‘Open doors for who’ve been left behind,’ says President Biden on US SC verdict on race-based college admissions
3 min read 30 Jun 2023, 01:19 PM ISTThe US Supreme Court has ruled that colleges cannot consider race in their admission policies, impacting affirmative action and diversity efforts. President Biden criticised the decision and called for continued promotion of diversity.
PremiumThe United States Supreme Court has ruled that colleges must stop considering race as a factor in their admission policies, dealing a blow to ‘affirmative action’ initiatives aimed at increasing the enrolment of Black and Latino students at top universities.
The court's decision, announced on 29 June, was a response to lawsuits challenging the admissions policies of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. The lawsuits argued that race-conscious admission programs discriminate against white and Asian-American applicants.
The conservative-dominated court's ruling could have significant implications for college enrolment and diversity on campuses across the country. It represents another step by the court to advance right-wing political causes, reported ALJazeera.
The court determined that affirmative action violates provisions of the US Constitution that guarantee equal protection under the law. “College admissions are zero-sum. A benefit provided to some applicants but not to others necessarily advantages the former group at the expense of the latter," the Supreme Court said.
The vote in the University of North Carolina case was six-to-three, while the Harvard case resulted in a six-to-two vote. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson recused herself from the Harvard case due to her prior involvement with the university.
President Joe Biden expressed his disapproval of the decision, calling on universities to continue promoting diversity by considering factors related to race, such as adversity.
“I’ve always believed that the promise of America is big enough for everyone to succeed, and that every generation of Americans – we have benefited by opening the doors of opportunity just a little bit wider to include those who’ve been left behind," Biden said in response to the ruling. Biden emphasised the importance of expanding opportunities to include those who have been historically marginalised.
The Supreme Court's decision is seen as departing from established legal norms and precedents,, he said. “We cannot let this decision be the last word on it," said Biden .He emphasised the need to challenge this decision and ensure that it does not become the final word on the matter.
Kamala Harris, the Vice President of the United States, tweeted that today's Supreme Court decision is a denial of opportunity. She emphasised that it is not about being colorblind, but rather about being blind to history, blind to empirical evidence about disparities, and blind to the strength that diversity brings to classrooms.
Donald Trump cheered US Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling and said “What a wonderful day".
In a dissenting opinion, liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor argued that ignoring race does not advance equality. She highlighted the ongoing presence of racial inequality in the United States, including at institutions like UNC and Harvard.
The ruling drew immediate criticism from civil rights advocacy groups, including the NAACP. “This is a dark day in America," Wisdom Cole, national director of the group’s youth and college division, stated.
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also condemned the decision, describing it as a significant roadblock in the country's pursuit of racial justice.
The tweet by Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate Republican Leader, expresses his support for the Supreme Court's rulings regarding affirmative action in college admissions. McConnell believes that these rulings ensure that students will be admitted to college based on merit rather than what he refers to as "illegal social engineering."
Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez expressed her views on the issue of legacy admissions in relation to the concept of colorblindness. She argued that if the Supreme Court is truly committed to colorblindness, it should also consider abolishing legacy admissions, which she referred to as "affirmative action for the privileged."
Affirmative action has been a contentious issue in the United States. Supporters argue that it helps address historical injustices and promotes equal opportunities, while opponents claim it can discriminate against certain groups, including Asian Americans, and should be based solely on merit.
Nine US states that have already banned colleges from considering race in applications saw a drop in minority student enrolment after the restriction.
