'Educate, don't segregate': twenty legal and legislative milestones in higher education

1998: Washington state's l-200 passes imposing a ban on race-conscious affirmative action policies.

1998: The Higher Education Act is reauthorized, allowing Title III-B to remain focused on HBCUs. Black and Hispanic lawmakers and policy makers initially clash over eligibility requirements, funding and location of a Hispanic-serving institutions program in the Higher Education Act. An eventual compromise provides new funding for HSIs, although not under Title IlI.

1998: The 1998 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act sees increases in the TRIO programs and Pell Grant funding. A new access program, GEAR UP, is approved, launching an early intervention program designed to alert disadvantaged youths that they will be eligible for student loans and Pell Grants if they complete high school and opt to go to college.

2000: The Georgia Appeals Court rules in favor of White plaintiffs that claim the University of Georgia uses race as a factor in admissions.

2001: University of California regents repeal their ban on affirmative action, hoping to send a welcoming message to minority students. The move is largely symbolic since California voters passed Proposition 209 in 1996, which continues to prohibit race-conscious policies in the state.

2002: The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals rules in favor of the University of Michigan's affirmative action policy in admissions to the law school (Grutter v. Bollinger), reversing a lower court ruling and upholding the university's position that it has a compelling interest in achieving a diverse student body.

2002: A federal judge approves a desegregation plan for Mississippi's universities, signaling an end to a 27-year old legal battle. Mississippi lawmakers pledge to fulfill the requirements of the settlement, expected to cost more than $500 million.

2003: U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the University of Michigan's undergraduate admissions policy, which uses a point-based system for applicants, while still allowing the consideration of race. In addition, the Court upholds the law school's admissions policy, which used a less mechanical admissions formula.

2004: Black Issues In Higher Education celebrates its 20th anniversary.

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