The Supreme Court of the United States just limited the ability of universities to consider an applicant’s race and ethnicity in admissions. The cases—Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard University and Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. University of North Carolina—struck a blow to race-conscious affirmative action programs that have been crucial in providing talented students of color access to highly selective public and private institutions.
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00:00 Today, the court once again walked away from decades of precedent and make, as the dissent
00:05 has made clear. The dissent states in today's decision, quote, "rolls back decades of precedent
00:12 and momentous progress," end of quote. I agree with that statement from the dissent.
00:19 The court has effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions,
00:23 and I strongly, strongly disagree with the court's decision. Many people wrongly believe
00:29 that affirmative action allows unqualified students, unqualified students to be admitted
00:35 ahead of qualified students. This is not, this is not how college admissions work.
00:40 Rather, colleges set out standards for admission, and every student, every student has to meet those
00:47 standards. Then and only then, after first meeting the qualifications required by the school,
00:53 do colleges look at other factors in addition to their grades, such as race.
00:58 I've always believed that one of the greatest strengths of America, you're tired of hearing me
01:02 say it, is our diversity. But I believe that. If you have any doubt about this, just look at the
01:07 United States military, the finest fighting force in the history of the world. It's been a model of
01:14 diversity, and it's not only been our -- made our nation better, stronger, but safer. I believe the
01:20 same is true for our schools. I've always believed that the promise of America is big enough for
01:25 everyone to succeed, and that every generation of Americans, we have benefited by opening the doors
01:31 of opportunity just a little bit wider to include those who've been left behind.
01:35 I believe our colleges are stronger when they're racially diverse. Our nation is stronger because
01:41 we use -- because we are tapping into the full range of talent in this nation. We cannot let
01:48 this decision be the last word. I want to emphasize, we cannot let this decision be the last word.
01:53 While the court can render a decision, it cannot change what America stands for.
01:58 America is an idea, an idea, unique in the world, an idea of hope and opportunity,
02:05 of possibilities, of giving everyone a fair shot, of leaving no one behind. We've never
02:11 fully lived up to it, but we've never walked away from it either. We will not walk away from it now.
02:16 We should never allow the country to walk away from the dream upon which it was founded.
02:23 That opportunity is for everyone, not just a few. We need a new path forward,
02:28 a path consistent with a law that protects diversity and expands opportunity. They should
02:34 not abandon -- let me say this again -- they should not abandon their commitment to ensure
02:38 student bodies of diverse backgrounds and experience that reflect all of America.
02:43 What I propose for consideration is a new standard, where colleges take into account
02:50 the adversity a student has overcome when selecting among qualified applicants.
02:55 Let's be clear. Under this new standard, just as was true under the earlier standard,
03:00 students first have to be qualified applicants, because the truth is, we all know it,
03:04 discrimination still exists in America. Discrimination still exists in America.
03:11 Discrimination still exists in America. Today's decision does not change that. It's a simple fact.
03:18 If a student has overcome -- had to overcome adversity
03:22 on their path to education, the college should recognize and value that.