Opponents of affirmative action argued that the programs

The programs are a validation of the Fourteenth Amendment

Explanation:

The opponents of affirmative action argue that the programs are unfair and create 'a cult of victimization', and they imply that black people need a special treatment in life. They say that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment forbids any kind of discrimination based on race and they advocate the same rights for all people. If a particular group of people gets preferential treatments based on their race, they may think that they are something special and they may in fact expect some things 'given' for them as their rights, without having worked for them in the first place.

were unfair to white students with higher grades.