Ending Affirmative Action Increased Diversity at Georgia

The Washington Post reports today that after a federal court outlawed the University of Georgia’s affirmative program last year it initiated a new plan to recruit minorities that was not based on race.

The university opened two recruitment offices in heavily minority areas of the state. It brought groups of minority students and their parents in for campus visits. And it developed mailings directed at high-achieving minority high school students.

The effort paid off: 13 percent of this year’s 4,300 freshmen were minorities, a slight increase over last year’s total, when a race-conscious affirmative action program was still in effect.

Some will argue (see here, especially the Comments, here, and here) that the very intent to promote diversity is discriminatory no matter what means are employed, but I think that view is mistaken.

Say What?