Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education…to prepare each citizen to choose wisely and to enable him to choose freely are paramount functions of the schools in a democracy.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
SCOTUS was busy last week. On June 29, the Supreme Court ruled that affirmative action programs at both private and public colleges and universities are unconstitutional. Authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the decision trashed decades-old programs designed to help minorities access advanced degrees after years of racial and ethnic discrimination.
Roberts argued that affirmative action violated the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. Roberts wrote that colleges “have concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenged bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin,” yet he excluded affirmative action efforts for military academies. However, minorities are still allowed preference when enrolling in military academies, meaning affirmative action is OK for blacks and people of color who might get killed in action defending their country.
Heaven forbid we should help those who have been disenfranchised for centuries gain access to higher education. We all know that white students have greater access to higher education than blacks: That’s a fact. Blacks and other people of color have always known that college and university admissions processes cater to wealthy white students and that college entrance exams are discriminatory. Affirmative action programs tried to remedy this.
Although not perfect, affirmative action initiatives have helped countless individuals gain advanced degrees where in other circumstances, such an opportunity would have been virtually impossible.
Former first lady Michelle Obama said in a recent statement: “So often, we just accept that money, power, and privilege are perfectly justifiable forms of affirmative action, while kids growing up like I did are expected to compete when the ground is anything but level.”
Former President Obama said affirmative action policies “allowed generations of students like Michelle [Obama] and me to prove we belonged,” and “Like any policy, affirmative action wasn’t perfect. But it allowed generations of students like Michelle and me to prove we belonged. Now it’s up to all of us to give young people the opportunities they deserve — and help students everywhere benefit from new perspectives.”
Republicans and conservatives applauded the ruling, but that’s no surprise. Many in the GOP have attacked affirmative action as condoning reverse discrimination, claiming it undermines a merit-based education system and denies opportunities for white students.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Florida Senator Rick Scott, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and other conservatives gushed over the ruling, McCarthy posted on Twitter: “Now students will be able to compete based on equal standards and individual merit.”
Let’s get real people. Ignore the conservative word salad and diversion tactics and let’s see this ruling for what it is.
The Court’s ruling is evidence that our nation is still crippled by racism and discrimination against anyone who isn’t privileged and white, plagued by an old-age patriarchal system that is supported by an oligarchical framework that does not respect Democracy.
The fate of Democracy depends on a diverse and educated populace, and without that, our nation will continue to be under the thumb of the wealthy and privileged, most of whom are white.
The far-right conservative majority of the Supreme Court has shown its true colors: Last year it was stripping away abortion rights, this year it’s killing affirmative action, using a case based on a blatant lie to make it easier to discriminate against LGBTQ+ citizens, and keeping students and college graduates mired in debt.
What’s next?