By Pete Williams
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the affirmative action
program at the University of Texas at Austin, ending a protracted legal
battle.
The vote was 4-3.
It was not immediately clear how far-reaching
the ruling will be because of the specifics of the Texas program at
issue. However, the court offered a grudging agreement that in the Texas
case the program is needed.
"The Court's affirmance of the University's
admissions policy today does not necessarily mean the University may
rely on that same policy without refinement," Justice Anthony M. Kennedy
wrote in the majority opinion for the court. "It is the University's
ongoing obligation to engage in constant deliberation and continued
reflection regarding its admissions policies."
Source: NBC News
Note: The National Action Network issued the following statement immediately after the ruling was announced.
Civil rights leader Rev. Al
Sharpton and the National Action Network (NAN) applaud the decision
today by the United States Supreme Court to uphold Affirmative Action at
the University of Texas, calling it the defining
race decision of this session because it will help students of color be
admitted to the country’s public colleges and universities.
In the wake of ongoing racial insensitivity on U.S.
college campuses, NAN has been at the forefront of efforts to establish
that race is a necessary factor in achieving educational diversity.
When the Supreme Court heard oral arguments
on Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin for the second time
in December, NAN held rallies highlighting the need for Affirmative
Action programs to be upheld. This decision is a poignant win for civil
rights advocates across the country.
Rev. Sharpton has repeatedly called for ending
racial exclusion in all facets of our society, and affirmative action
was set up specifically to begin the process of achieving this goal.
While there has been some progress in narrowing this
gap, there remains much more work to be done.
Source: Mercury
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