WASHINGTON D.C. (WAVY/AP) – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action in college admissions Thursday morning, and local and national political figures have weighed in on different sides of the ruling.
This ruling asserts that race-based admission practices are unconstitutional, which overturned the admission strategies at the nation’s oldest colleges Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
| READ: Supreme Court’s affirmative action majority opinion
Washington Officials
President Joe Biden has made numerous statements as he reacts to the Supreme Court’s decision.
In a tweet in response to the ruling he states that “for decades, the Supreme Court recognized a college’s freedom to decide how to build a diverse student body and provide opportunity. Today, the Court walked away from precedent. I strongly disagree with this decision.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also stated that the Court’s decision is “a step backward for our nation. It rolls back long-established precedent and will make it more difficult for students from underrepresented backgrounds to have access to opportunities that will help them fulfill their full potential.”
The Vice President’s full response can be found on her Twitter feed.
Virginia Lawmakers
Virginian Gov. Glenn Youngkin commented on the matter via his Twitter feed.
He states, “Today, after the Supreme Court ruling, we are closer than ever before to ensuring that an individual’s future opportunities are unlocked based on the trajectory of their potential, their aspirations, and the quality of their capabilities as opposed to simply on their race.”
Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor, Winsome Earle-Sears said in her comments that “I applaud the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling today that will ensure college admissions are based on a student’s merits, not the color of their skin.”
Sen. Tim Kaine also commented on the issue, stating, “Today’s sad ruling means we have even more work to do to address our nation’s ugly history of racism and root out the systems of inequalities that unfairly burden diverse communities, like Black and Latino Americans.”
Universities
Many universities are chiming in on the issue, including The University of Virginia who stated, “Today, the United States Supreme Court issued an opinion that limits the ways colleges and universities can promote racial diversity at their institutions through admission practices.”
They continue their statement by saying, “Our commitment to diversity, in short, is not diminished, even if our ability to peruse that goal is constrained.”
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, one of the school that was involved in the Supreme court’s decision, also released a statement stating,
“On behalf of our state, we will work with the administration to ensure that the University complies fully with today’s ruling from the nation’s highest court. We intend for America’s highest court to keep leading.”
Harvard University released a similar statement saying, “The Supreme Court decision on college and university admissions will change how we pursue the educational benefits of diversity – but our commitment to that work remains steadfast.”
