Philadelphia native Granderson Hale was part of the first large cohort of high school graduates whose lives were shaped by race-conscious admissions, writes Amy Harmon for The New York Times.

He was a top student at his Philadelphia school in 1968, and knew that his chances of getting into one of the historically Black colleges, such as Lincoln University in Chester County or Cheney University in Delaware County, were good.

But then he was summoned by his guidance counselor because “someone from Brown is coming,” recalled Hale, and added that the Ivy League school did not even register.

In the end, he chose to accept a full academic scholarship to Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Now 71, Hale credits the school for paving his way to an MBA from the Wharton School as well as leading to a more comfortable life.

However, he believes that investments in early education for Black and Hispanic students are more important today than anything.

He also said that he has often seen how Black professionals were regarded by white colleagues and believes that race-conscious admissions may not have worked to their overall benefit.

“People don’t respect you if they have to let you in,” he said.

Read more about Granderson Hale in The New York Times.

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The Supreme Court heard arguments this year in challenges to policies at the University of North Carolina and Harvard that consider race among many factors in evaluating applications for admission.