WASHINGTON, D.C. — National Black Child Development Institute President Leah Austin, EdD., released this statement in response to the Supreme Court ruling to tear down affirmative action in the following cases: a 6-2 vote in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President, and Fellows of Harvard College, alongside a 6-3 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. University of N.C. at Chapel Hill.
In this country, where no policy is race-neutral, we are responsible for ensuring opportunity for people who have been historically blocked from accessing resources. These/This ruling(s) will have a devastating impact on the lives of millions of Black families across the country. Black children deserve joy and justice. They deserve every chance to achieve their fullest potential. History has its eyes on us, all of us. We must ensure the challenges we face today aren’t the obstacles holding children back tomorrow.
Eliminating affirmative action will do irreparable damage to Black children by limiting access to vital resources to which every American child has a right. History and research show who stands to lose the most when we restrict our environments to only allow some to thrive. There is no assurance that access to higher education will be equitable for black children and families, furthering disenfranchisement from access to fundamental needs and to society. Dismantling affirmative action will weaken some of our most vital resources—equitable healthcare, access to education, upward economic mobility—these things add up. And Black children will bear the brunt of the cost.
Student loan forgiveness allows Black families to give their children brighter futures and further academic achievement. The evidence is clear; the impact of student loan debt reaches far beyond just the borrower—it robs Black children of their futures by eliminating access to resources that can ensure a thriving family unit.
Anti-discrimination laws are a necessary safeguard for equality. The LGBTQ+ community and any marginalized community deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Black children deserve a future where they can express themselves as they are, not as the world sees them. The recent Supreme Court ruling on LGBTQ+ protections has left Black LGBTQ+ people, especially Black children, vulnerable to physical harm and cut off from employment opportunities and essential healthcare.
