LANSING, MI – Today, the United States Supreme Court issued an extreme decision reversing decades of precedent on affirmative action. The Supreme Court ruled in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. vs. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions Inc. vs. the University of North Carolina, that both programs violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution and are, therefore, unlawful. This decision jeopardizes hard-fought progress for all Black Americans in classrooms, the workplace, and beyond. “This is a dark day in our country,” said Lansing Branch President Harold A. Pope. “The Supreme Court has attempted to set America back decades because of its extreme decision to dismantle prior rulings that guaranteed young black Americans the opportunity to compete on an even playing field with their white counterparts. This decision undermines hard-won diversity and equity victories that grew out of the Civil Rights Movement. Martin L. King Jr. and others in the movement recognized that Affirmative Action measures were needed because we couldn’t rely on the subjective decisions of universities, colleges, and employers to exercise diverse admissions and hiring practices. The NAACP will not let the Supreme Court take this country back to when people of color couldn’t sit at an all-white lunch counter without fear of being hung from the nearest tree. We will continue fighting for diversity, equity, and inclusion for all people of color and hold institutions accountable for prioritizing diversity.” Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization. On April 14, 1919, the Lansing Branch was chartered under the leadership of Branch President C.A. Campbell. Lansing Branch is one of 2,220 branches in the association with the mission to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
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