Washington, D.C. — Today, the Supreme Court upended four decades of precedent, ruling that universities can no longer consider race when making admissions decisions. In response, Patrick Gaspard, president of the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
This ruling continues a campaign by the court’s extreme right-wing majority to reverse rights and precedents that have stood for generations. Today will go down in history as the day six justices took one of the most established and effective tools we have to fight discrimination and promote equality. For four decades, affirmative action has benefitted students of all races, particularly women. It led to more diverse workplaces and helped millions escape poverty and step into the middle class. In states that banned affirmative action, public universities saw dramatic declines in the number of minority students admitted. Now we must ensure the same thing doesn’t happen nationwide. In the wake of today’s ruling, colleges and universities must now redouble their efforts to seek a diverse student body by focusing on low-income students and promoting geographic diversity. Make no mistake: The fight for equality is far from over.
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