Harvard won, but battle over race-based admissions isn’t finished

A federal judge decided this week that Harvard does not discriminate against Asian American applicants. But the Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard case – expected to eventually be appealed up to the Supreme Court – is just one arrow in the quiver of affirmative action opponents. 

More cases are in the works, from a federal lawsuit against the University of North Carolina to a state suit against the University of Texas, all aiming at race-based admissions. “The ultimate goal is to eliminate the use of race and ethnicity in the admissions process,” Edward Blum, SFFA’s president, told the Monitor during a phone interview before the Harvard decision. “We believe a student’s race should not help that student or harm that student in his or her application to any college in the country,” said Mr. Blum, who is involved in the other two suits as well. 

Interpretations of race and its role within higher education are still