“White Supremacy” and the Charges Against Yale
A Justice Department charge of anti-white racial discrimination undermines claims that “white supremacy” dominates American society. A pending suit claims Yale University – my alma mater – judged applicants based on racial identity. The most recent crop of admitted students showed proportions of Blacks and Latinos closely matching their overall percentage in the population, while Asian Americans were dramatically over-represented: 26% of those chosen for Yale, while only 5.4% of the national populace. Non-Hispanic whites alone faced under-representation: 49.3% of Yale, though more than 60% of the nation at large.
The Justice Department may be wrong that the university discriminated against both whites and Asians, but the numbers rebut claims that white supremacy defines the American establishment. One of America’s oldest, most prestigious universities, that accepts fewer than one of sixteen applicants, chose to assemble an undergraduate student body in which people of color represent the majority.