Civil and Human Rights Coalition Responds to Supreme Court Decision in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action

WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action:

“In a democracy, everyone should have equal access to the political process. The Court’s decision takes our nation’s commitment to equal treatment under the law a step backward.

Today’s decision reiterated the constitutionality of race-conscious admissions at colleges and universities across the nation. But it also sanctioned two tiers of access in our nation’s colleges and universities: one for the children of donors, alumni, and other interest groups, and another for racial and ethnic minorities. Donors and alumni can still lobby universities to include their children, but people who support racial and ethnic diversity in schools no longer have that opportunity.

Access to higher education is the foundation of economic mobility, particularly for low-income and minority students. Access to the middle class should not be put to a majority vote, and today’s decision has made it harder for minority students across the country to pursue the American Dream.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 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 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.