Supreme Court’s Student Loan Decision

Will Exacerbate Racial Inequality

NEW YORK (June 30, 2023) — National Urban League President Marc H. Morial issued the following statement today in response to the Supreme Court’s decision on student loan relief:

“In striking down President Biden’s student loan relief plan, the Supreme Court has delivered a second devastating blow in as many days to the movement for racial justice and set the stage for further destabilization of the nation’s economy.

“The Court’s decision in Biden v. Nebraska is, incredibly, even more nakedly political than their decisions to strike down affirmative action.  President Biden’s plan not only is overwhelmingly favored by the American people, but it would also invigorate the national economy. That’s a political problem for the President’s adversaries, but not a constitutional one. Furthermore, one of the justices who voted with the majority accepted lavish gifts from the chairman of a group that asked the court to block the plan.

“Crushing student loan debt is a key driver of the racial wealth and opportunity gap.  It has created a vicious cycle that forces the most vulnerable students to take on disproportionate financial risk to pursue higher education, only to find themselves even further behind.”

“History will remember this week as a low point for the nation’s highest court. The National Urban League will continue to seek justice for Americans who are trapped by our nation’s unjust system of financing higher education.”

Supreme Court Decisions on Affirmative Action in Higher Education

Set the Country on a Path to Even Greater Inequality

Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League

June 30, 2023

“With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life. And having so detached itself from this country’s actual past and present experiences, the Court has now been lured into interfering with the crucial work that UNC and other institutions of higher learning are doing to solve America’s real-world problems.” Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissent, Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina 

Affirmative action in college admissions has never given applicants of color an advantage over white applicants. It merely diminished, however slightly, the vast advantage white applicants have had over applicants of color.

In stripping away a mild remedy to racial disparities in higher education, the Supreme Court has condoned and entrenched this vast advantage and set the country on a path to even greater inequality.

Diminishing this advantage has never been the primary goal of affirmative action policies. They were not intended to help students of color gain admission to elite schools. They were intended to create diverse campus environments that benefited every student.

The term “affirmative action” originated in the movement to eliminate discrimination in employment. It acknowledges a simple reality: policies that permit people to cross a barrier are meaningless unless they also build a bridge across that barrier.

The term entered the realm of education in 1968 when the Supreme Court’s decision in Green v. County School Board of New Kent County required school boards to develop a plan to end segregation in their districts in accordance with Brown v. Board of Education.

The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., that same year – much like the murder of George Floyd in 2020 – triggered a national reckoning over racism that pushed colleges to adjust their admission policies to diversify their campuses.

Like most efforts to rectify racial injustice in the United States, this movement met with a backlash that resulted in the Court’s 1978 decision in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke: schools could not set quotas for students of color, but they could use race as a factor in admissions to promote diversity.

The precedent set in Bakke guided the court for the next four decades. How were institutions of higher education to achieve diversity on their campuses without that bridge that allowed diverse students to cross onto those campuses?

This week, six justices recklessly, foolishly, imprudently blew up that bridge. And for what? Not because, as they claimed, policies intended to equalize opportunity violate a Constitutional amendment intended to equalize opportunity. Not because students of Asian ancestry, on whose behalf the lawsuits ostensibly were filed, are harmed by the policies. Wherever affirmative action policies have been eliminated, white students have been the primary beneficiary.

And that’s the point. Students for Fair Admissions, which brought the lawsuits against the University of North Carolina and Harvard, is the creation of the same right-wing extremist who engineered some of the most vicious assaults on civil rights of the last quarter century, including Shelby v. Holder which of the Voting Rights Act. Edward Blum isn’t working to create opportunities for students of Asian descent; he’s working to preserve white supremacy. The six justices who helped advance his cause didn’t rule in his favor because his legal arguments were sound, but because stoking racial resentment remains a winning political tactic.

The National Urban League and our partner civil rights and racial justice organizations will not be deterred or demoralized by this setback. We will not stop fighting for equal opportunity in education. We will continue to build bridges until they are too numerous, and too strong, for our adversaries to destroy.

CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS DENOUNCE SCOTUS DECISION

IN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION CASE

The coalition includes the National Urban League,

National Action Network, NAACP,

National Coalition on Black Civic Participation,

Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law,

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund,

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights,

National Council of Negro Women (NCNW),

UnidosUS, Asian Americans Advancing Justice,

Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 30, 2023) – Yesterday, a coalition of civil rights groups today issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse affirmative action in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard University and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina.

“The extreme decisions of the Supreme Court to overturn affirmative action in the college admissions process was incredibly disappointing. The conservative-majority court erased decades of momentous progress. The effects of this decision will further perpetuate the deep and structural racism that exists in this country.

“To claim that affirmative action violates the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment goes to show that there are members of the Supreme Court who are unfamiliar with the amendment’s history and intention. Our nation is stronger because of the unique experiences and talents of all people. Yesterday’s decision serves as a distressing reminder of the uphill battle we continue to face in dismantling systemic racism and the potential implications this decision can have on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the workplace.

