Civil Rights Organizations Mark One-Year Anniversary of Affirmative Action Ruling

National civil rights organizations express unwavering commitment to equal access to opportunity for all
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For Immediate Release
Contact
Michelle Boykins (202) 296-2300, ext. 0144 mboykins@advancingjustice-aajc.org
Lacy Crawford lcrawford@lawyerscommittee.org
LDF Media media@naacpldf.org

WASHINGTON, DC – June 29th is the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard/UNC ruling that the limited consideration of race in higher education is unconstitutional. Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC, Latino Justice, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and Legal Defense Fund (LDF) issued the following statement reflecting on the anniversary. 

“This Saturday, June 29th, marks one year since the Supreme Court's decision in Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and SFFA v. University of North Carolina (UNC), which struck down the limited consideration of race in those schools’ undergraduate admissions policies. That ruling upended decades of settled law, despite the fact that a majority of people support policies – including affirmative action – that attempt to equalize opportunity for everyone.  

From the beginning, these cases were part of a decades-long effort to turn back the clock on civil rights and racial justice. Though the Supreme Court’s decision only pertains to admissions in higher education, it has been weaponized, and some are trying to expand the fallout of this ruling by launching a full-scale attack on efforts to achieve racial equity, diversity, and equal opportunity across the country. Institutions and businesses—like military academies, small businesses and entrepreneurs, major airlines and other Fortune 500 companies, venture capital funds, and health boards–are experiencing the ripple effects of the Court’s deeply flawed ruling.  

Despite numerous attempts to further strip away the civil rights of the diverse communities we represent, our unwavering commitment to equity and racial justice continues unabated. Our ultimate goal has always been to eliminate systemic obstacles that deprive us of equal opportunity for all. Our communities, representing people of myriad backgrounds and experiences, will remain steadfast in our fight for racial justice with the full knowledge that nearly every avenue to ensure equal access to opportunity—regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or age—is under attack. As we confront these challenges, we must stay united and continuously seek innovative and creative solutions to combat discrimination in education and all sectors of our lives. We must be relentless in our pursuit of the equity we all deserve. 

Everyone deserves the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive—no matter who they are. An individual's background, zip code, or income should not hinder their ability to achieve this outcome. From the classroom to the workplace and beyond, all children and adults are entitled to equal access to opportunities. We will not stop fighting until we remove all barriers to equal opportunities for all communities. For too long, communities of color have endured the indignities and disadvantages of racial discrimination.  

To preserve and strengthen our multiracial democracy, we must continue fighting together, shoulder to shoulder, with unwavering determination. 

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Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC’s mission is to advance the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and to build and promote a fair and equitable society for all. Founded in 1991 in Washington, D.C., Advancing Justice | AAJC is a voice for the Asian American community with the federal government, fighting for civil rights through education, litigation, and public policy advocacy, and empowering our communities by bringing local and national constituencies together and ensuring Asian Americans are able to participate fully in our democracy. www.advancingjustice-aajc.org 

LatinoJustice PRLDEF works to create a more just society by using and challenging the rule of law to secure transformative, equitable and accessible justice, by empowering our community and by fostering leadership through advocacy and education. For five decades, LatinoJustice PRLDEF has acted as an advocate against injustices throughout the country. To learn more about LatinoJustice, visit www.LatinoJustice.org 

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to mobilize the nation’s leading lawyers as agents for change in the Civil Rights Movement. Today, the Lawyers’ Committee uses legal advocacy to achieve racial justice, fighting inside and outside the courts to ensure that Black people and other people of color have the voice, opportunity, and power to make the promises of our democracy real. For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommittee.org.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 240 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation’s first civil rights law organization. LDF’s Equal Protection Initiative seeks to defend and advance the proper interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause and anti-discrimination law so that we can all continue to advance equal opportunity for all. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.