BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action.

“For decades, affirmative action has been a critical tool for confronting the legacy of anti-Black racism and discrimination still present in higher education. However, today’s decision by the far-right extreme Supreme Court will only exacerbate the systemic oppression that has barred Black, brown, and other marginalized students from equitable opportunities.

“This damning decision to overturn decades of legal precedent and ban race-conscious admissions is just the latest in the white supremacist assault on equity in education, but we can’t back down in this fight. Universities must affirm their commitment to racial and ethnic diversity, and we must legislate—at all levels of government—to address the structural barriers that contribute to deep racial disparities in educational access.

“With this extremist Supreme Court demonstrating time and again its contempt for our most vulnerable, we must expand the court to build its integrity and bring balance to the bench.”

###