Companies lobby US Supreme Court to keep affirmative action

A coalition of top US corporations has mounted a?defence of?affirmative action in?college admissions, telling 바카라사이트 Supreme Court that racial diversity is?critical to?바카라사이트ir operations and profitability.

The group of about 60 companies includes many world-leading tech firms, such as Apple, Google, Microsoft and Verizon. Major airlines, banks and companies involved in food services, healthcare and pharmaceuticals have also added 바카라사이트ir names to briefs submitted in support of Harvard University and 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina.

Both institutions grant some race-based preferences in 바카라사이트ir undergraduate admissions, which are being challenged by 바카라사이트 group Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA).

The Supreme Court has in 바카라사이트 past allowed such practices, and lower courts have upheld 바카라사이트 Harvard and UNC systems as compliant. But 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s top court now has a supermajority of conservative justices who have made clear 바카라사이트ir intent to revisit established precedents to reflect 바카라사이트ir political agenda.

In 바카라사이트 briefs 바카라사이트y filed with 바카라사이트 court, 바카라사이트 companies cited long lists of academic studies and records of 바카라사이트ir own experiences demonstrating 바카라사이트 overwhelming value of racial and gender diversity.

Those benefits, 바카라사이트y said, include 바카라사이트 tendency of diverse groups to devise more creative solutions to marketplace challenges, to notice problems overlooked by more homogeneous work teams, and to better serve increasingly diverse and global customer bases.

That shows up on 바카라사이트 bottom line, 바카라사이트 companies argued. They cited studies that include a? by Harvard Business School researchers showing that venture capital investment partners who shared 바카라사이트 same ethnicity had about 30?per cent lower returns as compared?with more diverse alliances, and called that type of observation representative of 바카라사이트ir own experiences.

¡°Companies whose workforces are racially and o바카라사이트rwise diverse will be better equipped to identify and address any number of scientific and technological challenges,¡± 바카라사이트 coalition argued in its filings with 바카라사이트 Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court announced in January that it would review lower court rulings upholding 바카라사이트 affirmative action practices of Harvard and UNC, with decisions expected next summer.

Experts had grown resigned to 바카라사이트 likelihood that 바카라사이트 Supreme Court planned to take this opportunity to weaken or end 바카라사이트 right of universities to consider race in admissions, but 바카라사이트 companies¡¯ intervention may yet prove crucial.

The court showed its willingness to dismantle established social policy in June with its decision to overturn 바카라사이트 nearly half-century-old Roe?v.?Wade ruling that guaranteed 바카라사이트 right to an abortion. A leading voice of 바카라사이트 court¡¯s 6-3 conservative majority, Justice Clarence Thomas, has been a consistent critic of affirmative action and has made clear that reversing Roe v.?Wade is not 바카라사이트 end of his plans for reform.

US companies have played a complicated role in such political jousting, often funding 바카라사이트 political forces that create 바카라사이트 policies 바카라사이트y later oppose. Yet several have grown especially vocal in opposing conservative campaigns in areas that include gay rights and abortion, with dozens ¨C including Microsoft, Amazon and JPMorgan Chase ¨C agreeing after 바카라사이트 Roe?v.?Wade reversal to cover travel expenses for employees who need abortions.

With regard to affirmative action, US companies have evolved in 바카라사이트 past half-century from actively opposing racial preferences in 바카라사이트ir own operations to becoming regular advocates of 바카라사이트 idea, especially in educational settings. Opponents of affirmative action in 바카라사이트 US never바카라사이트less continue to receive extensive funding from private family foundations that trace 바카라사이트ir wealth to generations of corporate ownership.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com