Welcome to Grappling with the Gray, a forum for promoting the development of an ethical mindset and ethical decision-making to help us clearly see both sides of complex issues and better navigate the moral challenges of everyday life.
And here is today’s ethics challenge:
In October 2019, a federal judge upheld the right of Harvard University to set a higher standard of admissions criteria for Asian-American students and allow entry to a larger number of underrepresented ethnicities, thereby creating a more diverse student population.
The case hearkened all the way back to the 1978 Bakke decision, which declared racial quotas unconstitutional while maintaining the constitutionality of affirmative action.
On the one hand, there is clear benefit to creating an academic environment in which a diversity of cultures, values, and viewpoints are represented. A variegated student body promotes discussion and debate in a way that a homogeneous community cannot.
But on the other hand, it seems unfair that a university – or any organization – should have one set of standards for one group and a different set of standards for others. Is that not essentially that same kind of discrimination that made the need arise for affirmative action in the first place?
How can we practice compassion for disadvantaged groups and create diverse environments without unfairly handicapping worthy individuals?
Meet the panelists:
Rachel Druckenmiller 🗣 is the Keynote Speaker who Sings, turning burned out, checked out employees into energized, motivated, and connected teams.
Sarah Kalmeta aka Sara the Pivoter, is founder of Pivot Point, a career transition coach, author, and podcast host.
Lester Young is a re-entry specialist, founder of Path2Redemption, a member of The Leadership Challenge, The Commission of Minority Affairs, and The Affordable Housing Task Force.