For Immediate Release
Monday, June 23, 2003
AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee's Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on Affirmative Action
Our nation is better and stronger today because the Supreme Court reiterated America's commitment to affirmative action in ruling for the University of Michigan's affirmative action admission policy for graduate students. As we approach the 50th anniversary of Brown v. the Board of Education, it is heartening to see that the Court clearly recognizes that the country still has a long way to go toward achieving racial equality.
Today's decision made it clear that diversity and excellence are not mutually exclusive. This decision legitimizes the nation's contention that a diverse and racially integrated campus benefits all students. America's national security and economy can only benefit by recruiting men and women of diverse races and backgrounds, who have had the opportunity to be educated in our post-graduate programs.
On the other hand, it is unfortunate that the highest court in the land has excluded minority undergraduates from the same opportunities. By opposing the University's undergraduate admission policy, the Bush Administration has impeded efforts to overcome our nation's history of discrimination. Today's decision strengthens our resolve to fight for judicial appointees who will hand down balanced, fair and equitable rulings.
