Scalia: Affirmative Action Harms Blacks By Allowing Them Into Schools That Are Too Advanced For Them

Justice Antonin Scalia made remarks in court today that raised a lot of eyebrows and revealed what some are calling a racist point of view. 

During oral arguments Wednesday Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia suggested affirmative action was actually harmful to Blacks because it allows them into schools that are too advanced for them.

“There are those who contend that it does not benefit African-Americans to get them into the University of Texas where they do not do well, as opposed to having them go to a less-advanced school, a slower-track school where they do well,” Scalia said while hearing Fisher v. University of Texas.

“One of the [amicus] briefs pointed out that most of the Black scientists in this country don’t come from schools like the University of Texas. They come from lesser schools where they do not feel that they’re being pushed ahead in classes that are too fast for them.”

The University of Texas has what is called a race-blind program that accepts 75 percent of incoming students without regard to race. Race is a factor considered for 25 percent of the other accepted students. Scalia suggested it would be perfectly OK if the University of Texas had fewer Black students.

“I’m just not impressed by the fact the University of Texas may have fewer [Blacks],” Mother Jones reports the 79-year old Reagan appointed Supreme Court Justice saying.

“Maybe it ought to have fewer. I don’t think it stands to reason that it’s a good thing for the University of Texas to admit as many Blacks as possible.”

The case was brought by a white woman who believes she was denied admission because a Black student was given preference over her.

Some responses via Twitter:

 

Image by United States Mission Geneva via Flickr and a CC license