Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates "Affirmative Action On Campus Does More Harm Than Good" At Harvard Law School

Affirmative action is meant to foster diversity and provide equal opportunities in education for underrepresented minorities. But is it achieving its stated goals and helping the population it was created to support? Intelligence Squared U.S. has assembled a panel to tackle the motion "Affirmative Action On Campus Does More Harm Than Good."

On February 27th the debate, open to the Harvard Campus, will be recorded live at Harvard Law School’s illustrious Ames Courtroom. Debating for the motion are Gail Heriot, professor of law at USD and member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and Richard Sander, professor of law at UCLA. Arguing against the motion are Theodore Shaw, professor of law at Columbia Law School, and Randall Kennedy, professor of law at Harvard. Critics of affirmative action point to students struggling to keep up in schools mismatched to their abilities and to the fact that the policy can be manipulated to benefit affluent and middle class students who already possess many educational advantages. Is it time to overhaul or abolish affirmative action?

Two student groups, the Federalist Society and the American Constitution Society, united to invite Intelligence Squared U.S. to the Harvard Law School campus, exemplifying IQ2US’ mission to “encourage recognition that the opposing side has intellectually respectable views.” Watch a livestream on the day of the debate here.

WHAT: Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates “Affirmative Action on Campus Does More Harm Than Good”
WHEN: Thursday, February 27th Debate 5:30-7PM
WHERE: Harvard Law School’s Ames Court Room – Austin Hall (2nd Floor) / 1563 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
MORE INFO: http://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/

The debate will take place in front of a live audience of Harvard Law students and faculty. Before the debate, audience members will vote on the motion; afterward, the audience votes again. The team that moves the most voters to its side will be the winning team in this provocative debate.

ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SQUARED U.S. DEBATES (IQ2US)
Winner of the 2013 Silver Radio Award for Best Public Affairs Program and named one of the "Five Podcasts that Will Change the Way You Think" by Forbes, Intelligence Squared U.S. was founded in New York City in 2006 by Robert Rosenkranz, and has grown into an internationally syndicated series heard and watched by millions. The debates have attracted some of the world's top thinkers, including Steven Forbes, Neal Barnard, Paul Krugman, Karl Rove, Malcolm Gladwell, and Arianna Huffington. With over 80 debates, Intelligence Squared U.S. has encouraged the public to “think twice” on a wide range of provocative topics. Author and ABC News correspondent John Donvan has moderated IQ2US since 2008. The executive producer is Dana Wolfe.