Affirmative Action After Students for Fair Admissions: Lessons for Sustaining Equity from the Global South

• In Event: Accountability to What: Institution Responses to Shifting Equity Landscapes

Abstract

The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard casts doubt on the legitimacy of affirmative action. In response, this paper turns to South Africa, where race-conscious higher education policy is central to national transformation. Drawing on policy diffusion, critical policy analysis, intersectionality, and Southern Theory, it argues that South Africa offers a compelling counter-narrative to U.S. retrenchment. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines critical discourse analysis of national policy documents with quantitative analysis of enrollment and completion data. The findings highlight both progress and persistent inequities. Rather than viewing the Global South as peripheral, the paper repositions it as a source of empirical insight and theoretical leadership in global equity debates.

Author

• Tafadzwa Tivaringe, Spencer Foundation