The Supreme Court decided on June 29, 2023 that Harvard College and University of North Carolina violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment for conducting race-based admissions.

Many consider this a strike down on the Affirmative Action plan and have concerns that it will have a huge impact on college admissions nationwide. 

A study published by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce found that, “The most effective way of increasing socioeconomic diversity at selective colleges is to consider race in the admissions process, not to ignore it.”

A researcher from the Center expects that the decision of the Supreme Court will lead to a drop from 20% to 16% of the percentage of Black and brown students in nationwide selective universities.

As of today, communities of color and progressive organizations have been actively expressing their disagreement.

A Black student interviewed by ABC News stated her disappointment and stressed that the hardship for Black students deserves to be better recognized. 

Asian American Activists believe that their group has been used by white supremacists as “prawns” to divide colored people and to undermine civil rights.

Grassroots organization based in Georgia, Asian American Advocacy Fund, pointed out in a press release that the case was initiated by a white conservative trying to represent Asian Americans, claiming that Asian Americans are discriminated against by affirmative action.

Similar claims of discrimination are not found within the Asian American Community. On the contrary, studies have shown that 62% of all Americans and 69% of Asian Americans favor affirmative action.

The fund reiterated that they were disappointed by the decision “dividing” the communities of color and called on actions to enhance racial justice.

Without affirmative action, it is expected to be more difficult and expensive for higher education admissions to meet the Diversity and Inclusion requirements.

Having ended affirmative action for a quarter century, California offers lessons of an immediate diversity drop in admissions and a substantial amount of dollars spent on finding a substitute avenue to resume diversity.

Written by Tina Zhang