ARTICLE REVIEW: LEADERSHIP 2

Article Review: Leadership

Palmer, R., Wood, J., & Spencer, D. (2013). Diverging Interests: Balancing Racial Diversity and
Race-Sensitive Policies Across State Higher Education Systems. Journal of Black
Studies, 44(4), 406-425. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/24572937
Since 1964, America has worked towards racially diversifying its public institutions of
higher learning. The efforts began with the promulgation of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Title
VI of the Civil Rights Act was aimed at increasing racial diversity in predominantly White
Institutions (PWIs) and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This would be
achieved by denying federal funding to any institution that continued with racially discriminative
practices in their admission processes and hiring of faculty members. In spite of the lofty values
embodied in the Act, the initiative sill did not achieve racial diversification in colleges. This was
due to the lack of institutional enforcement by the U.S. Department of Education. As a result,
policies have been formulated and lawsuits filed in court to ensure that racial diversification in
public colleges and universities is achieved. Many states have resolved to use affirmative action
to achieve racial diversity in public colleges and universities. However, such policies have been
constantly attacked and prohibited; as a result, colleges are abandoning policies that are racially-
sensitive as a way of enhancing diversity within their institutions. The provides a detailed
explanation of various issues and provides recommendations for colleges and universities that
can lawfully use affirmative action to enhance diversity within their institutions but are
apprehensive due to concerns of facing litigation.

ARTICLE REVIEW: LEADERSHIP 3
The article provides a summary of the implementation of affirmative action in America’s
institutions of higher learning. Affirmative action was created by President Lyndon B. Johnson
with the aim of enhancing the access and equity to federal funds among underrepresented
communities. Affirmative action seeks to provide women and underrepresented racial minorities
with special consideration for education and employment. Colleges and universities have largely
used affirmative action and policies relate to it to enhance access among women and racial
minorities in higher education. The constitutionality of affirmative action has been challenged
vigorously over the years since it was first implemented. The DeFunis v. Odegaard (1974) is an
example of a case that sought to challenges the implementation of affirmative action in the
University of Washington. A Jewish student who had a Spanish-Portuguese origin accused the
University of discrimination. He was not admitted at the institution, yet students from minority
communities who had lesser academic qualifications than him had been admitted. Despite the
court case, not much was achieved. The University upheld its affirmative action policy, and other
institutions continued to use the policy enhance access, specifically among women and students
from underrepresented communities.
The article also provides a list of many other court cases as a result of the affirmative
action implementation in Universities. In 1978, the Supreme court was again dealing with the
University of California Regents v. Bakke case. Bakke was accusing the University of having a
two-fold admissions program, one for underrepresented communities, and another for regular
admits. The court ruled that the implementation of affirmative action in enhancing racial
diversity is permissible. However, the court made it clear that reviewing applicants from
minority communities and having racial quotas is impermissible. Even though race could be used
as a factor in the admission process so as to enhance diversity, other similar cases explained in

ARTICLE REVIEW: LEADERSHIP 4
the article are McDonald v. Hogness (1979), Davis v. Halper (1991), and DeRonde v. Regents of
the University of California. I all the cases, the court upheld the universities’ use of affirmative
action to enhance diversity within their institutions.
The authors note that universities have continued to use race-conscious admissions
practices. Even though they have been constantly attacked and accused of using discriminative
practices to promote racial diversity, this has prompted institutions of higher learning to abandon
race-sensitive practices and programs in fear that such policies will make them a target for
lawsuits. The Supreme court has, however, maintained that affirmative action is permissible in
enhancing diversity within institutions of higher learning. Considering this, then educational
institutions that operate within states that permit affirmative action should continue using these
policies to promote racial diversity within their institutions.
The article recommends that institutions within states that permit affirmative action
should seek to apply techniques that promote racial diversity without necessarily relying on
affirmative action. Such tactics may include setting recruitment and retention goals that show the
institution is dedicated to promoting diversity within its student population and faculty members.
Another tactic that is not associated with affirmative action entails liaising with already admitted
racially underrepresented students to assist in the admission of other students from their
communities. Every student that is currently admitted at the institution knows a student or two
from their race who may be qualified for admission. Thus, leveraging students of prospective
applicants from minority groups who meet the minimum qualifications for admission can serve
as an effective tool through which diversity can be enhanced without necessarily using admission
practices that are outrightly discriminative. Such approaches will ensure that colleges and
universities promote racial diversity without necessarily relying on policies that are associated

ARTICLE REVIEW: LEADERSHIP 5
with affirmative action. Consequently, the institutions will avoid the possibility of facing
litigation and still have a diverse student population. The authors also recommend the
establishment of transfer programs within community colleges. If colleges and universities adopt
such programs, they will create a pipeline of diversity where qualified applicants will be sourced
from a largely diverse pool.
Overall, the authors have provided recommendations that have changed the views I
initially had on racially diversity. Prior to reading the article, I was thinking that it is impossible
to achieve racial diversity without using affirmative action. However, there is a lot of
controversies that surround race-sensitive policies and race-conscious admissions practices.
However, the authors have made it clear that admissions practices do not have to follow
affirmative action policies for an institution to achieve diversity. The institutions can apply other
tactics that will help it achieve its goal of diversifying its student population and avoid possible
litigation related to the application of discriminative practices. The article thus contributes
greatly to the analysis of y selected topic. It explains permissible ways through which racial
diversity within higher education can be achieved. The implementation of race-neutral tactics
would largely change the landscape of how institutions of higher education negotiate efforts
aimed at diversification. The article proves that it is possible for universities and colleges to
implement new policies, put in efforts, and procedures that will facilitate racial parity with regard
to the access to higher education.

ARTICLE REVIEW: LEADERSHIP 6

References

Palmer, R., Wood, J., & Spencer, D. (2013). Diverging Interests: Balancing Racial Diversity and
Race-Sensitive Policies Across State Higher Education Systems. Journal of Black
Studies, 44(4), 406-425. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/24572937