Conclusions

The purpose of this chapter is to bring the discussion back to the broader ideas of the book: racism and framing by elite actors. This chapter discussed the insidious role of think tanks in enlisting Racialized Framing techniques (minimize race while also activating race through threat) to eliminate affirmative action from higher education and reproduce a system that benefits whites. This chapter returns to the idea that civil rights initiative in general are under attack by a few elite actors while support is found among diverse groups most affected by any changes to these policies. This chapter also highlights the broader problem with diversity initiatives within higher education and how they fail to eliminate the problems facing African Americans and other marginalized groups. In conclusion, the authors conclude that affirmative action is, in essence, dead because it has been stripped of its bite by past cases and because it now acts as a call-to-action for whites.