Agunda Okeyo
Jun 8, 2024
Dearest Reader,
Circa fall 2002, there were two cases in litigation accusing University of Michigan Law School of discrimination against two white women in a challenge to affirmative action. Gratz v. Bollinger & Grutter v. Bollinger both found their way to the Supreme Court which ultimately ruled against Jennifer Gratz and Barbara Grutter in June 2003. A key statement from the Court was “the nation’s future depends upon leaders trained through wide exposure to the ideas and mores of students as diverse as this Nation of many peoples.” The irony is that white women statistically were the greatest recipients of affirmative action, but in just a few short years, by 2023, affirmative action would be gone. By ending legal protection for taking race into account in college admissions, as one factor among many, a chilling effect began over diversity initiatives across the country in every industry. Just this week an Atlanta based venture capital company, called the Fearless Fund, lost an appeal to halt a case against the fund in violation of the 1866 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race when enforcing contracts. Two years ago this case would have no merit, but now the gloves are off as conservative activists strategically target black women in their fight to make America separate and unequal (again).