In one of its most closely watched cases this year, the Supreme Court ruled that colleges and universities can no longer take race into consideration as an express factor in admissions.
“The court’s ruling did not come as a total surprise, but it’s certainly still a slap in the face towards progress,” said Michelle Cooper, former U.S Department of Education assistant secretary for post-education.
The court struck down affirmative action programs at the University of North Carolina and Harvard. The vote was 6-3 in the UNC case and 6-2 in the Harvard case. Those programs are important because they are what many schools base their admissions programs on.
The Court's decision overturns more than 40 years of legal precedent and is a blow to schools that say some consideration of race in admissions programs is vital to building a diverse student body.
"The misconception is that it’s benefiting Black and brown students at the detriment of all others. In reality, it’s really benefiting all students,” Cooper said.
Cooper believes a lack of diversity on campuses could have repercussions far beyond higher education.
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“It prepares them for the world that they will live in post-college graduation. It prepares them for the workforce. There’s a growing body of evidence that has acknowledged the benefits of diversity,” she said.
The ruling appears to leave some room for colleges to consider race in less systematic ways, like through an individual applicant's essay or narrative.
The president of the NAACP Hillsborough County chapter, Yvette Lewis, predicts the decision will lead to a significant drop in the enrollment of minority students in schools that have extremely competitive admissions programs.
“I know it will have an impact on attending certain colleges, but African American people, we continue to prevail. We continue to be resilient. There are many strong HBCUs out there that they can attend,” Lewis said.
The court exempts military academies from the decision.
