1989
City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Company
The Supreme Court held that racial preferences are subject to the strictest form of judicial scrutiny, known as 'strict scrutiny'[2]. The Court ruled that a Richmond city ordinance requiring 30% of construction contracts to go to minority-owned businesses was unconstitutional because it …
Richmond, Virginia, VA
Jim Crow
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The Supreme Court held that racial preferences are subject to the strictest form of judicial scrutiny, known as 'strict scrutiny'[2]. The Court ruled that a Richmond city ordinance requiring 30% of construction contracts to go to minority-owned businesses was unconstitutional because it lacked a sufficient justification[2]. This decision significantly limited the use of racial preferences in government contracting and set a high bar for affirmative action programs[2].
