Affirmative Action Isn’t Perfect. Should We Keep it Anyway?
NPR’s The Argument | Ian Rowe, Natasha Warikoo, Jay Caspian Kang (intro), Jane Coaston (host)
In this debate between Ian Rowe (MBA ‘93) and Natash Warikoo, Rowe argues that affirmative action is "a back end Band-Aid" and that substandard K-12 education is the real issue: "That’s the fundamental injustice... affirmative action at higher ed will never solve that problem." In terms of what should be weighted in college admissions? "If I were to elevate something," Rowe says, "it would be economics.”
In the Argument's introduction, NYT's Jay Caspian Kang shares his view that "affirmative action policies merely make for 'cosmetically diverse' campuses, rather than contributing to broader social justice initiatives."
