{"id":6479,"date":"2024-12-03T07:51:27","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T07:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/?p=6479"},"modified":"2024-12-09T07:54:34","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T07:54:34","slug":"black-and-deaf-high-school-graduate-faces-college-after-end-of-affirmative-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/?p=6479","title":{"rendered":"Black and Deaf High School Graduate Faces College After End of Affirmative Action"},"content":{"rendered":"

By<\/span>Nakia Cooper<\/a><\/p>\n

HOUSTON, TX \u2014 For high-achieving high school senior Natalie Greene, the overturning of affirmative action in 2023 has been a deeply personal barrier to her dreams of academic excellence.<\/p>\n

Standing tall at 6\u20191\u201d, Greene commands attention for her accomplishments. Ranked in the top 10% of her class with a 4.1 GPA, the Willowridge High School student juggles leadership roles as homecoming queen, student body president and captain of the Lady Eagles varsity basketball team, proudly donning jersey #24.<\/p>\n

Born deaf and hard-of-hearing, she aspires to study American Sign Language (ASL) at a prestigious institution, hoping to create meaningful change within the deaf community.<\/p>\n

The June 2023 Supreme Court rulings in\u00a0Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina<\/em>\u00a0struck down the consideration of race in college admissions, introducing significant challenges for Black students pursuing higher education.<\/p>\n

Like so many students, Greene\u2019s path has been shaped by systemic inequities that affirmative action policies sought to address for decades.<\/p>\n

These programs helped create pathways for marginalized students to access higher education, with undeniable impact. In 1980,\u00a0only 19% of Black individuals aged 18-24\u00a0were enrolled in college; by 2022, that number had risen to 36%.<\/p>\n

Now, with race-conscious admissions dismantled, these gains are at risk \u2014 and the effects are already visible. Harvard University reported a 17% decline in Black enrollment for its incoming class this year, raising concerns about the long-term implications for diversity and equity in higher education.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe admissions process has always been competitive, but now it feels like my background, which should be seen as an asset, is invisible,\u201d Greene said. \u201cI\u2019ve worked hard to be where I am, but this decision makes it feel like I have to prove myself even more\u2014just to be seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Legacy privilege has long shaped admissions at elite institutions, and the resulting inequities are stark.<\/p>\n

Research shows that\u00a043% of white students\u00a0admitted to Harvard from 2014-2019 fell into the \u201cALDC\u201d category of athletes and children of legacy alumni, donors and faculty. A 2023 study revealed that\u00a075% of these students\u00a0would not have been admitted based on their academic merit alone.<\/p>\n

Greene does not have this privilege.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother is a media professional, and my father, a military veteran and registered nurse, passed away during the pandemic,\u201d she said. \u201cThey taught me the value in working hard, volunteering and giving back to the community, and that\u2019s something money can\u2019t buy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greene is slated to graduate in May 2025 with both a high school diploma and an associate degree in computer science through The Texas Education Agency\u2019s (TEA)\u00a0Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH)\u00a0dual enrollment program.<\/p>\n

Her college ambitions present unique challenges. She dreams of studying ASL, but only a few Ivy League schools, such as Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania, offer ASL programs.<\/p>\n

Nationwide, fewer than 3% of colleges provide specialized ASL interpretation programs, making competition for these spots intense.<\/p>\n

On top of that, Greene hopes to play college basketball. As captain of her varsity team, she\u2019s\u00a0averaging double-doubles\u00a0and inspiring her teammates.<\/p>\n

Yet, with fewer than 4% of U.S. high school basketball players recruited to college teams, the odds are slim.<\/p>\n

Greene understands these challenges intimately. In 2023, she\u00a0co-produced a documentary with her brother,\u00a0\u201cHoop Dreams Deferred,\u201d exploring the barriers faced by aspiring athletes like herself in the pandemic era.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to be a leader in ASL interpretation, bridging gaps for people like me,\u201d Greene said. \u201cBut the options are so limited. Add basketball to that, and the competition gets even tougher.\u201d<\/p>\n

In response to the Supreme Court ruling, many Black students have turned to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).\u00a0Applications to these institutions\u00a0have surged since then, offering culturally affirming environments where students can thrive.<\/p>\n

For Greene, however, the lack of specialized ASL programs at most HBCUs complicates this alternative.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love what HBCUs represent, and I know they create a space where students like me can succeed,\u201d she explained. \u201cBut my dream program doesn\u2019t exist at many, so it\u2019s a hard choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the obstacles, her story is one of resilience.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up with hearing loss, I faced speech challenges and was teased as a child, but I never let that stop me,\u201d Greene said. \u201cI studied ballet, competed in\u00a0oratory contests, switched to basketball\u2014despite never having dribbled a ball\u2014and became captain within a year. I also model, draw, play piano, compete in beauty pageants, and dream of becoming Miss America one day.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that she doesn\u2019t share her accomplishments to boast but to show what\u2019s possible, presenting her disability as the driving force behind her relentless determination to prove that no challenge is insurmountable.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven without affirmative action, I\u2019ll keep pushing forward,\u201d Greene declared. \u201cThis is my future, and no decision \u2014 Supreme Court or otherwise \u2014 will take it from me.\u201d<\/p>\n

This coverage is made possible through the Ethnic Media Services \/ AAJC reporting project on diversity after affirmative action.<\/em><\/p>\n

Source: Published without changes from Ethnic Media Services<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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