President Biden criticized the U.S. Supreme Court for its affirmative action ruling, despite having previously been involved in the fight against school desegregation.
The court’s 6-3 decision rejected the use of race as a factor in college admissions, considering it a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
This ruling significantly impacted affirmative action policies at universities like Harvard, which aimed to promote diversity by favoring Black and Hispanic students over Whites and Asian Americans.
Biden, along with other left-wing politicians and activists, strongly condemned the decision, accusing the court of disregarding established precedent.
He highlighted previous cases where the court had affirmed the use of race as one among several factors in admissions.
Biden expressed his strong disagreement with the ruling and described the court as “not a normal court” before leaving the press conference.
Despite his current disapproval of the decision, Biden’s past involvement in opposing school desegregation became a subject of criticism during the 2020 election.
His Democratic opponents, including Vice President Kamala Harris, attacked him for his earlier views. As a Delaware senator, Biden played a prominent role in fighting against the integration of Black and White students.
He sponsored a bill in 1975 that limited the court’s authority to use buses for desegregation, drawing criticism from civil rights activists.
Biden’s opposition to desegregation and his remarks downplaying the persistence of racism were highlighted in news articles and became a topic of contention during the Democratic primary. Kamala Harris referenced her personal experience with busing and accused Biden of working against it. Other candidates, like Cory Booker, also criticized Biden’s ability to address racial issues effectively.
The White House maintains that Biden has spent decades fighting against housing and school segregation, despite the criticism surrounding his past stance on certain aspects of desegregation.
