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Supreme Court Affirmative Action Decision

STATEMENT FROM ARVA RICE, PRESIDENT & CEO, NEW YORK URBAN LEAGUE

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In response to the Supreme Court's decision to reverse affirmative action

In Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard University and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina.

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This week's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to restrict affirmative action in college admissions departs from nearly a half-century of guidance and largely overturns decades of precedent. This decision undermines decades of progress and the gains that have been made by Black students in accessing higher education.  As the President and CEO of the New York Urban League I am angered by this decision, but the foundation for this reversal has been years in the making.

Affirmative action acknowledged that years of systematic racists policies and practices had closed doors for some while leaving the door wide for others. The open doors came in bank loans, access to home ownership and admission to higher education. And over generations the open doors have become part of the American way of life. The reversal of race-conscious admissions policies and practices will lead to a decline in enrollment of Black students and faculty. Further students who graduate from these schools will be less prepared to work in diverse environments.

Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said that the arc of the moral universe is long and bends towards justice. We will continue to fight for the professors, diversity officers, administrators and students on campus today who face uncertain futures– and the students and faculty that we need tomorrow. Our workplaces depend on diverse talent to solve problems and innovate. Our future depends on Black children having access to high-quality education. We will continue to bend until we force a break for justice.

NYUL

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