Google reverses race quota for PhD fellowship program, now makes choice

Google has reversed its race quota for its PhD fellowship program, which tried to limit the number of whites and Asians admitted.

In 2009, Google launched a PhD Fellow Program to recognize and support outstanding graduate students pursuing work in computer science, related disciplines or promising research areas. The third and fourth nominees must self-identify as a woman, Black African descent, Hispanic Latino, Indigenous, and or a person with a disability, according to a report from The Washington Free Beacon. Some people complained about the quota being unfairly discriminated against Asians. Google changed the policy later. Instead of requiring the previous racial quota, the company strongly encourages additional nominees who fall under the aforementioned categories.

Many elite schools have partnered with Google to nominate students for the program, including Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, and the University of California, Berkeley.

Adam Mortara, who is representing the plaintiffs in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, told the Washington Free Beacon: It is illegal for Google to enter its contracts based on race under the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and it is illegal for universities to nominate students based on face under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in the case later this month.