Yesterday’s Supreme Court decision that race-conscious admissions policies violate the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution will have far-reaching effects on the student population at universities in the Triangle and across the country. While we are still gathering information on the magnitude of what those effects might be, Triangle Community Foundation stands in solidarity with those who will be most impacted by this decision – students of color.
In states where affirmative action has already been banned, enrollment of Black, Hispanic, and Native American students has declined, particularly at selective universities, leading to implications for future economic and social mobility.
Equity is one of the Foundation’s four core values, and we are committed to supporting students in achieving their higher education and professional goals through the scholarship funds that we manage for fundholders and with our own discretionary dollars. Funding nonprofits whose work is centered around providing educational opportunities for students of color to ameliorate the attainment gaps that we know exist will continue to be an important goal of our Education & Youth impact area. Each year at the Foundation we support over 200 students via scholarships and expect the need for scholarship support will be more critical than ever following this ruling.
We anticipate having more to say on tangible effects of the Supreme Court’s ruling as ramifications become clear. In the meantime, we encourage you to learn more about the issue and the very real implications of it with the following suggested readings:
- The 74 Million: US Supreme Court Strikes Down Use of Affirmative Action in College Admission
- Inside Higher Ed: What the Supreme Court Rejection of Affirmative Action Means
- The Hechinger Report: Supreme Court Makes its Historic Ruling in Affirmative Action Cases
- The Brookings Institution: The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action means that HBCU investment is more important than ever
- Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce: Race-Conscious Affirmative Action: What’s Next
- NBC News: Four Things Students Need to Know After Supreme Court Ruled Against Affirmative Action