By Trevor Lyford, Nikita Balaji, Annelise Silva, and Rohini Kousalya Siva
On Thursday, June 29, 2023, in the case of Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina,
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled that the admissions programs at Harvard and University of North Carolina violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, essentially striking down Affirmative Action programs across the country.
Along with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) strongly dissents with the majority opinion of the Supreme Court which undermines the importance of affirmative action, a measure supported by Justices John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. This ruling undermines close to six decades of precedent to promote equal opportunity and eliminate discriminatory practices. We maintain it is an ill-conceived, racist, and biased discourse that undermines the importance of diversity in our educational institutions and blatantly threatens equitable healthcare at its core. This ruling unfortunately does not come as a surprise in light of the pervasive spread of racist agendas evident in the alarming trend of states cutting down on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) funding for colleges. Justice Roberts and other conservative members of SCOTUS’s idea of “colorblindness” is not only misguided, but ignores the persistent inequities based on race and color we face on a daily basis. This ruling will continue to perpetuate systemic disparities that disproportionately affect racially marginalized communities.
In accordance with our Preamble, Purposes and Principles, AMSA remains steadfast in its unwavering commitment to advocating for racial equity in education and healthcare. As future physicians committed to justice and equality, we are profoundly outraged and decry the restriction of affirmative action. We strongly support increased representation of minority students in all levels of education, including colleges and medical schools. By fostering diversity and inclusion, institutions have the power to create more empathetic and inclusive learning environments. Moreover, It has been repeatedly evidenced that diversity within the healthcare workforce and medical education system improves healthcare outcomes. According to the AAMC, “As an overwhelming body of scientific research compiled over decades confirms, diversity literally saves lives by ensuring that the Nation’s increasingly diverse population will be served by healthcare professionals competent to meet its needs.” Indeed, physicians who train within a diverse learning environment become better practitioners. The Supreme Court’s decision forces colleges and health-professional schools to deviate from their ethical duty and obligation to protect the wellbeing of our nation’s most vulnerable groups by restricting the consideration of race in admissions decisions. This decision not only reifies systemic barriers to educational opportunity, but will also actively dismantle efforts to ensure that physician workforce diversity reflects the diversity of the communities that we seek to serve.
We call on our members to catalyze our collective voice in holding our institutions accountable to creating and maintaining safe inclusive educational environments that promote and celebrate diversity. Now is the time to rise up and make our voices heard. You are powerful, your voice is powerful. Send an email to your college administration, urging them to reaffirm their commitment to diversity in the admissions process. Let them know that you expect and demand an inclusive educational environment! Email your state legislators, urge them to enact legislation that promotes and celebrates diversity. This is your call to action, demand accountability and drive the conversation towards progress.
To learn more about our work, join AMSA.
References:
- Marcella Alsan et al., Does Diversity Matter for Health? Experimental Evidence from Oakland, 109 Am. Econ. Rev. 4071, 4074-75 (2019)
- U.S. Dep’t of Health & Human Servs., Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, 2021 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, at ES-2 (2021) (https://tinyurl.com/3ek4zbay)
- McFarling, U. L. (2023, June 29). Supreme Court strikes down use of affirmative action, a blow to efforts to diversify medical schools. STAT. https://www.statnews.com/2023/06/29/supreme-court-strikes-down-use-of-affirmative-action-a-blow-to-efforts-to-diversify-medical-schools/
