Student activists led the fight for affirmative action decades ago. Let’s continue their struggle for racial equity.
Beyond the student body, this transformation of college campuses through affirmative action has also shifted the very culture of the American university. Students of diverse backgrounds have worked tirelessly to challenge systemic issues that exist in many colleges through decades of advocacy and policy change. They remind us that it is not enough to admit a diversity of students, but the culture of the campus must be inclusive and tolerant for us all to thrive.
I had the privilege to continue this tradition when I established the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of Columbia’s student council. The committee would defend the interest of marginalized students through policy advocacy, funding opportunities and programming. As we confront the end of race-conscious affirmative action, this committee — and many other student groups that support marginalized people — will have their work cut out for them.
In the wake of this ruling, I sit with a heavy heart. Affirmative action not only helped me in my admission to Columbia, but a diverse and inclusive campus helped me thrive there. I’m grateful for the generations of marginalized students that came before me that challenged discriminatory policies, advocated for community space, pioneered academic fields and created a vibrant alumni network. My time at Columbia was far from perfect, and not free of racial discrimination, but I didn’t feel alone.
I also refuse to be ashamed of that fact. Oftentimes opponents of affirmative action claim that the policy negatively impacts Black and Brown students’ confidence, and makes them “less deserving.” But I am grateful that Columbia evaluated me within the context of the resources and opportunities that I had available as a Black, low-income, immigrant woman. For me this is what affirmative action is about, the chance to be judged fairly, considering the cards you’ve been dealt.
It is devastating to see an important pillar of affirmative action get gutted. The victories of Black civil rights activists that challenged U.S. segregation decades ago are being chipped away by our Supreme Court. Some states have already done away with race-conscious affirmative action before this ruling, and the effects were shrinking Black and Brown student populations at top universities.
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