For College-Bound Blacks, the Demise of Affirmative Action May Come Too Soon

A new study by The College Board estimates that there still will be a large racial gap in standardized test scores 22 years from now. This is important because in the 2003 Grutter Supreme Court ruling, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor suggested that within 25 years all racial preferences in college admissions should come to an end.

The new study, authored by researchers at the University of Virginia and Princeton University, finds that if historical trends are projected into the future, black family income will still trail far behind white family income by 2028. Family income has a direct correlation to students’ scores on the SAT and other standardized admissions tests.

The study concludes that if race-sensitive admissions are banned in 2028 or before, black enrollments at the nation’s most selective colleges and universities would drop by about one half.

The study is contained in a new book, College Access: Opportunity or Privilege? published this month by Holtzbrink Publishers. For ordering information click here.

Copyright © 2006. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.