Sunday, December 4, 2022

EOTO #4 Reaction

 In class we had the opportunity to hear about the case known as Board of Regents vs. Bakke which took place in 1978. This case was well known throughout the United States. It helped shape the country when it came to the college admissions process. It helped with opening university's eyes when it came to looking at a persons credentials to get accepted to the university.

This case has to do with a white man named Allen Bakke who wanted to attend the University of California and had beyond the credentials to do so. He wanted to go into medicine and attend this university. Bakke applied the first time and was rejected but not only did he reapply he was also rejected for the second time.He was claimed to have been rejected because of his race. He then began to fight this rejection and didn't believe that the reason for his rejection was valid. He then learned that the university had a special program where they can only allow a curtain about of people of each race to reach the diversity they were trying to portray. He didn't agree with someone getting accepted into the program over him due to the color of their skin.

This then caused Bakke to file a lawsuit against the University of California. The court then decided that the decision to deny Bakke violated the Equal Protection Clause and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The school then began to argue that the reason for the program was to make sure that the program of medicine is including minorities in its program. The Supreme Court then ruled that "race can be one the several determining factors in determining college admissions policiesbut it rejected the use of racial quotas as unconstitutional." The Case of UC Davis v. Bakke. Open Letter to all APGov Teachers | by Peter  Paccone | Medium

I believe that college admissions should not be based on race. The Supreme Court made the wrong decision with this case. If you have the credentials to get into a school then you should be accepted. Not denied because they let in too many whites or to many of a curtain race. We are taught to have goals and dreams from a young age, and many of us work hard to achieve them. One of these is to get into a college with a curtain program and if we are denied due to the color of our skin then what's the point of putting countless hours of effort in? Now that I think back on my college admissions process and the schools that I have been denied from. Was I rejected because I didn't fit the diversity role that the school wants to have? Could I have gotten in if I was African-American or Latino? I will never know but it could be a possibility. What is the point of having dreams like this if what I as my race off on a box can decide whether or not my dream of going to a curtain school or even a job is the deciding factor. 

This case was an extreme eye opener for me personally because I just completed this process a year ago. In the years to come this could affect me when applying to jobs and or a curtain program for school.It is 2022, you should not be judged on your race. Your credentials and experience are what should be the deciding factor. This case should be used as a reference for fellow Americans and especially people who review students applications in the college admissions process. As someone who will be continuing their education after receiving my bachelors degree, I would hope that my decision to get into whatever program is judged on my experience and resume.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/regents_of_the_university_of_california_v_bakke_(1978)

https://www.britannica.com/event/Bakke-decision

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