“Together, we will fight relentlessly until every student has the equal opportunity to access higher education and pursue their dreams. Our country thrives when we nurture the talents and potential of students from all backgrounds and build respect for everyone. Despite this Supreme Court ruling, we remain resolute in our commitment to constructing equitable pathways to higher education and the opportunity that comes with it.”

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE HAILS THE U.S. SUPREME COURT’S VOTING RIGHTS DECISION

AS A WIN FOR JUSTICE AND DEMOCRACY 

Washington, D.C. (June 8, 2023) – Today, National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Allen v. Milligan:

“Today’s decision is a welcome affirmation of the nation’s obligation to protect our most sacred Constitutional right and a rejection of the ongoing efforts to further dismantle voting rights protections in Alabama and across the country. As a civil rights organization dedicated to economic and social justice, we recognize that unfettered access to the ballot box is essential to achieving the equitable, inclusive, “more perfect union” that we seek.

“While today’s decision was a win for democracy, it is not enough. We urge the swift consideration and passage of comprehensive voting rights reform measures, including the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act. We look forward to seeing the other decisions that the Supreme Court issues that could potentially impact civil rights protections and democracy – including the gerrymandering case Moore v. Harper – moving forward.”

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE CELEBRATES

20 YEARS OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

UNDER PRESIDENT AND CEO MARC H. MORIAL

NEW YORK (June 2, 2023) – Just a few weeks after taking the reins of the nation’s largest historic civil rights organization, Marc H. Morial delivered his first “State of the Urban League” keynote address at the Conference in Pittsburgh, laying out a bold, 5-point Empowerment Agenda that would come to define the next two decades of civil rights leadership.

Twenty years later, these five points stand enshrined as the National Urban League’s five pillars: Jobs and Economic Empowerment, Education and Youth Development, Health and Quality of Life, Housing and Community Development, Justice, and Civic Engagement.

As the first elected official to lead the National Urban League, Morial has brought an unprecedented political savvy and deep comprehension of the inner workings of government not just to the Urban League, but to the entire 21^st Century Civil Rights Movement.

In that prophetic speech in Pittsburgh 20 years ago, Marc said “We must enthusiastically embrace our heritage as a civil rights organization that promotes racial justice, from employment to police violence, from redistricting issues to racial profiling.” Since then, Morial has marshaled the forces that mobilized to defeat the lynching brute “Jim Crow” to battle his treacherous, gerrymandering son “James Crow, Esquire,” and now stands just as defiantly against his tiki-torch-carrying grandson, “Jimmy Crow.”

Morial’s 20th anniversary will be reflected among the key themes of the National Urban League Conference in Houston on July 26, through 29, through an examination of how the nation has changed and how the racial justice movement has evolved.  As a literal child of the Civil Rights Movement whose activist parents’ courtship began over “an intense conversation about Brown v. Board of Education,” Morial’s perspective is sweeping and unique.

Key milestones:

• June 2, 2003 — Marc H. Morial, former two-term mayor of New Orleans, becomes the first elected official to hold the office of President and CEO of the National Urban League.
• July 27, 2003 — Morial outlines the 5-point Empowerment Agenda: Education & Youth, Economic Empowerment, Health & Quality of Life, Civic Engagement, and Civil Rights & Racial Justice, during the National Urban League Conference in Pittsburgh
• March 24, 2004 — Inaugural Legislative Policy Conference opens with the release of the first State of Black America report to include the Equality Index, a tool to compare the social and economic status of Black and white Americans
• May 2004 – Ebony magazine honors Morial as one of the 100+ Most Influential Black Americans
• October 18, 2005 — Morial’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, a key element of the League’s successful advocacy for reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act.  
• October 14, 2005 — Katrina Bill of Rights, establishes a framework for protecting and aiding Gulf Coast residents working to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina
• 2006 –Launch of Project Ready, a comprehensive program to prepare high school students for college, work, and life
• August 15, 2007 – Publication of Opportunity Compact: Blueprint for Economic Equity, detailing policy recommendations to empower all Americans
• March 6, 2008 – Morial declares a homeowner’s state of emergency and issues the Homeowners’ Bill of Rights.  National Urban League responds to the Great Recession, advocating for targeted relief for hard-hit urban neighborhoods and enhanced social service initiatives.
• July 1, 2009 – A four-star rating from Charity Navigator places National Urban League in the top 10% of U.S. charities for good governance, fiscal responsibility, and other best practices.
• March 2, 2010 – “I Am Empowered” centennial campaign celebrating 100 years of advocacy and empowerment, unveiled on NBC’s Today show
• December 2011 – Induction to the National Parks Service International Civil Rights Walk of Fame
• June 25, 2013 –U.S. Supreme Court’s Shelby v. Holder decision, gutting the Voting Rights Act, triggers an escalation of voting rights advocacy and civic engagement efforts.
• August 24, 2013 – Realize the Dream March and Rally commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the March on Washington
• December 18, 2014 — Appointment to President Obama’s Task Force on 21^st Century Policing, created in response to the unjustified use of deadly force against Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and others
• November 9, 2016 – The election of President Donald Trump, prompted a unified response by legacy civil rights organizations, led by the National Urban League, to a surge of racial hostility, hate crimes, and discriminatory public policies.
• August 2, 2017 – NonProfit Times names Morial as one of the nation’s Top 50 nonprofit executives
• July 18, 2019 –National Urban League announces future relocation to Harlem and construction of 425,000 square-foot Urban League Empowerment Center
• March 16, 2020 – National Urban League sounds the alarm about the racially disparate impact of the burgeoning coronavirus crisis, commencing an intense advocacy and direct relief campaign later to be called The Urban League Fights For You.
• May 5, 2020 – Publication of The Gumbo Coalition: 10 Leadership Lessons That Help You Inspire, Unite, and Achieve
• April 26, 2021 — 21 Pillars for Redefining Public Safety and Restoring Public Trust establishes a framework for criminal justice advocacy
• November 12, 2022 – Premiere of Gumbo Coalition, a documentary on Morial’s work, along with Janet Murgia of UnidosUS, confronting the challenges of 2020

