Beyond Students for Fair Admissions and Trump 2.0: Implications for affirmative action theory and practice in the public workplace

The Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard / University of North Carolina (SFFA) sharply curtailed race-conscious admissions, a shift now compounded by the second Trump administration’s rollback of affirmative action and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in federal agencies and among federal contractors. This dialogue examines the implications of these twin developments for affirmative action in the public workplace by: (1) situating SFFA and recent executive actions in legal and administrative context; (2) surveying its impact on federal employment, workplace diversity programs, and contracting compliance; and (3) evaluating potential policy alternatives and strategies post-SFFA.