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State affirmative action information
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Affirmative action refers to the steps taken by employers and universities to increase the proportions of historically disadvantaged minority groups at those institutions. Historically, affirmative action nationwide has taken many different forms, such as strict quotas, extra outreach efforts, and racial and gender preferences. However, strict quotas were banned in a 1978Supreme Court case,Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, and eight states have enacted measures prohibiting preferential treatment in public university admissions, state employment, and state contracting. Meanwhile, 28 states require affirmative action plans in either public employment or apprenticeship programs.
On June 29, 2023, theSupreme Court reversed lower court decisions inStudents for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College andStudents for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina, effectively ending the use of affirmative action in college admissions.[1] The ruling explicitly allowed national service academies to continue considering race as a factor in admissions for reasons of national security.[2]
Use the map or the list below to click through and learn more about affirmative action in your state.
- Affirmative action in Alabama
- Affirmative action in Alaska
- Affirmative action in Arizona
- Affirmative action in Arkansas
- Affirmative action in California
- Affirmative action in Colorado
- Affirmative action in Connecticut
- Affirmative action in Delaware
- Affirmative action in Florida
- Affirmative action in Georgia
- Affirmative action in Hawaii
- Affirmative action in Idaho
- Affirmative action in Illinois
- Affirmative action in Indiana
- Affirmative action in Iowa
- Affirmative action in Kansas
- Affirmative action in Kentucky
- Affirmative action in Louisiana
- Affirmative action in Maine
- Affirmative action in Maryland
- Affirmative action in Massachusetts
- Affirmative action in Michigan
- Affirmative action in Minnesota
- Affirmative action in Mississippi
- Affirmative action in Missouri
- Affirmative action in Montana
- Affirmative action in Nebraska
- Affirmative action in Nevada
- Affirmative action in New Hampshire
- Affirmative action in New Jersey
- Affirmative action in New Mexico
- Affirmative action in New York
- Affirmative action in North Carolina
- Affirmative action in North Dakota
- Affirmative action in Ohio
- Affirmative action in Oklahoma
- Affirmative action in Oregon
- Affirmative action in Pennsylvania
- Affirmative action in Rhode Island
- Affirmative action in South Carolina
- Affirmative action in South Dakota
- Affirmative action in Tennessee
- Affirmative action in Texas
- Affirmative action in Utah
- Affirmative action in Vermont
- Affirmative action in Virginia
- Affirmative action in Washington
- Affirmative action in West Virginia
- Affirmative action in Wisconsin
- Affirmative action in Wyoming
- ↑SCOTUSblog, "Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action programs in college admissions," accessed June 29, 2023
- ↑Supreme Court of the United States, "Students for Fair Admission, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard CollegeStudents for Fair Admission, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College," accessed June 29, 2023
