New York, NY, June 29, 2023 ... ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, striking down college affirmative action programs.
“We are deeply disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision finding that the admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina are unconstitutional. This decision reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the history and present realities of racial discrimination in this country and the reasons why affirmative action is still needed. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted in her dissent, “Equality requires acknowledgement of inequality.” Based on real-world experience, we continue to believe that diversity enriches the educational experience.”
ADL filed an amicus brief in the Harvard case welcoming that university’s holistic consideration of each applicant. Harvard’s admissions plan allowed race to be one factor out of many, but not the decisive one.
ADL’s brief explained that while Harvard’s anti-Jewish quotas a century ago were exclusionary and rooted in antisemitic bias, their contemporary policy was well-conceived and consistent with longstanding precedent that the Supreme Court has now unwisely reversed.
ADL is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of antisemitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is the first call when acts of antisemitism occur. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education and fighting hate online, ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate.