Randall Kennedy & Renu Mukherjee – A Debate on Affirmative Action, Live at Holy Cross

0:00 Introduction by Greg Burnep

4:27 What does affirmative action mean in 2023?

11:06 Randy’s distinction between “disadvantage” and “discrimination”

18:21 Diversity’s double-talk

31:18 Did the Supreme Court say discrimination is allowed at military academies?

34:33 Glenn: Affirmative action distracts us from bigger problems

41:16 Affirmative action is an elite problem

48:48 Affirmative action as an insurance policy

57:42 The stigmatization of affirmative action beneficiaries

1:04:14 Glenn: Affirmative action has been a net positive, but it’s time to stop

1:07:14 Q&A: Does historical injustice alone justify affirmative action?

1:10:33 Q&A: Can and should colleges use loopholes to get around Students for Fair Admissions?

1:14:50 Q&A: Does the “need” for affirmative action say something race or education?

1:16:27 Q&A: What is the impact of SFFA beyond the university?

1:23:35 Q&A: What about class-based affirmative action?

Recorded September 20, 2023

Links and Readings

Randy’s book, Race, Crime, and the Law

Randy’s book, For Discrimination: Race, Affirmative Action, and the Law

Glenn’s conversation with Jay Caspian Kang