Our Statement in Response to SCOTUS Ruling on Affirmative Action
At Generation Hope, we recognize the tremendous assets and strengths of student parents including their rich lived experiences, which are shaped by their various intersecting identities. Race plays a critical role in unlocking opportunities for student parents and teen parents because these students are more likely to be Black, Latinx, and Indigenous. Efforts to foster equity and diversity in higher education, a powerful lever in creating economic mobility for families, cannot be divorced from the consideration of race and the role it has played in systematically excluding these communities. In recognition of this and guided by our core value of race equity, Generation Hope denounces any and all attacks on diversity and equity and remains steadfast in our dedication to eliminating racial disparities and barriers that impact student parents’ lives and academic success.
The United States Supreme Court has ruled on two cases about whether race can be considered by higher education institutions when offering admission to prospective students, holding that Harvard and UNC's admissions programs violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Restricting race-conscious admissions will have far-reaching impacts on diversity and inclusion in higher education and will harm people of color around the country who want to pursue an education and access economic mobility, including parents. This ruling is caustic given this opportunity to take a step towards justice in the face of our nation’s long history of establishing and fortifying institutionalized barriers based on race that prevent people of color from accessing the information and resources they need to thrive across generations.
Supporting student-parent success is a matter of racial and social justice. As it stands, the journey toward and through college is uniquely challenging for the 1 in 5 students in the United States pursuing a degree or credential while raising children. For students of color, these challenges are often exacerbated by biases and discrimination they encounter in higher education. Nine states have already banned affirmative action in college admissions and have proven that doing so decreases the number of Black and Brown students who enroll despite growing population sizes.
Considering that more than half of student parents nationwide (51%) are people of color, this decision has the potential to deeply impact Generation Hope’s communities and work. Despite this harmful ruling, we will continue our vital work and remain committed to ensuring all teen and student parents and their families have every opportunity to succeed and are empowered to create a better future for themselves, our community, and our world.
