One year after attacking women’s right to self-determination, today the activist conservative majority of the Supreme Court has once again proven its contempt for Black and brown people in its decision on the Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina (UNC) and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College case. This disgraceful ruling willfully ignores the centuries of oppression and discrimination that have robbed people of color, particularly African Americans, of the opportunity to rise from poverty, build intergenerational wealth for our families, and pursue our dreams.

As a woman of color and a union member leader, this decision hits very close to home for me. Throughout my own life and my work with the members of our union, I have seen how extraordinarily difficult it is to overcome the destructive legacy of slavery and segregation, as well as other forms of institutionalized racism. Higher education is literally one of the only means people who look like me have to achieve upward socioeconomic mobility. The opportunity to attend college, including prestigious universities, can make the difference between a lifetime of struggle passed down to one’s children and the ability to achieve home ownership, dignified retirement, and financial security for one’s family.

Affirmative action has given generations of Black and brown students the opportunity to achieve their dreams, lift themselves out of poverty, and build the foundation of intergenerational wealth for their families. Admissions cannot be “colorblind” without also being blind to the disadvantages centuries of systemic racism have created for children of color, from lack of intergenerational wealth to under-resourced schools in neighborhoods impacted by environmental racism and disinvestment.

Today’s decision returns us to the days where students of color were routinely denied opportunities for advancement. Further, it threatens the yet-unrealized promise of a nation where our leaders in everything from science to finance to politics are reflective of our incredibly diverse, multicultural population. As a union, we will continue fighting for laws and policies that bring the U.S. closer to being the land of equal opportunity that it has so long claimed to be.

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