Despite decades of reverse discrimination rulings, lawsuits still flourish
The issue of reverse discrimination first reached the nation’shighest court in the 1970s, when a student with good grades named AllanBakke accused a University of California medical school of twicedenying him admission because he was white.
Strict racial quotaswere unconstitutional, the court said — affirmative action was not. Butthat ruling far from decided what many considered the big-pictureissue: does protecting minorities discriminate against the majority?
Morethan 30 years, and scores of lawsuits later, the question remainsunanswered. Meanwhile, more Americans came to believe that affirmationaction is no longer necessary, and that instead of leveling theplayfield for minorities, it unfairly punishes whites.
Last week, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case filed bywhite firefighters who claimed they were denied promotion because ofthe color of their skin.
“The laws that Congress wrote are clear— everyone is protected from racial discrimination,” said Roger Clegg,president of the Center for Equal Opportunity, a conservative thinktank that advocates eliminating race and ethnic considerations. “Notjust blacks, but whites. Not just Latinos, but whites.”
Those who favor affirmative action say race divisions still exist in this country, 40 years after the civil rights movement.
“Raceso permeates society that you can’t ignore it,” said Dennis Parker,director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Racial Justice Project.
Severalstates have recently faced legal battles waged by whites claiming theywere unfairly treated in favor of protecting and promoting blacks andHispanics.