Past injustices such as slavery involved subjugation and oppression of human beings. Subjugation and oppression are not only bad but unjust and they make a life worse pro tanto. What is to be done about such past practices and their consequences in the present?
On 29 June 2023, the United States Supreme Court ruled against race-conscious admissions at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This ruling is based on the belief that affirmative action violates the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. The ruling sets a precedent against affirmative action in social institutions and private businesses.
Affirmative action is a policy that was first initiated by Lydon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, in 1965 when he issued Executive Order 11246. Affirmative action aims not just to repair the historical injustices that are sexism, slavery, and racism (and to some extent, colonialism) but also to increase access to educational opportunities, equal employment, and other opportunities for underrepresented groups that continue to face the adverse effects of historical injustices...
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