A new California bill would grant admission preference to descendants of slaves at the University of California and California State University.
The new measure, introduced by Assemblyman Isaac Bryan, seeks to address past and ongoing forms of discrimination within public university systems. Bryan said legacy admissions often favored the wealthy at the expense of groups affected by historical injustices, describing the bill as a step toward correcting those inequities.
AP News reported that the bill complies with recommendations by California's Black Reparations Task Force. To be clear, the law does not require preferential treatment but leaves the decision of admitting the descendants of enslaved people in universities' hands. This move, supporters argue, is towards redressing historical wrongs and racism in education. The representation of Black students at both university systems remains miniscule, thus requiring these changes.
DEI Discussion in US Universities
This came against mounting challenges DEI programs across the country face. Recently, the US Supreme Court put affirmative action in college admissions under a cloud, compelling measures like Bryan's bill. Critics maintain such initiatives are discriminatory towards other groups and reflect partisan agendas.
At the same time, the timing of the bill comes at a period of political shift, where the incoming president, Donald Trump, has planned to eliminate the DEI programs in federal levels. In a previous report from the University Herald, his administration proposed actions such as defunding schools that have programs that support diversity, adding pressure on debates over educational equity. Legacy admissions, which are always criticized for giving preference to more affluent and mainly white applicants, have also been targeted for criticism following the Supreme Court ruling.
For Bryan, reparations should not only include monetary compensation to the descendants of slaves or victims of systemic racism but also more systemic changes that continue to create inequalities, such as access to education and opportunities. California has made some steps, such as apologizing for its racist history, per CBS News, but other proposed measures to fight racial disparities have not moved in the state Legislature.
Originally published on University Herald.
