AFSCME Rallies for Justice in Education at Supreme Court

by Cynthia McCabe  |  October 10, 2012

AFSCME members, leaders and other supporters of the University of Texas admissions system that considers students’ race as one factor rallied on the steps of the Supreme Court today as justices began hearing arguments for and against it.

“Young men and women who seek and deserve the best education possible should not have their opportunities quashed in the name of politics,” AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders said. “AFSCME members are part of this fight because we believe in fairness and fair play for them and for all. And we believe that if opportunity is jeopardized for anyone, it is jeopardized for everyone.”

The New York Times this week took a closer look at the University of Texas approach:

University officials said that the school’s affirmative action program was needed to build a student body diverse enough to include minority students with a broad range of backgrounds and for the campus to have a “critical mass” of minority students in most classrooms. Interaction among students in class and around campus, said Kedra Ishop, the university’s director of admissions, helps students overcome biases and make contributions to a diverse society.

View President Saunders’ remarks at the Supreme Court rally today: