LCLAA Profoundly Disappointed by Supreme Court Decision Ending Affirmative Action

Washington, DC - The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) is profoundly disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina which has ruled colleges and universities can no longer consider race in the admissions process.

This decision overturns a precedent which has provided communities of color, who have historically faced exclusion from higher education, with a chance to pursue advanced degrees. Moreover, this decision adds to our country’s discriminatory past, which has hindered and marginalized Latinos/as in higher education through segregation, language barriers, and insufficient allocation of funding and resources.

Yanira Merino, National President of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement on the decision, “Affirmative action has played a crucial role in addressing the historical and systemic exclusion of low-income and minority students within our higher education system. It has served as a catalyst in bringing our education system closer to its idealistic goal of becoming the "great equalizer" for all.

In this decision, the Court looked racial justice in the eye and denied it to thousands of Americans. By dismantling affirmative action, the Supreme Court has chosen to contradict some of the fundamental principles upon which this country was founded: justice, freedom, and equal opportunity for all. LCLAA is committed to promoting educational equity, social justice, and fair treatment in all areas of life, and we call upon our allies, partners, and members to join us as we seek to find a solution in the face of despair.”

To learn more about affirmative action, you can access LCLAA’s fact sheet here.