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Next month, the Supreme Court will likely ban universities from considering the racial identity of individual applicants. Many schools will seek “race-neutral alternatives” to retain a racially diverse student body. One likely alternative will be to consider each student’s class status (but not their racial identity)—or what Prof. Cheryl Harris has termed “class-NOT-race” admissions policies.
If we want fair admissions, we should consider a student’s class status. But it’s a mistake to think class-based policies do the work of race-based policies. We would never think middle-class status insulates women from sexism. So why would we think middle-class status insulates people of color from racism. And here’s the kicker. The ultimate beneficiaries of class-NOT-race policies are not poor white students. Rather, they are wealthy white applicants and elite institutions, the individuals and entities who the status quo already favors.
If we want fair admissions, we should consider a student’s class status. But it’s a mistake to think class-based policies do the work of race-based policies. We would never think middle-class status insulates women from sexism. So why would we think middle-class status insulates people of color from racism. And here’s the kicker. The ultimate beneficiaries of class-NOT-race policies are not poor white students. Rather, they are wealthy white applicants and elite institutions, the individuals and entities who the status quo already favors.