California’s Affirmative Action Amendment Sparks Debate on Discrimination

Students walk on the campus at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles on March 11, 2020. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

A proposed amendment to California’s constitution would permit using race and gender as factors for college admissions, government hiring, and government contracting. 

Proponents say it will allow for hiring and admissions that support disadvantaged groups, while critics suggest it may result in discrimination, and urge other methods to support the disadvantaged.