In 2021, the people of California will have the opportunity to vote on whether or not to repeal the state’s ban on affirmative action. This ban, known as proposition 209, was approved in 1996 and essentially states that colleges cannot consider race when approving student admissions. 

According to research, the number of Latino/Latina and black college students does not reflect the number of people in these categories in K-12 schools and the general population. For this reason, many people oppose this ban and wish to increase the level of diversity in California’s educational institutions. 

This article will discuss everything there is to know about affirmative action in college admissions. More so, we will mention the civil rights movement and the current state of affirmative action. 

The Definition Of Affirmative Action

In the 1960s, college admission departments decided to accept more people of color to begin making up for the past inequalities. Black students had been historically excluded from colleges and universities, creating a large gap in the number of white students and people of color who could obtain a degree.

Essentially, affirmative action is designed to increase the representation of women and people of color. In education, this means that colleges approve the applications of students who represent these specific groups. 

The Current State Of Affirmative Action

Affirmative action was created after the development of the civil rights movement. After various educational institutions adopted this concept, more and more people of color began obtaining degrees and furthering their studies. 

In 1976, more than 80% of college students were white. However, by the end of 2016, this number had dropped to below 57%. More so, the number of black students in colleges that banned affirmative action dropped by almost 25%. These examples show us that affirmative action has played a significant role in diversifying education. 

However, many people disagree with this concept – they believe that race should not play a role in the admissions process. Instead, these people argue that the academic merit earned in high school should be the only factor considered when students apply for a particular college. 

Concluding Thoughts

Affirmative action is a concept that was first developed during the 1960s. It essentially revolves around the idea of diversifying the type of students that attend various academic institutions. 

In other words, colleges will accept students of color over white students to increase their representation and make up for the inequalities caused in the past. California banned affirmative action because many people believe that race should not even be considered when accepting students.