'Strongly Disagree': Biden As US Supreme Court Rules Against Race-Based College Admissions

US President Biden has said he strongly disagrees to the US Supreme Court ruling that ended race-based college admissions.

Supporters of affirmative action protest near the US Supreme Court Building on Capitol Hill.

Source : Getty

US President Joe Biden said he 'strongly' disagreed with the US Supreme Court ruling that upended affirmative action and ended race-based college admissions, thereby ending the policy that made was implemented in 1960 as a measure to increase diversity. US Vice President Kamala Harris also criticised the decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina as "a step backward for our nation".

Biden tweeted, "For decades, the Supreme Court recognized a college’s freedom to decide how to build a diverse student body and provide opportunity. Today, the Court walked away from precedent, effectively ending affirmative action in higher education. I strongly disagree with this decision."

Vice President Kamala Harris also raised her objection. She wrote in a statement, "Today’s Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina is a step backward for our nation."

According to the US Vice President, the verdict "rolls back long-established precedent and will make it more difficult for students from underrepresented backgrounds to have access to opportunities that will help them fulfill their full potential."

"It is well established that all students benefit when classrooms and campuses reflect the incredible diversity of our Nation. Colleges and universities provide opportunities for students to interact with Americans from all walks of life and learn from one another. By making our schools less diverse, this ruling will harm the educational experience for all students," she remarked.

Former US president Barack Obama opined that Affirmative action was "never a complete answer in the drive towards a more just society." "But for generations of students who had been systematically excluded from most of America’s key institutions—it gave us the chance to show we more than deserved a seat at the table," he tweeted.

"In the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent decision, it’s time to redouble our efforts," he added.

The US Supreme Court in its fresh judgement has barred the use of race in university admissions in the States. The apex court ruled out that universities can’t offer admissions to students based on their race or ethnicity. "The student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual -- not on the basis of race," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion, as reported by news agency AFP.  

In the decision which came after years of aversion to affirmative norms that have strived for pushing diversity in school admissions, businesses, and government hiring, the justices broke six to three along conservative-liberal lines.

“While affirmative action was "well-intentioned and implemented in good faith," it cannot last forever, and amounted to unconstitutional discrimination against others,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion, in the ruling. "The student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual -- not on the basis of race," Roberts wrote.

The court further said that while universities were free to consider the background and experiences of applicants in weighing their application, considering primarily on the baiss if whether an applicant is White or Black is racial discrimination in itself. "Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice," Roberts said. 

In a stern refutation to the ruling, Justice Sonia Sotomayor accused the majority of being colorblind to the reality of "an endemically segregated society." "Ignoring race will not equalize a society that is racially unequal," she wrote.

More On It: US Supreme Court Bans University Admissions On Basis Of Race

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