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE, URBAN LEAGUE OF LOUISIANA, XAVIER & DILLARD UNIVERSITIES,

JOIN NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION TO COMBAT EXTREMIST ATTACKS ON EDUCATION

AND OTHER RACIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVES

NEW ORLEANS (May 3, 2023) – Access to truthful history, diverse books and critical ideas for students and educators are crucial to the nation’s history as a multicultural democracy, National Urban League President Marc H. Morial said today in observance of the Freedom to Learn National Day of Action.

“The so-called ‘War on Wokeness’ threatens to eradicate decades of progress toward racial justice, by warping our view of the nation’s past, and thwart our future progress toward an equitable, multicultural society,” Morial said.

The Freedom to Learn National Day of Action, a campaign initiated by the African American Policy Forum, is an uprising in defense of truthful, inclusive education and efforts to remedy systemic racial inequities.

Morial and Urban League of Louisiana President and CEO Judy Reese Morse were joined at a media briefing by Urban League of the Upstate (South Carolina) President and CEO Dr. Gail Wilson Awan, Urban League of Rochester (New York) Dr. Seanelle Hawkins, Transformative Justice Coalition President & Founder, Barbara R. Arnwine, Esq.; Xavier University of Louisiana President Dr. C. Reynold Verret, and Dillard University Executive Vice President of  Institutional Advancement Stephanie Rogers.

As highlighted in the National Urban League’s 2023 State of Black America® report, “Democracy in Peril: Confronting the Threat Within,” 21 states already have enacted measures that censor the honest examination of racism and race in American society, and the College Board has excised crucial material from its AP African American Studies curriculum in response.

The leaders called on the College Board:

• to restore the AP African American Studies curriculum.
• to commit to making the course available online to students who live in states in which politicians have enacted bans on books, knowledge, and ideas contained in the original curriculum that would prevent the course from being taught in those states.
• to conduct an independent investigation into how the course development process was corrupted by outside political forces.
• to hold all implicated College Board officials accountable.

“Our children have a right to be taught the truth in our nation’s classrooms,” Morial said. “It is a betrayal of democratic values for any responsible leader to actively participate in distorting or denying any part of our country’s history.”

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE JOINS 227 ORGANIZATIONS TO SEND LETTER TO HHS SECRETARY

AS MEDICAID COVERAGE CONTINUES TO UNWIND

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 25, 2023) – Today, National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial joined UnidosUS and other health and human rights organizations in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra asking to secure Medicaid coverage for millions of families as unwinding period continues:

“Unprecedented Medicaid terminations, focused on historically disadvantaged communities, would deepen already severe health inequities that exist should the unwinding period continue,” said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. “We urge Secretary Becerra and the Biden Administration to preserve health care coverage for millions of families before it is too late.”

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed legislation to provide additional financial resources to state and territory Medicaid programs to protect access to health insurance for vulnerable, low-income Americans. These continuous coverage protections ensured that no one could be disenrolled from Medicaid during the public health emergency. As a result, more than 90 million low-income people are now enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. This coverage has guaranteed beneficiaries access to quality, affordable health insurance during the public health emergency. As of April 1st, this requirement has ended, putting millions of eligible families at risk of losing coverage due to paperwork requirements and red tape.

“We remain concerned that unwinding could cause the largest Medicaid losses in history, with disproportionate harm experienced by communities of color, mothers, and children,” organization leaders wrote. “To prevent a civil rights and health equity disaster, we urge you to make the strongest possible use of the powers recently granted by Congress for holding states accountable to preserve eligible families’ health care.”

The letter outlines four recommendations that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) should consider avoiding to prevent a tidal wave of paperwork terminations from ending health care for millions of eligible families.

To read the original letter, click here.