131: Affirmative Action: As severe under-representation of minorities in the healthcare workforce persists, affirmative action now faces a legal challenge in the Supreme Court. – Movement is Life Caucus
Addressing the under-representation of racial minorities in the health professions is considered central to reducing overall health disparities and inequalities. In this episode of the Health Disparities Podcast, we unpack the origins of affirmative action and discuss the foundational impact of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, the role of the Freedmen’s Bureau, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Higher Education Act of 1965, and current judicial deliberations. Depending on how SCOTUS rules on overturning affirmative action, the long battle to desegregate higher education in the United States could take a backwards step. But are there alternative approaches?