Good to see someone point out the role affirmative action has had in all this. Lots of Supreme Court justices over many decades since the original Bakke decision in 1978 share in the blame for the current situation, but I’d say the Court’s decision in Grutter in 2003 where it used the diversity justification to uphold a discriminatory policy was
particularly harmful. The Court took a radical theory regarding diversity and used it to justify discrimination against whites and asians. That bad way of thinking has worked its way into so many aspects of life now.
Certainly; any kind of expectations now are “racist” - and merit for some groups is meaningless - hire & pay them anyway (or be sued).