Civil Rights Group Celebrates SCOTUS Ruling, Reiterates Need for Racially Representative Schools - Advancement Project - Advancement Project

Civil Rights Group Celebrates SCOTUS Ruling, Reiterates Need for Racially Representative Schools

WASHINGTON – In a 4-3 ruling on Fisher v. University of Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the University of Texas at Austin could continue to use race as one of the factors weighed in admissions decisions. In response, Judith Browne Dianis, executive director of the national office of the racial justice organization Advancement Project, released the following statement:

“With our nation facing a transformative period in racial justice, it is as critical as ever that our universities reflect the demographics of our society. All students, including students of color, deserve a voice in their respective institutions of higher learning. School communities work best when everyone has a seat at the table.

“While our country continues to bear the scars of a racist past, admissions policies that ensure diversity and inclusion remain essential to progress. Universities across the United States – including Texas’ flagship public university – practiced segregation for the majority of their existence, explicitly denying students of color equal access. As we confront new chapters of both racial tension and racial reconciliation, it is necessary that universities consider the holistic experiences of applicants – including the ways race has shaped their worldview and influenced their access to opportunities.

“Education is richest when student bodies reflect the unique makeup of our communities. Universities are strongest when scholars contribute knowledge that cannot simply be learned, but lived – through their unique cultural experiences, including those influenced by race. Admissions policies that promote diversity and inclusion are necessary, and we are pleased by the Supreme Court’s ruling to reaffirm them.”

###

www.fsaproject.wpengine.com

Advancement Project is a next generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, we exist to fulfill America’s promise of a caring, inclusive and just democracy. We use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high impact policy change.

KEEP READING

Black Swan Academy and DC Police Free Schools React to DC Council Budget Vote Repealing the Phaseout of Police In Schools

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the DC Council approved a budget that will fund building school safety teams to create safe and supportive school communities without the presence of law enforcement, while simultaneously ending the incremental phase out of police from schools. In 2020, the council decided to phase out police in school environments and instead invest in the resources that address the root causes of violence. This investment never happened. Instead of taking the opportunity to radically invest in school safety, the proposed budget of $19.7 billion includes up to $5.4 million in recruitment and conversion bonuses to…

Read More
Advancement Project and Alliance for Educational Justice React to New Federal Resource on Race Discrimination in School Discipline

WASHINGTON, DC – Today the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division issued a joint resource on race discrimination in school discipline.  The resource reiterates the civil rights obligations schools have to protect students from discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin, and provides examples of investigations into discriminatory school discipline policies and practices and how those investigations were resolved.   “Black students and other students of color are experiencing escalated police violence, school push out, and attacks on their freedom to learn, grow…

Read More
Movimiento Poder Asks to Join Lawsuit Challenging Denver Public School District Board of Education’s Behind-Closed-Door Reversal on Police Free Schools

DENVER,CO–  Today, on behalf of Movimiento Poder, Advancement Project and Eric Maxfield Law, LLC asked the Denver District Court to allow it to intervene, or join,  in a lawsuit over the Denver Public School District Board of Education’s closed-door decision to suspend a policy prohibiting police in schools (the “Police Free Schools policy”). This reactionary decision came about in response to a tragic school shooting at East High School in Denver, and allows police in schools through June 2023. Movimiento Poder, a grassroots organization led by Denver parents and students who have organized for decades to…

Read More
Puente Youth and Advancement Project Call on Phoenix Union High School District to Reject Return of Harmful Policing and Invest in Students

PHOENIX, AZ — Yesterday, Phoenix Union High School District (the District) heard testimony on a school safety committee’s recommendations, including on bringing School Resource Officers (SROs) to the District after voting to remove school police in 2020.  The District also temporarily extended an agreement with the city for off-duty police officers.  Young people with Puente Human Rights Movement spoke out about the harms of school policing and advocated against adopting the committee’s recommendations. “The District must follow through on its commitment to a community-driven vision of school safety, and must reject the school safety committee’s reactionary…

Read More
National Campaign for Police Free Schools Rejects Call for More Police in Schools in Response to Nashville School Shooting

WASHINGTON, DC — In response to the mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, the National Campaign for Police Free Schools released these statements from Advancement Project and Alliance for Educational Justice, co-conveners of the campaign: “Once again we are mourning alongside a grieving community. We are devastated by the tragic murders of three children and three adults in Nashville. Young people deserve to be safe and nurtured while they learn and grow,” said Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of the Advancement Project. “In moments…

Read More
National Campaign for Police Free Schools Demands Reversal of Denver School Board Decision to Bring Back Police

WASHINGTON, DC — The Denver Public School Board has suspended its policy prohibiting police in schools through the end of June. This sudden decision came about in response to a school shooting at East High School in Denver, the third shooting at that high school this year. It is the latest in a nationwide trend of decisions to walk back commitments made following the uprisings in 2020 to remove police from schools. “This hasty decision, made without community, is a reactionary approach that will only fail students and families.  Police do not…

Read More
Advancement Project and Tenants and Workers United React to Alexandria City Public School Board’s Refusal to Fully Fund Holistic Supports for Students

Washington, DC — On February 16th, 2023, the Alexandria City Public School Board (ACPS) voted to approve a proposed budget for the 2024 school year that includes only minor increases in funding for student mental health supports and restorative practices. At the same time, the Board voted to add funding for security guards and equipment and adopted a recommendation that the city fund school police. This is the latest step to reverse the City Council’s 2021 commitment to permanently remove police from schools. “Though we are disappointed by this decision, the fight continues,” said Evelin Urrutia,…

Read More
Advancement Project and Movimiento Poder Urge Denver Public Schools Board of Education to Vote Against Closing Schools

DENVER, COLORADO – Advancement Project and Movimiento Poder are urging Denver Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education to vote against the closure of the now 5 elementary and middle schools in their November 17 board meeting. According to DPS, these schools are slated for closure due to declining enrollment.   “Following a process that was completely devoid of transparency and was not community driven, Denver Public Schools has proposed to close 5 of its neighborhood public schools – a change from merely a few days ago when there were 10 schools…

Read More
Advancement Project National Office Response to Gun Control Bill

WASHINGTON, DC — In response to the gun control bill signed into law today, executive director Judith Browne Dianis at Advancement Project National Office issued this statement: “While there is an urgent need to address gun violence in the United States, policy solutions must aim to create truly safe, supportive and welcoming school environments that protect all students. This bill, among other issues, allocates at least $300 million to expand the school policing infrastructure through increased school hardening and surveillance — even though we know police in…

Read More
Police Don’t Keep Students Safe, Even During School Shootings

National Campaign for Police Free Schools, Texas Appleseed Demand Student Supports and an End to School Policing Washington, DC – In response to calls to increase police presence in schools, following the massacre of 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas,  spokespeople from the National Campaign for Police Free Schools, co-convened by the Advancement Project National Office, Alliance for Educational Justice, and Texas Appleseed, issued the following statement: “Our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones in Tuesday’s mass shooting, as well as the…

Read More