By Elise Ormonde, ACRE Research & Program Coordinator

The  Arkansas Center for Research in Economics kicked off its Fall 2023 Distinguished Speaker Series with a lecture from Professor David E. Bernstein. Professor Bernstein holds a University Professorship chair at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. During his public lecture, he shared work and research from his newest book, Classified: The Untold Story of Racial Classification in America.

In the discussion with reference to his book, Bernstein outlines the history and current issues surrounding the use of racial classification. As the recent ruling in the 2023 Supreme Court Case Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College & UNC has declared Affirmative Action unconstitutional, Professor Bernstein’s research into this issue has become especially relevant. He argues a need to re-examine how these groupings are defined, why we use them, and if they are serving their intended purpose, especially in institutional settings.

Bernstein explains that the formal racial categorization of people is a relatively new practice that was implemented by U.S. federal bureaucrats in the 1970s. They initially created these racial categories to collect statistical data during a time when America primarily consisted of black and white people. Although the country has changed significantly since then and now consists of many different groups of people from different backgrounds, there has been little change to the formalized racial categories to reflect the evolving demographics across the country.

Bernstein’s discussion highlighted cases in which individuals’ self – identification is contested and offered examples of legal issues arising from arbitrary racial classification. In this manner, Bernstein calls attention to the lasting influence of what he deems to be haphazardly constructed racial classifications and what he considers to be the necessary steps moving forward.

The ACRE Distinguished Speaker Series will continue on October 26, 2023 with guest lecturer Emily Hamilton.

By Elise Ormonde, ACRE Research & Program Coordinator

The  Arkansas Center for Research in Economics kicked off its Fall 2023 Distinguished Speaker Series with a lecture from Professor David E. Bernstein. Professor Bernstein holds a University Professorship chair at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. During his public lecture, he shared work and research from his newest book, Classified: The Untold Story of Racial Classification in America.

In the discussion with reference to his book, Bernstein outlines the history and current issues surrounding the use of racial classification. As the recent ruling in the 2023 Supreme Court Case Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College & UNC has declared Affirmative Action unconstitutional, Professor Bernstein’s research into this issue has become especially relevant. He argues a need to re-examine how these groupings are defined, why we use them, and if they are serving their intended purpose, especially in institutional settings.

Bernstein explains that the formal racial categorization of people is a relatively new practice that was implemented by U.S. federal bureaucrats in the 1970s. They initially created these racial categories to collect statistical data during a time when America primarily consisted of black and white people. Although the country has changed significantly since then and now consists of many different groups of people from different backgrounds, there has been little change to the formalized racial categories to reflect the evolving demographics across the country.

Bernstein’s discussion highlighted cases in which individuals’ self – identification is contested and offered examples of legal issues arising from arbitrary racial classification. In this manner, Bernstein calls attention to the lasting influence of what he deems to be haphazardly constructed racial classifications and what he considers to be the necessary steps moving forward.

The ACRE Distinguished Speaker Series will continue on October 26, 2023 with guest lecturer Emily Hamilton.