Behind affirmative action divide, a common disdain for discrimination

On the blustery Sunday before the Harvard admissions trial began in the US District Court here last week, two dueling rallies formed on either side of the Charles River. In Boston, a largely Asian-American crowd lambasted the university’s race-conscious admissions policies. In Cambridge, Mass., a more racially mixed group of students and activists staunchly defended the approach – with many taking to loudspeakers to list the ways encountering diversity in college had changed their lives.

There’s no denying the cavernous ideological divide: To detractors of affirmative action, the concept of being “race blind” sounds like the ultimate ideal for America’s future. To supporters of considering race in admissions, it sounds like the ultimate ignorance of America’s longstanding racial disparities.

But dig a little deeper into people’s stories and you’ll find some common values. Virtually everyone agrees that society should be free from racial discrimination and that admissions to selective universities should be fair.

“It is an emotional issue because it has to do with our core values about racial equality, one way or another,” says Janelle Wong, a professor of American studies at the

Differing views Racial equality: 'How do we get there?'Looking at the whole picture