Thursday’s Supreme Court decision banning the use of affirmative action in college admissions drew condemnation from educational leaders, politicians and others in the Pioneer Valley and the state.
In statement after statement released shortly after the ruling, these leaders were highly critical of the ruling and vowed to continue efforts to advocate for and advance diversity, equality and inclusion regardless of what the nation’s highest court ruled .
Gov. Maura Healey said she would continue to seek greater representation in education despite the ruling in a statement signed by more than 100 higher education leaders, civil rights advocates and state lawmakers, including leaders of the Five Colleges.
“Massachusetts will always be welcoming and inclusive of students of color and students historically underrepresented in higher education,” the statement said. “Today’s decision by the Supreme Court overturns decades of established law. In the Commonwealth, our values and our commitment to continued progress and representation in education remain unwavering.”
The statement was also signed by the presidents of the state’s community college systems, including Christina Royal, the outgoing president of Holyoke Community College who has long championed diversity, equity and inclusion policies in the state. In an interview, Royal said the ruling would affect the most vulnerable in their ability to access higher education.
“Historically, affirmative action and race-conscious admissions have been shown to increase enrollment in racial minority and underrepresented students,” she said. “Community colleges educate the majority of black and brown students. And we want to make sure the door is open for them beyond their experience at HCC.”
Community colleges like HCC have an open admissions policy, meaning they are unlikely to be affected by the Supreme Court’s ruling. But Royal said the school would continue to be on the front lines of supporting diversity efforts in higher education.
“We will continue to make progress in creating opportunities that can dismantle structural racism and create more opportunities for learning,” he said. “We know it’s the right thing for our students and it’s the right thing for our state.”
Kumble Subbaswamy, the outgoing chancellor of UMass Amherst, said in a message to students and staff that the campus would redouble its efforts to champion diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives regardless of what the Supreme Court says.
“Even in the absence of this ruling, our commitment to upholding our values of diversity, equity and inclusion would drive us to deepen our investments in recruiting and welcoming students from diverse backgrounds,” Subbaswamy wrote in the your message “Building a diverse class is more about who we admit—it requires creating a welcoming and inclusive community. This work is critical and ongoing.”
Schools within the UMass system were currently working to assess how the ruling would affect campus admissions, according to a joint statement from Subbswamy, other UMass campus chancellors and UMass President Marty Meehan.
“University system officials are working with the chancellors and directors of admissions at all five UMass campuses to assess how the University’s admissions processes may be impacted by these changes to the law,” read in the statement “The University of Massachusetts will continue to follow the law and will do so while maintaining its deep and longstanding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”
State Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, who chairs the state’s Joint Committee on Education, said Massachusetts would not relent in its efforts to make education more inclusive.
“Education can help close the painful racial wealth gap, dramatically improve health outcomes, and open countless doors to opportunity and equitable economic growth,” he said in a statement. “At this moment, perhaps more than ever, I am encouraged by the [Massachusetts] The Senate’s generational investment in public higher education in the FY 2024 budget and the work ahead to make community college free.”
U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, also criticized the ruling, saying it sided with Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s dissent.
“By eliminating affirmative action, a corrupt Supreme Court is denying racial justice,” McGovern wrote on Twitter. “I agree with Justice Brown Jackson: ‘Regarding race as irrelevant in law does not make it irrelevant in life.’
Private schools react
In a statement from Smith College, outgoing president Kathleen McCartney and president-elect Sarah Willie-LeBreton said they would abide by the Supreme Court’s decision but would continue to work to maintain the diversity of the student body.
They noted that the university had several programs that would continue to attract diverse students, such as removing loans from financial aid packages and partnering with nonprofits to attract students from low-income backgrounds.
“Our admissions process is holistic that takes into account several aspects of an applicant’s background and experiences, including grades, resume, extracurricular activities, work experience, geography, socioeconomic background and much more, so that each applicant’s unique voice and perspective are fully appreciated.” said the statement. “To address society’s most pressing challenges, we need people whose backgrounds and experiences reflect those of our nation.”
Leaders at Mount Holyoke College shared a similar sentiment.
“Mount Holyoke will ensure that students of color, LGBTQ+ students, first-generation students, and all students historically underrepresented in higher education are welcomed and valued on our campus and in our community,” said spokeswoman Lindsay Akins from the university “This Supreme Court ruling will not change the mission of Mount Holyoke College or our values.”
Michael Elliott, president of Amherst College, called the court’s ruling a “grave disappointment.”
“The deeply unfortunate decision by the U.S. Supreme Court limits how we consider students for admission, but it will not, and cannot, change our dedication to this mission,” he said in a video statement released by the university “Together we remain resolute in our commitment to recruit and support a diverse community of scholars within the bounds of the law, and in light of this decision, we are exploring new ways to expand access and opportunity” .
At Hampshire College, which had previously announced it would accept students from Florida’s New College fleeing the effects of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ conservative policies, the court’s decision was seen as an erasure of racial realities.
“Hampshire College remains firmly committed to its aspiration to become an anti-racist institution and to engage honestly in the difficult work that entails,” said Jennifer Chrisler, a spokeswoman for the college. “We recognize that deliberate and affirmative action is needed to counter and change inequitable structures and practices. Eliminating one tool, race-conscious admissions, does not prevent us from imagining and implementing other strategies to counter racialized practices that marginalize students colored”.
An “extremist court”
U.S. Senator Ed Markey, speaking from the John F. Kennedy Federal Building in Boston, referred to the current Supreme Court as “far right” and “illegitimate,” and said the court had made it more difficult to achieve equality in education.
“This extremist court has made America a more unequal place than it already is and has betrayed its responsibility to protect the rights of all Americans,” he said. “They have made the ivory tower higher for those who are not among the rich, who are not among the well-connected few.”
The Massachusetts Association of Teachers also condemned the court’s ruling in a statement issued by President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy.
“Although the Supreme Court has struck down the use of race as a consideration in admissions, preferences for children of wealthy donors, children of alumni and athletes remain,” the statement said. “While our state legislature does not have the power to overturn a terrible Supreme Court ruling, there is more we can do to protect and improve access to higher education in our state, despite this setback.”
Alexander MacDougall can be contacted at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.
