Book review: On the Basis of Race: How Higher Education Navigates Affirmative Action Policies

Lauren S. Foley's On the Basis of Race: How Higher Education Navigates Affirmative Action Policies (2023) provides a timely examination of how U.S. universities employ "resistant compliance" to maintain their commitment to diversity amid legal restrictions, particularly following the 2023 Supreme Court ruling against race-conscious admissions. Through historical analysis and case studies of flagship institutions—University of California (UC), University of Texas (UT), and University of Michigan (UM)—Foley explores adaptive strategies like holistic admissions and legislative innovations. The book highlights the ingenuity and ethical tensions of resistant compliance, questioning its efficacy in achieving systemic racial equity. Essential for policymakers, educators, and scholars, this work sheds light on the higher education sector’s struggle to balance legal compliance with diversity goals in the post-affirmative-action era.