Nathan Glazer

Nathan Glazer is a Harvard University sociologist whose books include Affirmative Discrimination and We Are All Multiculturalists Now. Although he criticized affirmative action policies in many of his earlier writings, he defends them in the following viewpoint that focuses on college admissions. Glazer argues that while the principle that merit alone should govern entry into colleges is a sound one, applying it would mean that African-American enrollment in prestigious universities such as Harvard would drop precipitously. Such a development, he contends, given the long history of black Americans’ struggle for equality, would be harmful for American society. Universities should be free to use racial preference in their admissions policies to ensure black participation, he concludes.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. Who are the major supporters of affirmative action, according to Glazer?
2. What distinctions...