Washington, D.C. — Today the U.S. Supreme Court begins hearing oral arguments today in Fisher v. University of Texas, a case that will impact a generation of young people of color seeking higher education. An adverse ruling by the justices—one declaring race-conscious admission policies unconstitutional—could potentially undermine efforts by colleges and universities to expand the opportunity of higher education to underrepresented communities.
While much of the conversation surrounding this highly charged affirmative action case is on its outcome being a zero-sum game, the true focus of this case should be about what needs to happen in order to expand opportunity and ensure our institutions of higher education reflect the diversity of our citizenry. At the end of the day, access to education is not just about education—which is an important and worthy goal—but it’s also about economic opportunity.
The following experts are available to comment:
- Vanessa Cárdenas, Director, Progress 2050
- Daniella Gibbs Léger, Vice President of American Values & New Communities
- Julie Ajinkya, Policy Analyst, Progress 2050
- Sam Fulwood III, Senior Fellow
- Andrew Blotky, Director, Legal Progress
- Eduardo Garcia, Advocacy Manager, Campus Progress
Resources:
To contact experts, please call Laura Pereyra at 202.741.6258 or via email at lpereyra@americanprogress.org.
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