Teacher: Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action could detrimental as well as beneficial
Dennis Richmond, Jr. says SCOTUS ruling could prompt schools to deny admission to certain groups, but more funding could also go to historically Black colleges and universities.
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A teacher who helps students learn about historically Black colleges and universities says the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action could be detrimental in some areas but help in others.
Dennis Richmond, Jr. is the founder of the New York-New Jersey HBCU Initiative. He is also a graduate of HBCU. He has helped over 1,000 students learn about these historic institutions since the program's launch.
"For that to now be rolled back, it's without a doubt, that there are going to be institutions of higher learning, as well as businesses now that are going to feel as if they have a right to be able to tell certain groups of people that they won't be able to do certain things," Richmond said.
"It's imperative to students across New York know about HBCUs because these are schools that not only don't exist in the tri-state area, but schools that often have misnomers about them," Richmond added.
He also thinks the new Supreme Court ruling could make HBCUs more attractive to students of color, which will prompt the need for more funding for them.
"It's without a doubt in my mind there's going to be a lot more funding going to historically Black colleges and universities because, just like during the 1960s, when JFK first used the term affirmative action and these schools were very well funded, if we are going back in time, then it's only natural that that's going to happen as well," he added.
He said students who enroll in these schools could join the ranks of some pretty famous alumni.
"Martin Luther King Jr., Taraji P. Henson, Samuel L. Jackson have all attended these schools, not to mention, they create scholars. When you attend these institutions, you become not only a part of a legacy, but you create history as well and change across your community, and that's what we need in 2023," Richmond said.
Richmond adds that students of color should continue applying to any and all schools of their dream. He said that they should not be deterred, despite the ruling.
