WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court decided Thursday to strike down affirmative action in college admissions, meaning universities can no longer include race as a factor when deciding who can be admitted to their institution.
The court's conservative majority overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively.
While some politicians are applauding the decision, others are pushing back, including President Joe Biden.
Biden said he "strongly, strongly" disagrees with the court's ruling and urged colleges not to let this be the last word.
"They should not abandon their commitment to ensure student bodies of diverse backgrounds and experience that reflect all of America,” Biden said from the White House.
The president added that colleges should evaluate “adversity overcome” by candidates.
Sen. Tim Kaine (VA) tweeted following the decision, saying diversity is America's greatest strength and that he is "deeply disturbed" by the decision to roll back affirmative action.
United States Attorney General Merrick B. Garland released a statement regarding the decision, explaining that it undercuts efforts for universities across the country to create a diverse group of graduates prepared to lead in an increasingly diverse nation.
Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) took to Twitter to say the ruling reverses the progress the country has made since the ratification of the reconstruction amendments.
"These amendments rightfully acknowledged that our country was far from perfect in the treatment of people of color," Cardin tweeted. "Now, this ruling guts those promises and disregards the spirit of true equal protection under the law by putting forward the false idea that racial discrimination no longer exists, in America, even in our schools. Another decision, another decades-long setback."
Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued a statement following the decision, saying it "upends decades of legal precedent on which colleges and universities have relied in striving to achieve the myriad benefits of a diverse student body."
Brown further explained, saying the decision jeopardizes the progress made over several decades in the pursuit of diversity and equity.
"We must not let that happen," Brown said. "A diverse student body enriches the educational experience for all students, creating a vibrant learning environment where students are exposed to different ideas and challenged to think critically."
Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) released a statement Thursday afternoon, saying he fears the catastrophic ruling will embolden opponents of affirmative action to set their sights on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in business and government.
"The Supreme Court today turned a blind eye to this history, striking down the consideration of race in college admissions as if generations of slavery, segregation, and Jim Crow did not exist or efforts to ameliorate these entrenched disadvantages in higher education no longer serve the cause of justice," Ivey's statement reads. "That is a tragedy."
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) posted a series of tweets regarding the ruling Thursday afternoon, saying race-conscious admissions policies provided a counterbalance to discriminatory factors and the new ruling invalidates the balances. He is calling on the Attorney General to start filing cases now against any current school practices that violate the Equal Protection Clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.) released a statement calling the ruling disappointing.
"Today’s disappointing Supreme Court ruling dismantles affirmative action and undermines an important effort to address racial inequality caused by our nation’s history with racism," McClellan's statement reads. "This holistic approach to college admissions was integral to creating opportunity for disadvantaged Black and Brown communities. The impact of 246 years of slavery and 100 years of Jim Crow on our communities and institutions did not go away with a magic wand."
Rep. Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) feels the "disgraceful decision" will make it even harder for minority students to have a chance at equal admission to the top schools in the country.
"Affirmative action is a tool to help level the playing field for everyone," Carter explained. "It’s especially egregious that only race-conscious admissions practices have been eliminated today, but other accommodations like legacy preference have been left in place."
Carter called himself a product of an HBCU education and added that his family has attended Xavier University for generations. In a statement, he said similar schools were necessary to combat generations of discrimination.
“Diversity is our nation’s greatest strength, and we must keep fighting for equal opportunity for everyone.”
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson called the decision “truly a tragedy for us all.”
Virginia Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears disagreed. She applauded the change, saying the ruling will ensure college admissions are based on a student's merits, not the color of their skin.
"Students across America, regardless of their background, will now have access to the best educational opportunities available and be judged on their academic achievements and the content of their character — as they should be," Earle-Sears said in a statement. "Today's decision is a tremendous victory for our country and gives our children a hope and a future. America continues to work toward her declared ideal that all men are created equal."
The Virginia governor supported her positioning, releasing a statement that said the ruling brings the country "closer to ensuring that an individual's future opportunities are unlocked based on the trajectory of their potential, their aspirations and their ... capabilities as opposed to simply on their race."
Rep. Bob Good (R-Pa.) also agreed, calling the ruling one worth celebrating.
"The Court correctly ruled that universities may not discriminate against applicants based on the color of their skin," Good's statement reads. "In the year 2023, students from all types of backgrounds should be admitted to educational institutions in our country based on the merits of their work. Affirmative Action was a racially divisive standard that has no basis in fact."
Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) called the decision a "well-reasoned opinion by the Court," before quoting Martin Luther King Jr.
"This opinion harkens back to Martin Luther King Jr's famous speech in which he states: 'I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.'"