Higher Education Under Siege: Battling for Social Mobility and Equality in America

Student protestors outside the Supreme Court as affirmative action cases argued inside (Photo Credit: Victoria Pickering/Flickr under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license). By James S. Bridgeforth, Ph.D.& In the landscape of American achievement, higher education has long stood as a beacon of opportunity, a powerful engine of social mobility and a cornerstone of democracy.& It is a system that predates the founding of the United States and has consistently been among the most transformative forces in society. Yet, despite its undeniable impact, higher education is under siege, targeted by an alarming wave of right-wing extremism determined to dismantle its role as a driver of progress—especially for African Americans and other marginalized groups. At its core, American higher education is unparalleled.& For over a century, it has attracted the world’s brightest minds, educated global leaders and lifted countless families from poverty. A college degree remains one of the most effective tools for leveling the socioeconomic playing field, particularly for African Americans.& Despite these achievements, it has become a focal point for political attacks rooted in fear and exclusion.& The reasons behind these attacks are clear. Higher education, particularly for African Americans, represents a pathway to empowerment—a direct challenge to the status...