SAINT PAUL, Minn. - On Thursday, the United States Supreme Court released two decisions that unravel decades of legal precedent on race-based affirmative action. The rulings in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. University of North Carolina, split 6-3, demolish an effective and necessary pathway to higher education for generations of Black and Indigenous students and students of color.
The House People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus released the following statement condemning the Court’s decision:
“The Supreme Court's recent ruling to overturn decades of race-based affirmative action in institutions of higher learning jeopardizes hard-fought progress for civil rights. This ruling will have detrimental consequences on education and other areas of life for Black, Brown, and Indigenous peoples. This ruling will reinforce injustices and further exacerbate opportunity gaps in education, economic development, healthcare justice, housing, and beyond between historically underserved communities and white populations.
"Affirmative action has helped to level the playing field for Black, Brown, and Indigenous people who have been historically discriminated against. It has helped to increase diversity in colleges and universities, leading to numerous positive outcomes, including increased graduation rates for BIPOC students, improved job opportunities, and a more just and equitable society.
"Yesterday's ruling is a display of willful ignorance of the wounds of racial disparities and is a clear attempt to maintain the status quo of white privilege and systemic oppression that serves to deny people of color the equitable opportunity in education they deserve. The ruling upholds legacy admissions that directly benefit the rich and white people while holding Black, Brown, and Indigenous poor people down through merit-based admissions.
"We, the House POCI Caucus, denounce the US Supreme Court’s rulings. We are committed to dismantling systemic racism and addressing policies that eradicate intergenerational trauma and oppression. We will fight for a Minnesota and nation that uplifts and provides all people access to education, regardless of their race, zip code, gender, abilities, and religion.”
The House POCI Caucus is comprised of; Co-Chair Rep. Esther Agbaje (59B), Co-Chair Rep. Cedrick Frazier (43A), Vice Chair Rep. Alicia Kozlowski (08B), Rep. Jamie, Becker-Finn (40B), Rep. Ethan Cha (47B), Rep. Mary Frances Clardy (53A), Rep. Aisha Gomez (62A), Rep. Hodan Hassan (62B), Kaohly Vang Her (64A), Rep. Athena Hollins (66B), Rep. Samakab Hussein (65A), Rep. Heather Keeler (04A), Rep. Fue Lee (59A), Rep. Liz Lee (67A), Rep. Mohamud Noor (60B), Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega (65B), Rep. Ruth Richardson (52B), Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura (63A), Rep. Samantha Vang (38B), and Rep. Jay Xiong (67B).