The Failure of Affirmative Action by Bertrand Cooper

The author, Bertrand Cooper, discusses the notion that affirmative action is thought to greatly aid poor Black children in accessing education.
A significant part of his experience stems from being the only child of felons and foster care in a college-educated environment.
He expresses that the reality for Black poor children remains unchanged by affirmative action: a world without it is indistinguishable from their current experiences.

Harvard's Student Demographics:
- 2012: 6% of Harvard’s freshmen identified as Black.
- 14% of the general population were Black; 15% of young adults.
- Harvard increased Black freshmen by 50% to over 15% by 2020, achieving racial parity.
- This increased representation is under threat due to potential Supreme Court rulings regarding affirmative action cases against Harvard and University of North Carolina.
Income Segregation Study (1999-2004):
- 16-18% of American children below the federal poverty line (FPL).
- Only 3% of students at Harvard during the same period came from families in the bottom 20% of income.
- This figure rose to 5% for the cohort from 2008-2013.
Expected Representation of Poor Black Students:
- In 2020, only 154 Black first-year students were reported at Harvard. With a child-poverty rate above 30% among Black children, around 40 of these freshmen should have been poor if representation matched societal demographics.
- Findings suggested that only 7 or 8 of the Black freshmen likely came from poor families, positing that 140 were raised outside of poverty.

During the era following the 1978 Regents of the University of California v. Bakke decision, race-conscious admissions were permitted, but brought little progress for Black students from impoverished backgrounds.
Prof. Douglas Massey's Observations (2007):
- 40% of Ivy League Black students were first- or second-generation immigrants, indicating their higher socio-economic status.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. estimated two-thirds of Harvard’s early 2000s Black students were either the children of Black immigrants or biracial families.
There is a significant absence of Black American students with roots tracing back to generations before, indicating a flaw in the current affirmative action system.

Common myths surrounding affirmative action include perceptions that it automatically benefits all Black Americans equally, particularly the poor.
The author reveals that despite affirmative action's longstanding presence, it has not adequately addressed or benefited the impoverished Black youth affected by systemic barriers to education.

The author recounts his own experiences trawling through educational systems without adequate guidance or support tied to his socio-economic background.
Misconceptions about aid programs: His grandmother’s beliefs about Native American benefits illustrated popular misconceptions about the distribution of educational opportunities among various racial demographics.
Difficulty accessing financial aid due to lack of documentation stemming from his background as a foster youth, showcasing the bureaucratic challenges faced by many.
The National Center for Education Statistics noted that in 2012, only 14% of low-income high school students achieved a bachelor's degree within eight years; the data for Black and foster youth is disproportionately lower.

Affirmative action aims primarily to achieve racial diversity and not specifically to address socio-economic barriers faced by impoverished students.
The Supreme Court proceedings recognize the necessity of a diverse student body for educational benefits, yet overlook the socio-economic dimensions of diversity.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor's argument suggests that class considerations cannot replace race, igniting debate about intersectionality in admissions policies.

The conversation around diversity often neglects class disparities within racial groups, particularly among Black Americans.
Data highlights that wealth among Black Americans has significant stratification, with the top earners far outpacing the bottom.
William Julius Wilson's Report (2018):
- Analyzed residential segregation increasing over time among racial classes, further emphasizing the divide.
Pew Research Center Findings:
- Black Americans face severe income inequality, with wealth disparity worsening over decades compared to their counterparts from different communities.

The author posits that both racial and class considerations are essential in policy-making concerning affirmative action in educational institutions.
He argues that failing to address class alongside race renders the policies ineffective for the most disenfranchised groups.
To support all Black Americans, policies must thoughtfully incorporate socio-economic elements, departing from oversimplified narratives that ignore intersectional realities.