RICHMOND, VA – Today, the conservative justices on the Supreme Court of the United States issued a 6-3 majority opinion, striking down affirmative action at U.S. colleges.

Following the announcement of the court’s decision, Senator L. Louise Lucas, Vice Chair of Outreach for the Democratic Party of Virginia, issued the following statement:

“I have personally lived the legacy of racial discrimination in Virginia, when public schools in Hampton Roads were shut down during Massive Resistance. Generations of students just like me have been systematically excluded from Virginia’s academic institutions.

Affirmative action was far from a complete solution to redress centuries of slavery, Jim Crow, and racial discrimination in America. But for decades, it was a powerful tool to ensure that all students had an equal opportunity to learn and to demonstrate their capabilities.

Discrimination still exists in our commonwealth – and black students know firsthand that the playing field is far from level. Today, the conservative-controlled Supreme Court has decided to make it even more difficult for black students to gain access to Virginia’s outstanding colleges and universities.

Shame on this court for failing Virginia’s students and shame on this court for extending the legacy of our country’s racial injustices.”

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