Supreme Court’s Reversal on Affirmative Action Will Profoundly Impact Minorities

In a landmark ruling on Thursday, the Supreme Court rendered a verdict that brought significant changes to college admissions policies. The court’s decision, made by a conservative majority, abolished affirmative action, asserting that race should no longer be a determining factor in the admissions process. Consequently, institutions of higher education, including prestigious establishments like Harvard and the University of North Carolina, were compelled to explore alternative methods of fostering diversity among their student bodies.

The court’s ruling was reminiscent of a pivotal judgment made the previous year that overturned the historic Roe v. Wade case concerning abortion rights. Both rulings marked significant victories for conservative legal pursuits. This time, the court determined that race-conscious admissions strategies violated both the Constitution and a federal law applicable to colleges that receive government funding, which encompassed the majority of educational institutions.

As a consequence of this ruling, universities, particularly those of high standing that typically consider applicants’ racial backgrounds, were required to revamp their admissions practices. Chief Justice John Roberts expressed the view that universities had erroneously prioritized an individual’s racial identity over their personal achievements, acquired skills, and valuable lessons learned. According to him, such a choice was incompatible with the nation’s constitutional history.

Responding to the court’s decision, President Joe Biden expressed strong disagreement and called upon colleges to pursue alternative avenues for achieving diversity, rather than allowing the ruling to dictate the final outcome.

Beyond the ideological split between conservatives and liberals, the affirmative action debate highlighted a profound divide among the three justices of color. Each of them, in separate writings, provided vivid perspectives on race in America and expressed concerns regarding the potential ramifications of the court’s decision.

Justice Clarence Thomas, the nation’s second African American justice, had long advocated for an end to affirmative action. In his opinion, he portrayed the universities’ admissions policies as aimless and premised on race-based preferences, intended to manipulate the racial composition of incoming classes.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Thomas both criticized each other harshly in their in harsh opinions.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the court’s first Latina justice, expressed dissent, arguing that the ruling undid decades of legal precedents and substantial progress made in this domain.