UA to end racial discrimination in summer journalism program

Last July, I asked why the University of Alabama Department of Journalism had required high school students applying to its Multicultural Journalism Workshop to list their race on the application form. Today, I may have gotten my answer.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The University of Alabama is one of twenty-seven urban journalism programs in the United States that will no longer use race as a criterion for enrollment under a settlement with a white high school student who was rejected by one of the programs.

Dow Jones Newspaper Fund and other principals agreed to the settlement in return for the Center for Individual Rights withdrawing its legal challenge of the programs.

Inside Higher Ed has more here.The Center for Individual Rights's press release is available online here. CIR also provides some additional background on the case here.