This blog will focus on the Fisher v. Texas case (a case that centers on questions of whether and how race may be used in college-admissions decisions), its implications and the arguments surrounding ending affirmative action in higher education.

Abigail Fisher is a Texas native who, in 2008, was denied admission as an undergraduate to the University of Texas at Austin. Although Fisher recently graduated from Louisiana State University she is suing the University of Texas for allegedly discriminating against her in giving preference to Black and Hispanic applicants. Fisher’s lawsuit argues that the University of Texas was in violation of 2003’s Grutter v. Bollinger case (at the University of Michigan law school), in which the Supreme Court held that colleges must give “serious, good-faith consideration” to race-neutral alternatives to affirmative-action preferences. And while Fisher did not qualify for automatic entry to the University of Texas at Austin under the state’s “Top 10 Percent Plan,” her lawsuit argues that that program, by nature, does enough to encourage diversity.

This case is important because it could open the door for the court to strike down all race-conscious admission policies at the nation’s colleges. Even the language used in the Grutter v. Bollinger case, which was a victory for affirmative action, sent an ominous message about its future. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, writing for the majority in a 5-4 decision, said that: “The Court expects that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary to further the interest approved today.” But whose interest was approved? The interests of the universities? Minority students? Black students?

I find this case fascinating because it says a lot about the current state of race relations in America. Are we in a post-racial society? Is that possible? Will it ever be? Was O’Connor right and will 25 years be enough time? And even if we were all in agreement that racism still exists, is our current affirmative action system the way to remedy that? Does affirmative action even help the people it is meant to? Who IS it meant to help and how?

I want to cover everything from disgruntled white students who write, jokingly or not, about affirmative action on blogs like Thought Catalog to how universities are reacting to the situation. Since its a news story there’s coverage everywhere but one of my main sources of aggregated stories will be Huff Post College.