Three reasons why the Supreme Court’s Harvard ruling is groundbreaking

Washington At first glance, the term “affirmative action” seems like a niche topic. But a recent decision by the US Supreme Court has far-reaching consequences. On Thursday morning, the Supreme Court published a long-awaited verdict on so-called affirmative action.

On the one hand, the admission procedures at American universities could change fundamentally. Critics say decades of racial diversity efforts on campus may now be reversed. The verdict was also followed closely in the corporate world because the diversity programs of the private sector are also under pressure.

At the heart of the controversy are informal admission requirements for Hispanic, black, or Asian applicants. Elite universities like Harvard and tens of thousands of other US universities ensure a diverse student body.

The so-called “affirmative action” has been used in the USA for almost 60 years – because minorities often have poorer starting conditions in school education and in their social environment for structural reasons.