A civil rights group is currently challenging the practice of legacy admissions at Harvard University. The group argues that this practice is discriminatory towards students of color, as it provides an unfair advantage to mostly white children of alumni. This challenge is part of a larger movement against legacy admissions, which grants priority in admissions to the children of alumni. The recent ruling by the Supreme Court, which ended affirmative action in college admissions, has further fueled the backlash against legacy admissions. Lawyers for Civil Rights, a Boston-based nonprofit, filed a civil rights complaint on behalf of Black and Latino community groups in New England. They allege that Harvard’s admissions system violates the Civil Rights Act.
“Why should we reward children based on privileges and advantages inherited from previous generations?” questioned Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, the executive director of the civil rights group. “Your family name and your financial status should not determine your worth or influence the college admissions process.” Opponents argue that legacy admissions can no longer be justified without the presence of affirmative action as a counterbalance. Although the court’s ruling states that colleges must disregard an applicant’s race, activists emphasize that schools can still give preferential treatment to legacy students and donors’ children.
Another campaign is calling on alumni from prestigious colleges, including Harvard and other Ivy League schools, to withhold donations until legacy admissions are abolished. Led by Ed Mobilizer, this initiative aims to bring an end to legacy admissions. President Biden also expressed a need to reassess the practice, stating that legacy admissions “reinforce privilege rather than foster opportunity.” Some members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans like Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina, who is currently running for the GOP presidential nomination, have demanded the elimination of legacy admissions following the court’s decision.
The newly submitted complaint, filed with the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, relies on Harvard’s data, which was revealed during the affirmative action case that reached the Supreme Court. These records exposed the fact that 70% of Harvard’s legacy applicants are white and that being a legacy student makes an applicant approximately six times more likely to be admitted. The complaint also highlights other colleges, such as Amherst College and Johns Hopkins University, that have abandoned the practice of legacy admissions due to concerns about its fairness.
(Read more college admissions stories.)
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
