A week after the U.S. Supreme Court terminated the use of affirmative action policies by colleges and universities in their admission process, several HBCU presidents are speaking out about the ruling and what it means for their schools.
The president of Clark Atlanta University, Dr. George French, offered his perspective on the high court’s decision, calling it “intentional” in an interview with ABC News.
“There is a large degree of disappointment within the HBCU constituency, and that is because this decision was intentionally, appears to be intentional, in eroding what was an effective remedy for racial disparities in our nation,” French said. “So we’re upset about it, but at the same time, we understand that this provides an opportunity for HBCUs to provide access to education for those who otherwise would not have it.”
French’s Atlanta University Center colleague David A. Thomas, president of Morehouse College also made a statement.
“This is a disservice to our nation and its commitment to equity and equality,” Thomas said in a letter to the Morehouse community.
“As a top feeder school for Black men entering prestigious graduate schools and MBA programs, this decision presents additional challenges for our students. At my alma mater, Yale University, the impact of this decision is already estimated to result in a 40% reduction in Black students,” the administrator said.
According to Thompson, attendance at predominantly white institutions often over-determine an individual’s access to “powerful and influential positions” pointing to “the resumes of our Supreme Court Justices and their clerks over the last 40 years” as evidence for this claim.
“We can also find it by reviewing the educational pedigrees of those politicians applauding the decision,” he added.
Helene D. Gayle, the newly installed president of Spelman College, another institution in the AUC consortium, called the…
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