Could the Supreme Court’s Decision to Strike Down Affirmative Action Affect Workplace Diversity?

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KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 10 July 2023

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action last month, its ruling was focused on college admissions. But some legal experts say that, in practice, the ruling could also discourage diversity efforts by employers. Many workplaces instituted diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. But three years later, those policies are facing scrutiny from conservative legal groups — whom experts say may now be emboldened by the court’s ruling. We’ll talk about the role of DEI practices in the workplace, pushback these efforts may face and how it could all affect diversity where you work. Guests: Noam Scheiber, reporter covering workers and the workplace, The New York Times Nicole Sanchez, founder & CEO, Vaya Consulting - which advises tech and media companies on issues related to diversity and culture Richard Thompson Ford, professor of Law, Stanford Law School Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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1:08.7	From KQED.
1:28.5	From KQED in San Francisco, this is Forum. I'm Scott Schaefer in Fermina Kim.
1:33.3	Coming up, the U.S. Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action in higher education will obviously affect college admissions, but it's also getting the attention of employers.
1:39.1	Before the decision, dozens of companies, including California-based corporations like Apple, Google, Airbnb, and Uber,
1:46.2	insisted they were committed to diversity, saying it's necessary to compete in a global marketplace.
1:52.2	But with conservative groups promising to redouble legal efforts to stop corporate DEI programs,
1:57.8	the legal landscape has shifted, and this hour will delve into how the end of affirmative
2:02.0	action could affect hiring and workplace diversity. That's next on Forum.
2:12.5	Welcome to Forum. I'm Scott Schaefer and today from Mina Kim. Well, last month, the U.S.
2:17.2	Supreme Court put a dagger
2:18.5	into the heart of affirmative action programs in higher education, saying that basing college
2:23.8	admissions on race or ethnicity violated the equal protection clause in the Constitution. Well,
2:29.9	now many employers are taking notice. They rely on colleges and universities to send them diverse
2:35.4	applicants qualified for a wide range of jobs. And with conservative legal groups stepping
	...

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