Harris hails Jackson’s affirmative action dissent: one of ‘most brilliant’ ever

Vice President Harris lauded Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s dissent in the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn college affirmative action admissions, calling it one of the “most brilliant” ever.

Harris slammed the court’s decision on Twitter but was asked Thursday at the Global Black Economic Forum to offer some “hope” looking forward.

“In spite of the fact that a 6-to-3 court just undid affirmative action, that there is probably one of the most brilliant dissents any justice of the United States Supreme Court has ever written, and her name is Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson,” said Harris, a former prosecutor.

The court’s dual decisions overturning admissions practices at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina now effectively prevent colleges from considering race in admission decisions. 

“Today’s Supreme Court decision is a denial of opportunity. It’s not about being colorblind. It’s about being blind to history, blind to empirical evidence about disparities, and blind to the strength that diversity brings to classrooms,” Harris said on Twitter.

The decision has been derided by universities, liberal activists and the Black community, who claim it will create more barriers for people of color to gain access to higher education.

“The best that can be said of the majority’s perspective is that it proceeds (ostrich-like) from the hope that preventing consideration of race will end racism. But if that is its motivation, the majority proceeds in vain,” Jackson’s dissent reads.

“But if that is its motivation, the majority proceeds in vain. If the colleges of this country are required to ignore a thing that matters, it will not just go away. It will take longer for racism to leave us,” she added.

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More on the Supreme Court’s ruling from The Hill

• Supreme Court upends affirmative action in college admissions
• READ: Supreme Court’s affirmative action majority opinion
• Thomas in rare occurrence reads affirmative action opinion from bench
• Five things to know about Supreme Court’s decision to curtail college affirmative action
• Black leaders blast Supreme Court for overturning affirmative action

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Justice Sonia Sotomayor also wrote a biting dissent.

“The Court subverts the constitutional guarantee of equal protection by further entrenching racial inequality in education, the very foundation of our democratic government and pluralistic society,” Sotomayor wrote.

President Biden said Thursday that the decision is one of a number from the Roberts Court that don’t align with the beliefs of the American people. 

“[The court] has done more to unravel basic rights and basic decisions than any Court in recent history,” he said in an MSNBC interview.

“Take a look at how it’s ruled on a number of issues that have been precedent for 50, 60 years sometimes. And that’s what I meant by not normal,” the president added. “Across the board, the vast majority of the American people don’t agree with majority of decisions the court is making.”