Barack, Michelle Obama react to Supreme Court gutting affirmative action, share personal experiences

WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama, the nation’s first and only Black president, and former first lady Michelle lamented — in personal terms — the Supreme Court ruling on Thursday gutting affirmative action.

“Affirmative action was never a complete answer in the drive towards a more just society,” Barack Obama 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 said in a statement: “So 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.”

The Obamas graduated from elite schools. Both have Harvard law degrees. Michelle Obama picked up an undergraduate degree at Princeton; Barack Obama at Columbia.

In her writings and public statements, Michelle Obama has, for years, told of her wondering if she really “belonged” at Princeton, alluding to affirmative action, and she said so in her statement.

The Obamas infrequently weigh in on news events, so reacting to the decision in the case involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina reflect — from their perspective — the enormity of the 6-3 ruling.

Barack Obama, in a statement, said, “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 urged support for eight organizations that provide scholarships and other support to students of diverse backgrounds, including Hope Chicago, the organization led by former Chicago Public Schools chief Janice Jackson, which provides assistance to students seeking post-secondary education.

Michelle Obama on affirmative action, being admitted to Princeton

In her statement, Michelle Obama recounts her feelings regarding being admitted to Princeton, a school that her brother, Craig Robinson, a star basketball player, also attended.

Michelle Obama graduated from Whitney Young Magnet High School and has often said school counselors discouraged her quest to attend Princeton.

“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 own 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.

“It wasn’t just the kids of color who benefitted, either. Every student who heard a perspective they might not have encountered, who had an assumption challenged, who had their minds and their hearts opened gained a lot as well.

“It wasn’t perfect, but there’s no doubt that it helped offer new ladders of opportunity for those who, throughout our history, have too often been denied a chance to show how fast they can climb.”

“Of course, students on my campus and countless others across the country were — and continue to be — granted special consideration for admissions. Some have parents who graduated from the same school. Others have families who can afford coaches to help them run faster or hit a ball harder.

“Others go to high schools with lavish resources for tutors and extensive standardized test prep that help them score higher on college entrance exams. We don’t usually question if those students belong. So often, we just accept that money, power, and privilege are perfectly justifiable forms of affirmative action, while kids growing up like I did are expected to compete when the ground is anything but level.

“So 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.

“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 I pray that the rest of us are willing to sweat a little, too. Today is a reminder that we’ve got to do the work not just to enact policies that reflect our values of equity and fairness, but to truly make those values real in all of our schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods.”

Durbin: Ruling ‘just upended nearly 50 years of established precedent’

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement, “I’m disappointed in the Supreme Court’s ruling effectively barring the use of race as a factor in college admissions. The Court’s conservative majority just upended nearly 50 years of established precedent in a move that undermines the progress our country has made advancing racial justice.

“America’s ever-evolving commitment to the fundamental right to live free from discrimination requires us to acknowledge historical wrongs. Tearing down support for historically marginalized populations makes our country less equal, not more.”

Pritzker: ‘We will continue to uplift our students of color’

“The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Affirmative Action is a travesty — reversing nearly 45 years of precedent that advances equity throughout our country’s higher education institutions.

“The damage caused to Black communities by slavery and Jim Crow Laws, to Hispanics and Native Americans by a legacy of discrimination and oppression has not nearly been reversed. For centuries, students from historically underrepresented and underserved communities were locked out of higher education — preventing upward mobility and stunting economic development for generations to come. Affirmative action admissions practices were a critical step towards creating educational environments that are representative of our diverse nation, while righting the wrongs of our past.

“This decision only sets us back.

“But here in the Land of Lincoln and Obama, we will continue to uplift our students of color — promoting inclusion and expanding access through record-levels of funding for higher education institutions and our MAP Grant Program, so that every student has the opportunity to earn a degree.

“To students of color throughout the Land of Lincoln and the entire United States: you belong in our institutions. And no archaic ruling will ever change that.”

Duckworth: ‘Misguided ruling’

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said in a statement, “For decades, affirmative action helped chip away at systemic barriers and discrimination against students of color in our education system’s college admissions process. Let’s be clear: colorblindness has never been a true friend of fairness — it ignores our history and perpetuates discrimination.

“In ending affirmative action, today’s misguided ruling from the far-right, ultra-conservative Supreme Court is a devastating blow to progress, equity and equality for all. In every facet of our society, diversity always makes us stronger — and I’ll continue to do everything I can to help expand opportunities and make sure every American has a fair shot at accessing higher education.”