Inside the first day of oral arguments for the Supreme Court's big affirmative action case

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     November 1, 2022 I hope you took some time to read this week's web cover story [on affirmative action]( and the deeply entrenched practices by elite schools that overwhelmingly boost rich white kids while systematically barring entry to low-income students of color. The details behind these pernicious practices—some of which were uncovered during the [discovery process]( for Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard—[are simply damning.]( But those details seem to be nowhere on the minds of the conservative judges of this Supreme Court. My colleague Pema Levy [listened to the first day of arguments]( for SFFA v. Harvard and found the logic animating most of the conservative justices' remarks is that white people are the true victims of elite college admissions. Here's Pema: Justice Neil Gorsuch commented that Harvard’s race conscious admissions program is a form of discrimination on the basis of race. Justice Samuel Alito analogized affirmative action to allowing students of one race to start five yards ahead of other students in a 100-yard dash. By this logic from the justices, white people are being victimized; schools like the University of North Carolina should stop trying to remedy their history of segregation and just admit more white people already. Of course, none of this is helped by Harvard's insistence that it doesn't discriminate, when in fact, their long-held practices are inherently designed to help wealthy white students. So, when the Supreme Court eventually kills affirmative action, let it be clear that while many factors in American society are to blame, elite schools like Harvard also bear much of the responsibility for destroying this cherished precedent. —Inae Oh Advertisement [Disruption Books]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [The Supreme Court Wants to Move on From Racism Already]( The justices pondered bailing on affirmative action, campus diversity, and the goal of equality. BY PEMA LEVY [Fall Fundraising Drive] We need to raise $325,000 over the next month to help fund the hard-hitting journalism you get from us. [It's a pivotal moment]( for our democracy, accountability, and so much more—but you already know that, you're reading Mother Jones. If you can right now, please support our work with a donation so we're ready for the hard work ahead. [Donate]( [Trending] [Yes, Trump and the Republican Party own the attack on Paul and Nancy Pelosi]( BY MARK FOLLMAN   [How one group is tackling voter intimidation in Arizona]( BY TIM MURPHY   [The Trumps are the real victims in the Trump Organization fraud case, defense lawyers argue]( BY RUSS CHOMA   [World's nations face shrinking odds of taming climate mayhem]( BY ROBIN MCKIE Advertisement [Disruption Books]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [Top GOP secretary of state candidates hobnob with extreme conspiracy theorists.]( It's a reminder of how far gone the GOP is. BY DAVID CORN Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755