[Image taken by Gerald. Credits to Pixabay]

Recently, the Supreme Court decided against US universities and colleges taking  race into consideration during the application process. 

Six members of the Supreme Court agreed, while three disagreed. 

These universities include those of high prestige, including Ivy League colleges. 

This has caused a massive debate to form within the country about the nature of fairness and racial equity. .

Many black and latino students benefited from universities acknowledging race during the application process. 

With this extra detail, many came to succeed further in their futures and their pursuit of  higher education. 

Those who support this ruling claim that this will allow for a more fair admission process. 

Clarence Thomas, an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court who was in the majority, believes that despite his own race, all citizens should be judged without consideration of their colour or race. 

This is because considering races during the application process allows students from historically marginalised races and countries to benefit. 

Additionally, according to US News, “Everyone benefits when things become more equal and equitable.” 

Theoretically, this would increase the opportunity for more people to succeed and contribute to the nation’s economy and future. 

The courts  claimed that students should be considered as of their own person, rather than their race. 

According to Chief Justice John Roberts, students’ individual identities are frequently ignored due to the colour of their skin.  

Their identity could include their adversities, skills earned, life lessons, etc. 

However, since race is considered during the process, the Supreme Court claims that much of this is put aside. 

While this would allow for an equal playing field for all people, many may find themselves disagreeing with this. 

Justice Sonia Sotomayor fired back at the majority decision, and declared that this would further diminish the contributions to international learning environments. 

Many citizens believe that diversity is a necessity when considering the education of young adults.

In addition, the historical and present injustices committed against ethnic minorities in the US and abroad cannot be torn away from discussions of race.

By being exposed to various experiences, students are able to learn and discover new cultures, as well as understand the rate of change in the world. 

Society is changing at an alarming rate, and by being prepared for such changes, students are better able to adapt to the new environments. 

In order for there to be fairer outcomes, many citizens believe that race needs to be considered. 

The result of the Supreme Court’s decision  would be for diversity to be reduced immensely in colleges and universities. 

Harvard and UNC declared that considering race in the application process is something they should keep doing, as it helps produce a more diverse student body in general. 

One perhaps surprising effect of decreased diversity is the economic cost that soon  follows. 

This is because the effects of a decrease in diversity in universities will be a decrease in diversity in the workplace, meaning that historically underrepresented groups will continue to be underrepresented in certain industries, many of which are high-paying.