Jason Riley

Well, you laid it out pretty well, and it's good to see you again, Megan. What prompted me to write this book was all the chatter around the Supreme Court decision in 2023, Students for Fair Admissions versus Harvard. And there was a lot of anticipation that the court would rule the way it eventually did, that racial preferences violated.

Well, you laid it out pretty well, and it's good to see you again, Megan. What prompted me to write this book was all the chatter around the Supreme Court decision in 2023, Students for Fair Admissions versus Harvard. And there was a lot of anticipation that the court would rule the way it eventually did, that racial preferences violated.

Well, you laid it out pretty well, and it's good to see you again, Megan. What prompted me to write this book was all the chatter around the Supreme Court decision in 2023, Students for Fair Admissions versus Harvard. And there was a lot of anticipation that the court would rule the way it eventually did, that racial preferences violated.

the 14th Amendment, Equal Protection Clause, and were unconstitutional. But the talk in the media, particularly among the left-wing elites, black and white, was that this would be a devastating blow to the black middle class, that these policies that the Supreme Court was about to strike down had created

the 14th Amendment, Equal Protection Clause, and were unconstitutional. But the talk in the media, particularly among the left-wing elites, black and white, was that this would be a devastating blow to the black middle class, that these policies that the Supreme Court was about to strike down had created

the 14th Amendment, Equal Protection Clause, and were unconstitutional. But the talk in the media, particularly among the left-wing elites, black and white, was that this would be a devastating blow to the black middle class, that these policies that the Supreme Court was about to strike down had created

the black middle class and that without special treatment, without racial favoritism, the black middle class would be decimated. And I said, wait a minute, that is not what the historical record shows. There was a black middle class well before affirmative action policies took effect in the 1970s. And in fact, that black middle class was growing at a significantly faster rate

the black middle class and that without special treatment, without racial favoritism, the black middle class would be decimated. And I said, wait a minute, that is not what the historical record shows. There was a black middle class well before affirmative action policies took effect in the 1970s. And in fact, that black middle class was growing at a significantly faster rate

the black middle class and that without special treatment, without racial favoritism, the black middle class would be decimated. And I said, wait a minute, that is not what the historical record shows. There was a black middle class well before affirmative action policies took effect in the 1970s. And in fact, that black middle class was growing at a significantly faster rate

than it grew during the era of affirmative action. So that's why I wrote the book, to take on some of these false narratives out there that want to credit government programs and expanded welfare state, racial preferences, and so forth with Black uplift, when in fact that is not what drove Black uplift in this country historically.

than it grew during the era of affirmative action. So that's why I wrote the book, to take on some of these false narratives out there that want to credit government programs and expanded welfare state, racial preferences, and so forth with Black uplift, when in fact that is not what drove Black uplift in this country historically.

than it grew during the era of affirmative action. So that's why I wrote the book, to take on some of these false narratives out there that want to credit government programs and expanded welfare state, racial preferences, and so forth with Black uplift, when in fact that is not what drove Black uplift in this country historically.

Well, it's what it does to any student, Megan, that is admitted without the credentials of the surrounding students at the same institution. That's the issue here. As I've said before, if you admitted to Harvard left-handed redheads, With SAT scores that were 300 points below those of the average Harvard student, you would see left-handed redheads pooling at the bottom of the class.

Well, it's what it does to any student, Megan, that is admitted without the credentials of the surrounding students at the same institution. That's the issue here. As I've said before, if you admitted to Harvard left-handed redheads, With SAT scores that were 300 points below those of the average Harvard student, you would see left-handed redheads pooling at the bottom of the class.

Well, it's what it does to any student, Megan, that is admitted without the credentials of the surrounding students at the same institution. That's the issue here. As I've said before, if you admitted to Harvard left-handed redheads, With SAT scores that were 300 points below those of the average Harvard student, you would see left-handed redheads pooling at the bottom of the class.

You'd see them dropping out at higher rates. You'd see them switching from harder majors to easier majors. That's just the way it works. The most important credential for a student going to any institution is that they have to match the academic preparation of the surrounding kids at that school. And when there's a gap,

You'd see them dropping out at higher rates. You'd see them switching from harder majors to easier majors. That's just the way it works. The most important credential for a student going to any institution is that they have to match the academic preparation of the surrounding kids at that school. And when there's a gap,

You'd see them dropping out at higher rates. You'd see them switching from harder majors to easier majors. That's just the way it works. The most important credential for a student going to any institution is that they have to match the academic preparation of the surrounding kids at that school. And when there's a gap,

That is what, that's when you run into trouble and affirmative action mismatches kids with schools. And we often speak of it in racial terms, but the same could be true of children of alumni. The same could be true of student athletes, the children of donors and so forth. Anytime there's a mismatch of the child and the institution, you're going to see those kids pooling at the bottom of the class.

That is what, that's when you run into trouble and affirmative action mismatches kids with schools. And we often speak of it in racial terms, but the same could be true of children of alumni. The same could be true of student athletes, the children of donors and so forth. Anytime there's a mismatch of the child and the institution, you're going to see those kids pooling at the bottom of the class.