Right-leaning public interest groups have filed a barrage of federal lawsuits intended to dismantle long-standing corporate and government programs that consider race in awarding jobs and other perks, and their litigation already is eroding the use of affirmative action in an array of American institutions.
One year after the Supreme Court struck down race-based admissions at Harvard and other schools, court rulings have forced the removal of racial preferences from two major covid relief programs, a federal contracting program that doles out $20 billion a year, and even the U.S. Minority Business Development Agency, a 55-year-old agency that was ordered in March to open its doors to all races. Meanwhile, private companies are acting preemptively, seeking to avoid litigation by terminating fellowships and executive bonus programs aimed at employing minorities.