Solidarity, not Division is the answer

 

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 not create equity but instead reinforce systemic barriers for all minorities.

A Familiar Pattern: Marginalized Groups Aligning Against Their Own Interests

This was not an isolated incident. In the 2024 election, 55% of white women and 47% of Latino voters supported Donald Trump, believing his promises of economic improvement and the rollback of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies would benefit them. They were told that Black Americans were "taking" opportunities they didn’t deserve—but the reality was far different.

  • White women were the primary beneficiaries of affirmative action, yet many cheered its demise. After DEI programs were dismantled, corporate diversity hiring plummeted, and white women saw some of the steepest declines in leadership representation, losing hard-won workplace protections.

  • Latino communities, particularly in swing states like Florida and Texas, now face escalating ICE raids, harsh anti-immigrant laws, and racial profiling—despite many being U.S. citizens or long-term residents. The very politicians they empowered are now leading the charge against them.

  • The economy did not improve under these policies. Instead, wealth inequality widened, wages stagnated, and social mobility for marginalized groups—including those who voted for these changes—declined.

Black America Built Systems That Lifted Everyone—Only to See Them Dismantled

For decades, Black Americans fought to create affirmative action, DEI programs, and civil rights protections—systems designed to combat systemic racism but which ultimately benefited women, Latinos, Asian Americans, and other marginalized groups. Yet, time and again, these groups were convinced to undermine the very policies that helped them, believing they could secure a better position at the expense of Black progress.

Now, as the consequences unfold—fewer opportunities, heightened discrimination, and fractured solidarity—the same communities that ignored these warnings are left scrambling for solutions. The lesson is clear: When we abandon equity in pursuit of short-term gains, everyone loses.

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