Today, Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) responded to the Supreme Court decision, 6-3, to gut the ability of private and public colleges and universities to consider race and ethnicity in admission decisions:
“Today’s decision underscores the realities that exist in our society that many, as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said in her dissent, would rather ‘ostrich-like’ stick their heads in the sand and pretend that preventing consideration of race will end racism. It will not. For decades, affirmative action has opened doors to segments of our population, from white women, to Black, Latino, Asian, and Tribal youth, who had persevered as barrier after barrier came in their path, including many Nevadans. Inherently, the court is saying those who are wealthy, those who have family that have gone to these institutions, those with the privilege to attend elite prep schools, can have an advantage in getting a higher education, while those who have succeeded despite centuries and decades of institutional abuse and racism, from slavery to internment camps to forced deportations of American citizens, will struggle to compete with the wealthy and elite.
“Let’s be clear – Mitch McConnell and conservative leadership are cheering this moment after denying President Obama his rightful appointment to the court. Former President Trump said on the campaign trail, ‘what do Black people have to lose.’ Today, that question has been answered.”