Radical Philosophy Review

Volume 7, Issue 2, 2004

Affirmative Inaction? The Aftermath of Grutter and Gratz

Admissions to upper-tier universities have become increasingly competitive. The erosion of gains made during the Civil Rights Era is evidenced by recent legal actions at the University of Michigan. In this paper I argue that affirmative action programs remain a necessary means for achieving social justice. Further, I argue that more than mere affirmative action, what is also required is Nancy Fraser’s “Transformative Action.” To reach these conclusions, the paper is divided into three parts: (1) The continued assault on Affirmative Action; (2) the SAT and race; and (3) transformative action.