PSO Advocacy Check-In Special Edition
Forum and ABFE Joint Briefing on SCOTUS Affirmative Action Cases
On Thursday, June 29, 2023, United Philanthropy Forum and ABFE joined together to host a PSO Advocacy Check-In: Special Edition Briefing on the recent Supreme Court cases regarding affirmative action.
The event was held as a place for PSO and foundation staff and leaders to gather and learn specifics about the Court’s decision, what it may mean for philanthropy, and how philanthropy can work together in the aftermath of the decision and be proactive on racial equity.
Attenedees were briefed about the importance of noting that these cases specifically address “race-conscious” college admissions and nothing else. Any suggestions that the decisions will impact other areas, such as employment, government contracting, philanthropic strategy, K-12 schools, or workplace diversity initiatives, are premature and unfounded.
Also, during the briefing, ABFE outlined a collective strategy, which includes building and maintaining a resource bank that provides tools and strategies for foundations and nonprofits to navigate backlash on racial equity. More on this work will be released from ABFE in the coming weeks.
Recommended Resources - ABFE recently shared the following articles and summaries, written before the Supreme Court released its decision, as additional resources:
- In their three-page paper, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law (LCCRUL), Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ), and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) discuss how the decision address race-conscious college admissions and nothing else; the decision should not prevent students from uplifting their racialized experiences; proponents of a change will likely seek to expand the parameters of whatever decision the Court reaches to support its anti-civil rights agenda; and promoting educational opportunity and racial equity will remain a national imperative that must be preserved and advanced.
- The LCCRUL, AAAJ, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, and the NAACP LDF authored a memo the calls for the obligation to account for past and current inequities due to race, outlines the legal landscape in which the decision is situated, and provides context to interpret the reach and impact of Affirmative Action in higher education.
- Public Equity Group wrote a paper about what the decision could mean for employers' diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work. The paper also lists questions for employers to consider about DEI initiatives and how to protect them.