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‘My heart goes out…’, Michelle Obama on SC ruling, Donald Trump calls it ‘great day for America’
Michelle Obama, Donald Trump, Harvard and others react to the US Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action at universities
Hours after US Supreme Court struck down affirmative action policies being followed by Harvard and University of North Carolina leaders cutting across party line have come out to rejoice. Here are reactions the top court found that Harvard and UNC's “programs lack sufficiently focused and measurable objectives warranting the use of race, unavoidably employ race in a negative manner, involve racial stereotyping, and lack meaningful end points. We have never permitted admissions programs to work in that way, and we will not do so today.”
Harvard released a statement insisting it would not take its eye off the goal of maintaining a diverse institution. "We write today to reaffirm the fundamental principle that deep and transformative teaching, learning, and research depend upon a community comprising people of many backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. That principle is as true and important today as it was yesterday," the school's leadership said in a statement.
Michelle Obama wrote about her own experience as one of the few Black students on her college campus and said, "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."
"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 neighbourhood," she said
"Like any policy, affirmative action wasn't perfect. But it allowed generations of students like Michelle and me to prove we belonged. Now up to all of us to give young people the opportunities they deserve — and help students everywhere benefit from new perspectives," Former President Barack Obama stated.
Donald Trump's team took credit for the ruling claiming he made today's historic decision possible after delivering on his promise to appoint constitutionalist justices. His spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, said, 'America is a better nation as a result of the historic rulings led by Donald Trump's three Supreme Court nominees.'
Trump himself later said the ruling marked "a great day for America."
"College admissions should be based on merit and applicants should not be judged on their race or ethnicity. The Supreme Court has correctly upheld the Constitution and ended discrimination by colleges and universities," Trump's fellow Republican and Florida Governor Ron Desantis tweeted.
