June 29, 2023
We are disheartened by the Supreme Court ruling against race-conscious college admission. While the court recognized that admission offices can consider students’ full identities through their lived experiences in information reflected in the college application, we are dismayed at the extent of the court’s profound misunderstanding of both the college admission process and the effects of race and racism on the educational system in America. We have a system that produces profoundly unequal educational opportunity and yields highly inequitable outcomes leading into postsecondary education.
“The court’s decision is a bitter setback in that it overturns decades of precedent in the practice of race-conscious admission, misrepresents the extent to which colleges have shaped their practices on past court decisions, and willfully ignores the experience of millions of under-represented students and the professionals and institutions striving to make postsecondary access more fair and equitable,” said Angel Pérez, NACAC CEO.
“Even as the court’s opinions change the factors admission officers can consider, we remain resolute in our pursuit of diversity and equity in college admission policy and practice. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s statement in her dissent applies to our work in many ways: ‘deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life’”
“In this moment, the message from the education community to students of color is clear – not only do you belong in higher education, but we need you in our classrooms on our campuses across the country. You are valued and your perspectives are sorely needed as we strive to solve the biggest issues of our day. Our universities are engaged in nation-building work, and we need everyone from across the nation to have access to colleges and universities so that we can continue to be globally competitive.”