Recent litigation attacking affirmative action illustrates the need for competitive college admissions programs that avoid quota systems. The "Hopwood" decision overstepped its authority by rejecting Justice Powell's opinion in "Bakke." College admission programs must defend the use of racial consciousness by separating…

Reviews legal theory and major affirmative-action court litigation in two areas involving public education: employment and student placement. Four U.S. Supreme Court justices solidly oppose affirmative-action plans not directly linked to governmental discrimination. Schools should consult attorneys, not advocates, as…

Considers what the higher educational status of black America and the nation as a whole would be if the Bakke decision had gone the other way and race-based affirmative action policies had been held unconstitutional from the beginning. A major erosion in blacks pursuing higher education would be expected. (SLD)