Grutter V. Bollinger Essay

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Grutter V. Bollinger Research Paper 2

Abstract

Barbara Grutter (plaintiff) which is a resident of Michigan who was denied admissions into the University of Michigan Law School. Lee Bollinger (defendant) was president of the University of Michigan. Grutter filed this suit because the University had discriminated against the basis of race. Supreme Court ruled that the use of affirmative action in school admissions is constitutional if it treats race as some factor. Is affirmative action still necessary for guaranteeing equal access to educational opportunities at elite universities and graduate schools? Should admissions decisions be based solely on academic criteria and merit?

Key Words: affirmative action, Grutter V. Bollinger, and diversity.

Grutter V. Bollinger Research Paper 3

Affirmative Action in Education

Affirmative action was formed more than fifty years ago. …show more content…

President Johnson frames the concept of affirmative action by this quote: "You do not wipe away the scars of centuries by saying: 'now, you are free to go where you want, do as you desire, and choose the leaders you please.' You do not take a man who for years has been hobbled by chains, liberate him, bring him to the starting line of a race, saying, 'you are free to compete with all the others,' and still justly believe you have been completely fair . . . This is the next and more profound stage of the battle for civil rights. We seek not just freedom but opportunity—not just legal equity but human ability—not just equality as a right and a theory, but equality as a fact and as a result." According to Kristina Crawley and Tony Magart, "Affirmative action is a program built on racial discrimination, all the while claiming to fight it". “In the case Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), the Supreme Court ruled that the use of affirmative action in school admission is