The Supreme Court has made a landmark ruling, stating that race can no longer be considered as a factor in the college admissions process, effectively ending affirmative action.
Affirmative Action In College Admissions Has Been Stricken Down
This decision, which was announced on Thursday (Jun. 29), is seen as a significant blow to affirmative action in higher education.
Affirmative action is a policy that takes race into account during the college admissions process. It has been used to promote diversity on campuses, but it has also been controversial as some individuals have alleged that it unfairly advantages Black and Latino students over white and Asian applicants.
Despite facing multiple challenges before, affirmative action has been upheld. However, the recent ruling now declares it unconstitutional in higher education.
The case focused on affirmative action policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which were found to violate the 14th Amendment.
And so here we are. SCOTUS strikes down affirmative action at Harvard & UNC. 6-3.
— Sherrilyn Ifill (@SIfill_) June 29, 2023
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Calls The Decision A “Tragedy”
Regarding the Supreme Court’s decision, AP News reports that Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. criticized universities for mistakenly believing that a person’s identity is determined by their skin color rather than their accomplishments, skills, and lessons learned.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented and argued that the decision undoes years of progress and precedent.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson expressed her strong dissent, calling the decision a “tragedy” and stating that simply deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it irrelevant in real life.
“With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life.”
Big Names Chime In On The Decision, Joe Biden “Strongly” Disagrees With Ruling
The ruling has sparked reactions from various public figures on Twitter.
Among those commenting on the decision is former First Lady Michelle Obama.
In her statement, Michelle Obama shared her personal experience of being one of the few Black students on her college campus and the shadow of doubt she faced regarding whether she earned her place through affirmative action. She acknowledged that affirmative action has provided new opportunities for underrepresented groups and criticized the justification of money, power, and privilege as forms of affirmative action.
In conclusion, Michelle Obama emphasized the need to go beyond policies and work towards making fairness and equity a reality in schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
“Today is a reminder that we’ve got to do the work not just to enact policies that reflect our values of equity and fairness, but to truly make those values real in all of our schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods.”
I wanted to share some of my thoughts on today’s Supreme Court decision on affirmative action: pic.twitter.com/Wa6TGafzHV
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) June 29, 2023
Journalist Roland S. Martin addressed Asian-American students who benefitted from the Supreme Court decision. However, he pointed out that despite the ruling, they may still face challenges in gaining admission to Ivy League institutions due to the continuation of legacy admissions, which primarily benefit white students.
To the Asian-American students who won today with the Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action, guess what? You still are not going to get into Ivy League institutions. Why? LEGACY. None of them are ending legacy admissions, which benefits white students. Congratulations.
— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) June 29, 2023
Comedian D.L. Hughley highlighted the disparity between the 400 years of slavery and the 58 years of affirmative action in college admissions, questioning the fairness of the situation.
Slavery lasted 400 hundred years, one of the supposed remedies to slavery, Affirmative Action in College admissions only lasted 58! The math just ain’t mathin! #TeamDl
— DL Hughley (@RealDLHughley) June 29, 2023
President Joe Biden expressed his strong disagreement with the decision, stating that universities should not abandon their commitment to creating diverse student bodies that reflect the diversity of America.
“They should not abandon their commitment to ensure student bodies of diverse backgrounds and experience that reflect all of America.”
What are your thoughts on the ruling?
