The Rise, Rationale, and Reversal of Affirmative Action
October 9, 2025
1 hr 13 min
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936 of 1,003
October 9, 2025
The Rise, Rationale, and Reversal of Affirmative Action
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Preet Bharara Episodes Around October 9, 2025
Episode 936 of 1,003 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
1:13:42This episodeThe Rise, Rationale, and Reversal of Affirmative Action
Summary
The Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard ended decades of race-conscious admissions in higher education. Supporters argue the ruling restores colorblind fairness, while critics warn it risks undoing decades of progress toward equal opportunity.
On this week’s Stay Tuned with Preet, Yale Law Professor Justin Driver, author of The Fall of Affirmative Action: Race, the Supreme Court, and the Future of Higher Education, joins Preet to trace the history of affirmative action — from Lyndon Johnson’s call for “true equality” in 1965 to the Court’s recent decision — and to explore what colleges can still do to build diverse classrooms within the confines of the law.
Then, Preet answers your questions about the recent court ruling on deploying the National Guard to Portland, Oregon.
In the bonus for Insiders, Justin Driver reflects on how his father’s sacrifices shaped his understanding of opportunity and education.
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