Affirmative action in education is once again in the media and cultural spotlight. The Trump administration, along with a decidedly rightward shift on the Supreme Court, signal a bleak outlook for affirmative action policies in higher education. However, as educators, we can also use this historical moment to have robust and critical conversations in our classrooms centered on advancing justice and interrogating the polemics of meritocracy--a concept that undergirds much of the affirmative action narrative. This paper seeks to provide social justice-oriented educators with the critical tools necessary to have meaningful classroom conversations about the historical and contemporary narrative of the affirmative action debate.