Originally published in The Chicago Tribune on September 29, 2025.
Two years after the U.S. Supreme Court banned race-conscious college admissions in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, universities are scrambling to maintain diversity through “race-neutral” alternatives they believe will be inherently fair. New economic research reveals that colorblind policies may systematically create inequality in ways more pervasive than even the notorious old boy network.
The old boy network, as its name suggests, is nothing new — evoking smoky cigar lounges or golf courses where business ties are formed, careers are launched and those not invited are left behind. Opportunity reproduces itself, passed down like an inheritance if you belong to the right group. The old boy network is not the only example of how a social network can discriminate. In fact, my research shows it may not even be the best one. And how social network discriminate completely changes the debate about diversity.