The US Supreme Court, in a 6-3 judgement, has ruled that race can no longer be considered a factor when considering admissions to American universities. The decision, which was pronounced on Thursday, has effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions, as President Joe Biden said.Writing for the majority opinion, Chief Justice John G Roberts said, “The student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual–not on the basis of race.”This historic – and divisive – judgement came in the wake of accusations that affirmative action policies in universities discriminated against White and Asian students by giving overt preferences to Black, Hispanic, and Native American students.The Supreme Courts decision came in a case where a students rights group Students for Fair Admissions sued the University of Harvard and the University of North Carolina. The group claimed that the universities policies actively discriminated against Asian Americans, and the lawsuit was championed by Edward Blum, the groups founder.In the judgement authored by Associate Justice Elena Kagan, the Supreme Court found that race-conscious college admission policies violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which says, “No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, colour, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”Subhead: Supreme Court affirmative action judgement polarises reactionsThe Supreme Court judgement, on one of the most sensitive topics in American politics, has understandably brought about divisive and polarising reactions.The condemnation of the judgement has been headed by American President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.President Biden said that “todays Supreme Court decision effectively ending affirmative action in higher education take us backwards.” He also claimed that the decision is not the last word, and promised to fight for racial diversity in colleges.We cannot let todays Supreme Court decision be a permanent setback for the country. We need to remember that the promise of America is big enough for everyone to succeed. Thats the work of my Administration, and I will always fight for it. pic.twitter.com/kNDUIhCsIN— President Biden (@POTUS) June 29, 2023Today, I want to offer some guidance to our nations colleges as they review their admissions systems after todays Supreme Court decision:They should not abandon their commitment to ensure student bodies of diverse backgrounds and experience that reflect all of America. pic.twitter.com/zrsCl8s1Jd— President Biden (@POTUS) June 29, 2023VP Harris said that the Courts decision “rolls back long-established precedent and will make it more difficult for students from underrepresented backgrounds to have access to opportunities that will help them fulfill their potential.”Todays Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina is a step backward for our nation.Read my full statement. pic.twitter.com/pIBCmVMr6d— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) June 29, 2023Todays Supreme Court decision is a denial of opportunity.Its not about being colorblind. Its about being blind to history, blind to empirical evidence about disparities, and blind to the strength that diversity brings to classrooms. pic.twitter.com/pB872AnPbO— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) June 29, 2023Similar disapproval was also aired by former President Barack Obama.Affirmative action was never a complete answer in the drive towards a more just society. But for generations of students who had been systematically excluded from most of Americas key institutions—it gave us the chance to show we more than deserved a seat at the table. In the… https://t.co/Kr0ODATEq3— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 29, 2023The first affirmative action policy was introduced in the US by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and an executive order signed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965.The support for the decision has vastly come from Asian Americans, including a large Indian diaspora who campaigned for equality in college admissions.Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said that America should finally embrace colorblind meritocracy”.https://twitter.com/VivekGRamaswamy/status/1674443852210483201/historyI strongly disagree with @RobertKennedyJr that affirmative action is about “letting in those who have been left out in the cold.” Thats wrong. The majority of black students at Harvard are not descendants of slaves but descendants of immigrants. Giving special preferences to… https://t.co/OkrgxzGXay— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) June 29, 2023
