Affirmative Action Policies have long been a source of hope, controversy, and resentment among the American people.  Even as inequality along racial and gender lines persists in universities and workplaces, Americans disagree as to the best way to remediate these problems.  Please read the following articles on the recent Supreme Court decision that ended the race-based affirmative action policies which have shaped college admissions processes for decades. You will then write a speech on the issue as if you are presenting it to an academic conference hosted by National University—although you are writing it as a speech you are required to use formal, scholarly language and cite your sources properly.  
Specifically, you will focus on the issue of Affirmative Action policies as they apply to college admissions, and the continuing need to address diversity in higher education by examining the policies struck down by the court and reflecting upon alternatives.
Here are the links to the articles:
https://www.npr.org/2023/06/29/1181138066/affirmative-action-supreme-court-decision
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/admissions/traditional-age/2023/07/26/would-ending-legacy-admissions-improve-elite-college
https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2023/07/princeton-class-based-affirmative-action-not-progressive    
The parameters for your response are as follows:
The response must be between 1150-1250 words. Students that fall short of the required word count will receive a 10% deduction.
You must cite a minimum of 3 scholarly sources—news media articles do not count as scholarly sources, only peer-reviewed journals, books, etc.  Provide data from peer reviewed sources on racial and gender inequality in higher education.  Be as specific as possible and remember to name your sources directly so that your audience knows that they are high quality and reliable.  Do not be afraid to quote sources directly with pertinent statistics or insights. 
Review the traditional arguments (including relevant Supreme Court cases over the last half century) made by those who are conventionally in favor affirmative action policies and those against.  Be sure to note whether these arguments are consistent with the data made available by scholarly studies on the topic, particularly as they pertain to the issue of college admissions and diversity in higher education.  Take a clear position, either in defense of conventional affirmative action policies in higher education or you may argue for the need for a more novel approach to the topic.  Be specific in why you are taking your position and defend that position with data from peer-reviewed studies.  Remember, you are making an appeal to the public in a town hall and advocating for why your solutions are the best course of action!   
You must include a works cited (not part of the word count) at the end.
Your response should include considerable reflection on the pertinent course terms and concepts, failing to reference these consistently throughout will result in a deduction.