(Charlotte, N.C.) – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law presented opening statements today in SFFA v. UNC, a federal lawsuit challenging the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s limited consideration of race in admissions to promote diversity. The national Lawyers’ Committee, along with co-counsel the North Carolina Justice Center and Relman Colfax PLLC, represent a diverse group of prospective, current and former Black and Latinx students at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, who have been granted intervention.
The following are statements from experts at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:
Kristen Clarke, president and executive director: “Activist Ed Blum is waging an all-out assault on racial diversity efforts at our nation’s colleges and universities, and we will continue to vigorously oppose his campaign. The Supreme Court’s precedent is clear – race-conscious admissions is both lawful and critical for promoting diversity, which enriches the educational environment for all students and better prepares the next generation of leaders to work, live, and thrive in our increasingly multi-ethnic society. Racial diversity bridges divides, enlivens classroom dialogue, breaks down stereotypes, and reduces isolation for students of color on campus. Race-conscious policies also better ensure highly-qualified students from all walks of life have a fair shot in a system that otherwise stacks the deck against families of color and lower-income communities.”
David Hinojosa, director of the Educational Opportunities Project: “We look forward to presenting powerful testimony and evidence from an incredibly talented, diverse cadre of UNC students and alumni. Our clients and countless other civil rights groups have fought for an awfully long time to create greater diversity and inclusion at UNC, and work still remains. They will not allow Blum to turn back the clock and are eager to take the stand to share their inspiring stories.”
Background:
In 2014, the anti-affirmative action group, Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) – backed by Ed Blum, a longtime opponent of civil rights programs – filed a lawsuit seeking to prohibit “any use of race or ethnicity in the educational setting,” including admissions, and overturn more than 40 years of supreme court precedent. The national Lawyers’ Committee will discuss how UNC’s recent history of segregation and discrimination has present-day effects that continue to impact the access and educational opportunity of UNC – Chapel Hill for marginalized students of color.
The trial will be held from Nov. 9-20, and the national Lawyers’ Committee will present expert reports and witness testimony demonstrating how the benefits of racial diversity are positively impacting the learning environment at UNC by reducing tokenism, increasing cross-racial understanding, breaking down stereotypes and developing the next generation of North Carolina’s leaders who can both serve and reflect our increasingly diverse society. Students and alumni will also underscore that much more progress is needed at UNC, where students of color continue to feel isolated on campus due to their low numbers and the pervasive presence of racially hostile comments and artifacts commemorating North Carolina’s confederate legacy that lives on today.
The Court’s 2019 Order and Opinion denying cross-motions for summary judgment is available here. The UNC Student-Intervenors’ brief in opposition to SFFA’s Motion for Summary Judgment is available here, with associated exhibits here. These cases are also unfolding as the Trump administration has also taken aim at race-conscious admissions efforts with a recent suit filed against Yale University and pending investigation involving Princeton University.
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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of voting rights, criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and hate crimes. For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommittee.org.
