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Philosophy Talk: Is Affirmative Action Too Little or Too Much?

Does affirmative action undermine the achievements of those who are supposed to benefit from it?

Addressing our nation’s history of racial injustice can be a truly backbreaking endeavor. Race-based affirmative action is usually thought of as one such effort, and colleges and universities often use it in their admissions process. However, affirmative action does seem to lower standards for certain under-represented minorities like Blacks and Hispanics. Should we think of affirmative action as patronizing those minorities, or rectifying the injustices they face?  Is affirmative action enough to redress racial injustice, or is it simply the best we can do for the time being? John and Ken welcome Glenn Loury from Brown University, author of The Anatomy of Racial Inequality. Sunday 1/20 at 11 am and Tuesday 1/22 at 12 noon.