Barack and Michelle Obama are speaking out after the Supreme Court on Thursday struck down affirmative action programs at the University of North Carolina and Harvard.
“Like any policy, affirmative action wasn’t perfect. But it allowed generations of students like Michelle and me to prove we belonged. Now it’s up to all of us to give young people the opportunities they deserve — and help students everywhere benefit from new perspectives,” Obama said in a statement.
“Affirmative action was never a complete answer in the drive towards a more just society,” Barack tweeted. “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. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent decision, it’s time to redouble our efforts.”
Michelle Obama also weighed in the decision while giving some background on how college was for her growing up. “Back in college I was one of the few Black students on my campus, and I was proud of getting into such a respected school. I knew I’d worked hard for it. But still, I sometimes wondered if people thought I got there because of affirmative action. It was a shadow that students like me couldn’t shake, whether those doubts came from the outside or inside our minds. But the fact is this: I belonged. And semester after semester, decade after decade for more than half a century, countless students like me showed they belonged too.”
“Today, my heart breaks for any young person out there who’s wondering what their future holds — and what kinds of chances will be open to them,” she shared. “And while I know the strength and grit that lies inside kids who have always had to sweat a little more to climb the same ladders, I hope and pray that the rest of us are willing to sweat a little, too.”
She continued, “Today is a reminder that we’ve got to do the work, not just enact policies that reflect our values of equality and fairness, but to truly make those values real in all of our schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods.”
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