Why Military Academies Can Use Race-Conscious Admissions

At the bottom of page 22 of the Supreme Court’s lengthy opinion barring the use of race in college admissions, is a curious three-sentence footnote. The footnote carves out an exception to the landmark ruling: While nearly all colleges and universities must stop all practices of affirmative action in admissions, the nation’s military academies can continue because of “potentially distinct interests,” the majority opinion states.