National Racial Justice Coalition Issues Statement on District Court Ruling in Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard - Advancement Project - Advancement Project

National Racial Justice Coalition Issues Statement on District Court Ruling in Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 2, 2019
Contact: Elana Needle
[email protected]
201-248-9724

We are heartened by the ruling from Judge Burroughs and the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts in Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard that affirms the “compelling interest in diversity and all the benefits that flow from a diverse college population” and upholds the use of race-conscious college admissions practices, asserting that they “have an important place in society and help ensure that colleges…can offer a diverse atmosphere that fosters learning, improves scholarship, and encourages mutual respect and understanding.” Yet, it is crucial to see this effort for what it was: a cynical ploy by conservative activist Edward Blum to destroy a critical pathway to opportunity for Black and Brown students.

Affirmative action programs in higher education have been reaffirmed repeatedly by the U.S. Supreme Court, as recently as 2016. The understanding is that diversity is a compelling interest in higher education, and programs that ensure a diverse student body are important because it allows for cross-racial understanding, erases stereotypes and prepares students for an increasingly diverse workforce and society. Race-conscious admissions are a way to safeguard against discrimination and race-conscious admissions benefit all students, including Asian Americans the majority of whom support race-conscious admissions.

In light of this ruling, we must continue the hard work of dismantling policies and practices in our education system, our economy, and elsewhere, that deny students of color the same opportunities as their white and wealthy peers. Today, after a concerted effort to limit or destroy affirmative action, Black and Latino/Latinx students are more underrepresented at selective colleges than they were nearly four decades ago, and those that do make it onto campus are saddled with higher costs and greater – often unpayable – debt than their white peers. The public and private institutions serving high numbers of students of color, including community colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, and Alaska Native and American Indian Tribal Colleges and Universities, are consistently underfunded by states and/or the federal government, resulting in an unequal education for the most diverse generation of students in American history. It is for these reasons that affirmative action is necessary to repair historic and current injustices and eliminate real biases and structural barriers in our higher education system.

To this day, many colleges still troublingly rely on tactics that persistently advantage whiteness. From the use of legacy admissions, the strategic use of merit aid, and admissions preferences for children of wealthy donors, too many institutions are engaging in practices that simply replicate white privilege and entrench inequality in our education system and our economy.

We are also extremely disappointed in the tactics of Mr. Blum and others to exploit the aspirations of Asian American students as part of a broader effort to end affirmative action. Rather than seek ways to dismantle diversity on campus, we need to improve the diversity of Asian American representation to include underrepresented ethnic groups of Southeast Asians, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Wedging one racial group against another is a dangerous, if all-too-common, tactic that only serves to undermine support for a reparative, race-forward agenda.

####

Advancement Project National Office, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Demos, Faith In Action, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Congress of American Indians, National Urban League, Race Forward and UnidosUS are a collaborative of nine leading national racial equity anchor organizations supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Together we work to promote racial equity, advance racial healing, and ensure that all children, families and communities have genuine opportunities to reach their full potential.

KEEP READING

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
Advancement Project – National Office Reaction to Montgomery County School District Reinstatement of Police Officers Into Public Schools

Montgomery County, MD –  Montgomery County Public Schools and the Montgomery County Police Department announced a new agreement that formally brings armed police officers back into Montgomery County Public Schools. While the new agreement (referred to as “CEO 2.0”) was executed on April 19th, it was not announced to the public until April 26th. In response, Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of the Advancement Project, a national civil rights and education advocacy group, released this statement: “This decision is a devastating betrayal to the students of Montgomery County, their families, and…

Read More
National organizations pen letter to Montgomery County Council, Board of Education in support of removing police from schools

Following recent police assaults of young people in Florida and New York, the call for #PoliceFreeSchools in Montgomery County is emphatic

Read More
National organizations, global law firm partner to take steps toward securing quality education for students of color

Legal action taken in U.S. Court of Appeals works to ensure that students of color receive a meaningful, quality education that allows them to thrive

Read More
Arnold & Porter Partners with Advancement Project National Office to Address Equity in Education

Washington, DC — December 17, 2020 — Arnold & Porter and Advancement Project National Office announced today that they have established a three-year partnership to address systemic inequalities in the United States education system. The partnership will support the Advancement Project National Office’s mission to fight systemic racism in schools, which continues to disproportionately impact students of color, as well as low-income students. “All children deserve equitable access to high quality education,” said Arnold & Porter firm Chairman Richard Alexander. “We look forward to partnering with the Advancement Project National Office on a range of initiatives from expanding our pro…

Read More