Ola Betiku's Blog

  Not long ago, a faction within the Asian American community rallied behind the movement to end affirmative action, believing it would increase college admissions for Asian students at the expense of Black applicants. They aligned with conservative activists—many of whom had long opposed racial equity—and successfully dismantled race-conscious admissions in Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard (2023). But the outcome was not what they expected. After affirmative action was struck down, Asian American enrollment at top universities did not surge—in fact, it declined at several institutions , including Harvard, where Asian admissions dropped by 6% in the first post-affirmative action cycle. Meanwhile, elite schools pivoted to legacy admissions (which disproportionately favor wealthy white applicants) and other non-race-based criteria that did little to benefit Asian students. Black communities had warned against this , knowing that dismantling affirmative action would no...

  The latest episode of Doctor Who, "Lux," delivers a masterclass in the true meaning of "woke"—not as a buzzword, but as a state of conscious awareness. Unlike "Rosa" (2018), which centered its narrative around the Montgomery Bus Boycott and forced companions Ryan and Yaz to actively navigate the brutal realities of segregated Alabama, "Lux" takes a subtler approach. When the Doctor and Belinda Chandra arrive in 1950s Miami, the racial tension isn't the story—it's the unspoken context that sharpens every interaction. The Doctor's immediate glance at his own hand—a brilliant, wordless acknowledgment of the era's racial dynamics—perfectly encapsulates this. No speeches are needed; the show trusts its audience to understand why a Black Doctor and his Indian-British companion would be hyper-aware of their surroundings. This marks a fascinating evolution from last season's "Dot and Bubble," where the Doctor's shock a...