Litigants from Harvard University and University of North Carolina (UNC) successfully challenged their schools’ affirmative action admission policies because they violated the equal protection clause under the 14th Amendment.
The United States Supreme Court’s (SCOTUS) decision to end affirmative action in college admission has reduced the number of Black students entering the nation’s most elite colleges and universities.
Previously, many institutions of higher learning could use race as one of the factors in admission to achieve diversity in the classroom.
“Their decision moved the nation backward…and upended decades of precedent that allowed America’s colleges and universities to build…diverse environments,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
The Grio reported that Black student enrollment at MIT declined eight percent.
Last year, Black students at MIT made up 13 percent of the total student enrollment.
This school year, Black students make up only five percent of MIT students.
Black student enrollment at Amherst College declined to three percent of the total student body.
Last school year, Black students made up 11 percent of the Amherst student body.
Gerren Keith Gaynor of The Grio reported, “The sharp declines are not positive signs following the controversial SCOTUS ruling that alarmed students of color, civil rights groups and education advocates. The nation’s highest court ruled in favor of litigants who argued that Harvard and UNC’s affirmative action programs violated the equal protection under the law clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
“Last summer, the Biden administration urged colleges and universities to find alternative ways to foster diversity on campuses. The Department of Education issued guidance and resources on ways institutions can ensure they still ‘reflect the beautiful diversity of our country.’”
Jean-Pierre said, “We know that talent exists in all communities. It’s clear more work remains to be done and we’ll continue calling on schools to build pathways for upward…mobility and success. This is something that is incredibly important.”
However, President Joe Biden’s press secretary added that his administration has made “historic investments” in Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Jean-Pierre said that the Biden administration has given over $16 billion to HBCUs.
Several HBCUs have seen an increase in student enrollment.
Some have even seen record enrollment.
“We are expecting a class of about 1,200 new students,” said Angela Nixon Boyd, assistant vice president of enrollment and dean of admission at Hampton University. “And so, we are very excited about that. Our undergraduate population is about 3,600. Our overall population is probably nearing 4,000 this year.”
Boyd said many Black students are seeking a school where they feel represented and appreciated.
She added, “I think that many students recognize that this (affirmative action) ruling impacted them personally. And so, they, again, want to be in an environment where they feel welcomed, feel safe, and that they feel that they will have an opportunity for success.”
Fayetteville State University enrolled a record number of students for the third consecutive school year.
The HBCU now has over 7,000 students enrolled.
“We have been marketing and recruiting in a way that explains to our prospects that we have to offer—whether it’s through degree programs, support through our students’ success opportunities, as well opportunities for free summer school or free laptops,” said Pamela Baldwin, Fayetteville State’s associate vice chancellor for student and enrollment management.
Dantee Ramos of Blavity wrote, “According to WAVY, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center said HBCU enrollment rose 4% this fall.”
Bethune-Cookman University reported a 24.13 percent increase between fall 2023 and fall 2024.
This fall, Bethune-Cookman enrollment reached 3,123 students.
Last fall, enrollment sat at 2,516 students.
Bethune-Cookman’s acting President William Berry said, “This year’s enrollment growth is a testament to the quality of our academic programs and the dedication and collaboration of our faculty and staff. We look forward to an outstanding academic year.”
Furthermore, many Black and Hispanic students at predominantly White institutions in Texas feel a little less welcome after their universities began ending diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs because of changes in the law.
In March, many students at the University of Texas in Austin said that cultural programs on campus have found it difficult to stay afloat as administrators and faculty struggle to make sense of changing laws (SB17) regarding DEI programs.
On March 28, Nicquel Terry Ellis of CNN reported, “As a first-generation college student, Andrea Morquecho was looking forward to walking in the Latinx graduation ceremony at the University of Texas at Austin this spring.
“Morquecho said she has family members travelling from Mexico who would have appreciated the ceremony because it’s delivered in both Spanish and English.
“She was excited to mark the end of her undergraduate career with a celebration of her Hispanic culture on campus.
“But the future of the event, along with other cultural graduations, is now uncertain after the university pulled back its funding in its effort to comply with a law banning diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in higher education that went into effect in Texas in January.”
Morquecho said, “I’m very disappointed. I was looking forward to walking across the stage and hearing my name said in the (Spanish) language that it’s meant to be said in.”
CNN’s Ellis reported, “UT Austin’s implementation of the Texas law has left several cultural and identity groups on campus scrambling to find funding for special events, meetings and conferences previously sponsored by the school, students and faculty members told CNN.”
As far as HBCUs are concerned, the rise in enrollment mirrors the rise that occurred after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the subsequent Black Lives Matters protests around the world.
Many Black high school students chose to go to schools that celebrated their diversity as opposed to those that did not.
