The Supreme Court issued two rulings in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. UNC restricting schools’ ability to fully address systemic racial inequalities that persist in higher education – and hindering the ability of a university to select its student body.
The court, however, recognized that the values of diversity are “commendable goals” and that schools can consider applicants’ own discussion of how race has impacted their lives. Importantly, in the opinion by Chief Justice Roberts, the court emphasized that “nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.”
Moving forward, universities can and should also examine and improve their policies and practices to expand opportunity, including: broadening recruitment efforts to underserved communities, developing robust middle school and high school pipelines, increasing need-based supports, and improving campus climate.
The ACLU of Missouri issued the following statement:
“Education is, and always has been, crucial to upward mobility in the United States. This is especially true for Black and Brown people, who have faced hundreds of years of oppression and systemic barriers preventing or repressing educational opportunities and socioeconomic mobility. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn nearly 50 years of precedent, despite a substantial record demonstrating the lawfulness of admissions programs, could have a devastating impact on communities of color and historically marginalized people, but we the people can prevent that from becoming our future.
“Across race, ethnicity, and class, we know when everyone has access to what they need to achieve their potential, we all benefit. We are united by our commitment to opportunity and freedom from discrimination, despite the outnumbered extremists who use division to climb the political ladders.
“The ACLU of Missouri will continue to challenge the inequalities Missouri’s Black and Brown students face in K-12 that too often lead to prison rather than colleges or skilled job training. We are committed to working together to ensure students have the freedom to learn, tell their own stories, and fully embrace the histories and experiences of America. We will fight for opportunities for students across race and ethnicity to participate and thrive in society, including at school and in our multiracial democracy.”