Political commentator Candace Owens on Thursday praised the Supreme Court for striking down college affirmative action programs, calling the ruling "a MAJOR WIN in the strive for racial equality."
Earlier in the day, the Court ruled that affirmative action programs at the University of North Carolina and Harvard violate the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause and are therefore unlawful. The decision overturned a decades-long precedent that proponents said helped increase higher education opportunities for underrepresented groups, including people of color.
Many liberal voices denounced the ruling on Twitter, while Owens, a prominent Black conservative, celebrated the news.
"Wow!! Affirmative action, something I have spoken out against for the last 7 years, has FINALLY been struck down in a historic Supreme Court ruling," she tweeted.
"This is a MAJOR WIN in the strive for racial equality, removing the bigotry of low expectations against black students, while permitting Asian and white Americans an EQUAL chance to be rewarded for their hard work. RACE should never be a factor in deciding whether or not you are qualified for anything," Owens continued.
"It's a shame it took this long, but finally—justice wins!" she added. "Make America a meritocracy again."
Newsweek reached out to Owens via email for comment.
Wow!! Affirmative action, something I have spoken out against for the last 7 years, has FINALLY been struck down in a historic Supreme Court ruling.
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) June 29, 2023
This is a MAJOR WIN in the strive for racial equality, removing the bigotry of low expectations against black students, while...
Among the prominent Black figures who criticized the Court's ruling was former President Barack Obama.
"Like any policy, affirmative action wasn't perfect. But it allowed generations of students like Michelle [Obama] and me to prove we belonged. Now it's up to all of us to give young people the opportunities they deserve — and help students everywhere benefit from new perspectives," Obama said in a statement.
While the Supreme Court's ruling faced criticism and divided the court, recent polls indicate it may be a popular decision. June polls found a majority of Republicans and Democrats opposed affirmative action, preferring merit-based admissions processes instead. It's a strikingly different picture from last year's Roe v. Wade decision, when polls showed the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the decades-long protection of abortion rights ran contrary to the opinion of most Americans.
Over the past year, Owens has gained international attention outside the world of political punditry because of her alliance with Kanye West. In October, she appeared with the rapper/entrepreneur—who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021—at a fashion show in Paris, where the duo wore shirts emblazoned with the words "White Lives Matter." She later defended Ye after he received widespread condemnation for comments he made that Jewish groups considered antisemitic.
As she said in her tweet, Owens has long been outspoken about her opposition to affirmative action. She recently spoke about the topic during a March appearance on the Dr. Phil show, where she said such "policies are harmful" to the "people they purport to help."
Owens also made headlines recently by criticizing Juneteenth, tweeting on the day of the federal holiday that "Juneteenth is still ghetto and made up."
