Illinois reacts to Supreme Court's decision to overturn affirmative action

CHICAGO - Local and state leaders immediately addressed the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to strike down affirmative action in college admissions Thursday. 

A majority of those who spoke out after the ruling were disappointed.

The court's conservative majority overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively.

The vote was 6-3 in the North Carolina case and 6-2 in the Harvard case. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson sat out the Harvard case because she had been a member of an advisory governing board there.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the ruling was a setback and discrimination has not been reversed in this country.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the end to affirmative action is "devastating."

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Skye Alex Jackson, a Chicagoan and granddaughter of Reverend Jesse Jackson Jr., also reacted to the landmark ruling.

"It's been a difficult day today. I have shed a few tears and gotten emotional because I don't know what the future holds for other students I support through my organization," she said.

Jackson is attending Brown University and is the founder of the National Black Student Alliance, which helps Black students navigate predominantly white universities.

The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) said in a statement that Thursday's decision will negatively impact people of color.

Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton believes the Supreme Court ruling was a "step in the wrong direction." She said the Justices who voted in favor are attempting to resegregate higher education.

Cook County Commissioner for the 14th District Scott Britton shared other community leaders' distaste for the recent ruling calling it "colorblind."

The Supreme Court had twice upheld race-conscious college admissions programs in the past 20 years, including as recently as 2016.

The college admissions disputes are among several high-profile cases focused on race in America, and were weighed by the conservative-dominated, but most diverse court ever. Among the nine justices are four women, two Black people and a Latina.

The end of affirmative action in higher education in California, Michigan, Washington state and elsewhere led to a steep drop in minority enrollment in the states’ leading public universities.

They are among nine states that already prohibit any consideration of race in admissions to their public colleges and universities. The others are: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Oklahoma.

Gov. Pritzker statement

"Following the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision to overturn Affirmative Action, Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement:

"The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Affirmative Action is a travesty — reversing nearly 45 years of precedent that advances equity throughout our country’s higher education institutions.

The damage caused to Black communities by slavery and Jim Crow Laws, to Hispanics and Native Americans by a legacy of discrimination and oppression has not nearly been reversed. For centuries, students from historically underrepresented and underserved communities were locked out of higher education — preventing upward mobility and stunting economic development for generations to come. Affirmative action admissions practices were a critical step towards creating educational environments that are representative of our diverse nation, while righting the wrongs of our past.

This decision only sets us back.

But here in the Land of Lincoln and Obama, we will continue to uplift our students of color — promoting inclusion and expanding access through record-levels of funding for higher education institutions and our MAP Grant Program, so that every student has the opportunity to earn a degree."

Mayor Johnson statement

"Today's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that will effectively end affirmative action is devastating for decades of progress toward creating equitable and inclusive education opportunities for students of color. Affirmative action was a means by which generations of children were allowed access to institutions, access to ideas, and access to cultures that a wicked system of discrimination had long excluded them from. This decision will only further divide communities and strain existing inequities in higher education, but through those inequities will come opportunities for organizing and excellence in the face of struggle."

IBHE statement

"To students of color throughout the Land of Lincoln and the entire United States: you belong in our institutions. And no archaic ruling will ever change that."

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling limiting how universities consider race into their admissions decisions.

This ruling is an attack on people of color, particularly Black people, who face discrimination through multiple facets of American society. Affirmative action already was not a robust solution - it was merely a tool that intended to chip away at an enormous obstacle. It is disheartening to know that there are people intent on stifling racial equity at a time when we should all be working together to break down barriers because that is the right thing to do. A college education is one of the leading predictors for getting out of poverty, and this decision by the Supreme Court will negatively impact people of color seeking economic mobility – something that already seems out of reach – for generations to come.

The IBHE and our colleges and universities are committed to continue fighting to close equity gaps for Black, Latino, low-income, working adults and rural students, and we will continue working to make college more affordable. Our work toward an equitable higher education system will continue unabated because diverse and inclusive campuses and student bodies are critical to developing a well-rounded understanding of the world we live in and those with whom we share it. And we will continue to champion equity in the state’s higher education system because it is essential to Illinois’ economic growth."

Lt. Governor Stratton statement

"We cannot go back in the journey for justice and opportunity for all. Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to revoke affirmative action in college admissions is a step in the wrong direction, placing thousands of students at risk of discrimination in the pursuit of a bright future.  

This is nothing short of an attempt to resegregate higher education. To succeed in our society, a diverse student body must be a part of our institutions of higher learning. Affirmative action has been an academic lifeline for decades that paved an equitable path into higher education for Black and Brown communities across the country. Diverse voices belong in our future, and they deserve support in overcoming barriers propped up by a history of systemic racism.  

In Illinois, we believe in a vision of an education system that is fair, just, and uplifts all. From investing in scholarships for educators from underrepresented communities so students can learn from people who look like them and understand their experiences, to increasing state funding for MAP grants so even more can access an affordable education, our administration will continue to create and expand pathways to academic access. 

We are proud of our diversity because we know it makes us stronger. Today’s decision does not represent who we are in Illinois, and we are committed to advocating for our students who are seeking a brighter future across our state."

Britton statement

"You cannot eliminate racial discrimination by eliminating policies that work to repair the harm of generations of intentional racial discrimination. It is simply bad, colorblind, "all lives matter" logic. First the Supreme Court says that race must be part of a holistic process, and now that same court packed with conservative advocates is punishing schools for not being focused and measured. This ruling is an embarrassing denial of the real impacts of racism and it is wrong. It is our duty to uplift those who have been historically denied access and purposely persecuted, and I commit to empowering people of color in Cook County and across the country." 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.