239021' data-end-time='246021'>She said the schools’ admission policies support national security interest.</span> <span data-start-time='246021' data-end-time='254104'>Prelogar said, a diverse group of military officers is critical to national security. </span> <span data-start-time='254104' data-end-time='265292'>She said that requires race-based considerations in admissions, “including at the nation’s service academies.”</span> <span data-start-time='265292' data-end-time='271417'>A decision in today’s hearing is not expected before late spring.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/A3.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=18995 data-hint-location='202083' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/which_of_the_following_is_a_definition_of_the_word_society.wav'>Which of the following is a definition of the word society?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='people in a particular country, area, time'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/people_in_a_particular_country_area_time.wav'><span>people in a particular country, area, time</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/the_practice_of_restraining_oneself_from_indulging_in_something_typically_alcohol.wav'><span>the practice of restraining oneself from indulging in something, typically alcohol</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/the_endurance_of_pain_or_hardship_without_the_display_of_feelings_and_without_complaint.wav'><span>the endurance of pain or hardship without the display of feelings and without complaint</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/defeated_or_conquered.wav'><span>defeated or conquered</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18996 data-hint-location='166375' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/what_term_did_justice_clarence_thomas_have_trouble_understanding.wav'>What term did Justice Clarence Thomas have trouble understanding?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='diversity'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/diversity.wav'><span>diversity</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/thirst.wav'><span>thirst</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/drivers.wav'><span>drivers</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/adversity.wav'><span>adversity</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18997 data-hint-location='265292' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/a_decision_in_todays_hearing_is_not_expected_before_late__blank_.wav'>A decision in todays hearing is not expected before late <span class='blank'>spring</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='spring'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/spring.wav'><span>spring</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/string.wav'><span>string</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/sting.wav'><span>sting</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5704/sling.wav'><span>sling</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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