WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Thursday released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision to prohibit the consideration of race in college admissions.

“The Supreme Court’s decision today is a devastating blow to the decades of progress toward improving racial diversity in higher education and will directly impact students of color – particularly Black, Latino, Native American, and underrepresented Asian populations. This out of touch ruling will have consequences far beyond who gets access to a college education; it all but ensures that future generations of teachers, business executives, doctors, and lawyers, among others, will look less like America than they do today.

“As Justice Jackson wrote in her dissent, ignoring race won’t end racism, ‘No one benefits from ignorance. Although formal race-linked legal barriers are gone, race still matters to the lived experiences of all Americans in innumerable ways, and today’s ruling makes things worse, not better.’ Ending affirmative action will further entrench racial inequality in education and directly undermines the intent of the Fourteenth Amendment. All students benefit from a diverse campus. In the wake of this decision, we have to double down on our efforts to make sure students who continue to face discrimination on the basis of their race have the same educational opportunities as their peers.”

Last year, Murphy signed a brief of amici curiae in support of the universities in this case.

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