S1E26: Every Texan Talks SCOTUS Affirmative Action Ruling

On Thursday, June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in public and private college admissions, reversing a policy that schools and universities have used to increase diversity for decades. Joined by analysts and experts from the Every Texan team, Marisa discusses the ruling's harmful implications on policy and people both in Texan and nationwide.

Host: Marisa Bono, Every Texan CEO

Guests:

• Kimberly Clarida, Every Texan Higher Education Policy Analyst
• Jonathan Malagon, Every Texan Director of Equity and Learning
• Jaime Puente, Every Texan Director of Economic Opportunity

Highlights:

• Marisa – "It undermines the integrity of our highest court when you’re overturning decades-long precedent in a way that’s not faithful to the Court’s historical interpretations."
• Kimberly – "If we’re going to address racial issues that have come about because of racism and race, we’re going to have to develop race-based policies to address them. Race-neutral policies won’t fix them."
• Jonathan – "This ruling really ignores the enduring impact and effects of systemic racism. Deeming race irrelevant in law vis a vis college admissions does not make it so in life. The Court is living in an illusion that racial inequality is only a problem of the past."
• Jaime – "The Court has brought back to the forefront this false idea that we can live in a colorblind society after hundreds of years of living in a society that is based on racial categorization; this artificial system of distributing power based on someone’s identity, whether it’s their ethnic identity or the color of their skin."