NAACP calls on colleges to pledge ‘Diversity No Matter What’ following SCOTUS ruling

On July 3rd, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) launched its “Diversity No Matter What” pledge following the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruling against affirmative action in June. 

The NAACP organized the pledge to “ensure that higher education institutions foster environments mirroring the nation’s diversity and increase the representation of historically underrepresented students.” 

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“The NAACP calls on more than 1,600 U.S. public and private colleges and universities with selective admissions processes to commit to the ‘Diversity No Matter What’ pledge following the Supreme Court’s extreme decisions reversing decades of precedent on affirmative action,” the statement reads. 

As stated on its website, the NAACP is a “civil rights and social justice” organization with a mission to “ensure the political, educational, equality of minority group citizens of States and eliminate race prejudice,” and “works to remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes.”

“We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities,” their website states. 

In the release, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson added that “Black America is in a fight for our lives.”

[RELATED: SCOTUS rules against affirmative action in college admissions]

”It is our hope that our nation’s institutions will stand with us in embracing diversity, no matter what,” Johnson stated. “Regardless, the NAACP will continue to advocate, litigate, and mobilize to ensure that every Black American has access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.”

The pledge outlines steps to “create and sustain a culture of inclusion, belonging, and respect for the benefit of all students.” 

The steps include removing “racially biased entrance examinations,” producing a campus that “values diversity, stands for equity, and advances inclusion in all aspects of academic and social life,” closing “the utilization of legacy admissions,” and supporting “Minority Serving Institutions that have deeply rooted race-conscious missions.”

”Protecting diversity within higher education and beyond cannot be about a political party or affiliation,” NAACP Director of Education Innovation and Research Dr. Ivory Toldson said in the release. “This is about our ability to correct the nation’s original sin and level the playing field to maintain and expand our diverse learning environments to propel our society forward towards a brighter future.”

Alongside the release, the NAACP created “Diversity No Matter What” petitions for their “members and leaders” and “college and university administrators.” 

On June 29, SCOTUS ruled against affirmative action in college admissions, ending a 10-year battle between Students for Fair Admissions and defendants Harvard University and UNC Chapel Hill for admissions discrimination based on race, as reported by Campus Reform.

Campus Reform has reached out to all relevant parties for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.