Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina—which curtails the use of race-conscious college admissions.
“For decades, affirmative action has helped open the doors of higher education to communities who have long been denied the same educational opportunities. It has helped make our educational system—and our country—more fair and just.
“Today’s decision from the Supreme Court removes a critical tool in ensuring equity in college admissions. It doesn’t do anyone any good to pretend that race-based discrimination never existed in America or that serious inequities don’t still remain today. We absolutely can’t pretend this country has not denied Black, Latino, and so many other students the same opportunities as their white peers; we should be learning from our history and working to right those wrongs.
“Now, it’s on all of us to continue the fight to make the promise of equitable educational opportunities a reality for all, and ensure that every kid can achieve their dream of a higher education—no matter their zip code, income, race, or background.”
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