Michelle Obama Reacts to Supreme Court Affirmative-Action Ruling: "My Heart Breaks"

Echoing the thoughts of millions, Michelle Obama shared her disappointment following the Supreme Court's decision to severely limit the use of affirmative action in college admissions on June 29. The former first lady shared her statement on social media just hours after SCOTUS ruled that colleges and universities cannot take race into consideration when granting admission. The landmark decision overturns a longstanding practice that has benefited people of color, particularly Black and Latinx students, and other students from marginalized communities.

"I wanted to share some of my thoughts on today's Supreme Court decision on affirmative action," she began. "Back in college, I was one of the few Black students on my campus, and I was proud of getting into such a respected school." Obama graduated cum laude from Princeton University in 1985, having studied sociology with a minor in African American studies. In 1988, she also earned her juris doctor degree from Harvard Law School. "I knew I'd worked hard for it," she wrote. "But still, I sometimes wondered if people thought I got there because of affirmative action. It was a shadow that students like me couldn't shake, whether those doubts came from the outside or inside our own minds."

Until June 29, affirmative action was used as a means to contextualize the opportunities and disadvantages faced by college applicants as factors in determining their admission. "But the fact is this: I belonged," Obama wrote. "And semester after semester, decade after decade, for more than half a century, countless students like me showed they belonged, too. It wasn't just the kids of color who benefitted, either. Every student who heard a perspective they might not have encountered, who had an assumption challenged, who had their minds and their hearts opened gained a lot as well. It wasn't perfect, but there's no doubt that it helped offer new ladders of opportunity for those who, throughout our history, have too often been denied a chance to show how fast they can climb."

SCOTUS's decision will undeniably have an immediate and profound impact on students in communities of color, applicants from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, women, and other minority groups. Notably, however, the ruling does not strike down on admission preferences for legacy students, children of donors, children of college employees, or those with special recommendations. This reflects a longstanding precedent that redirects the benefits of affirmative action toward those who are already privileged, often affluent white applicants.

"Of course, students on my campus and countless others across the country were — and continue to be — granted special consideration for admissions," Obama said. "Some have parents who graduated from the same school. Others have families who can afford coaches to help them run faster or hit a ball harder. Others go to high schools with lavish resources for tutors and extensive standardized test prep that help them score higher on college entrance exams. We don't usually question if those students belong. So often, we just accept that money, power, and privilege are perfectly justifiable forms of affirmative action, while kids growing up like I did are expected to compete when the ground is anything but level."

Closing out her statement, Obama shared a powerful call to action. "So today, my heart breaks for any young person out there who's wondering what their future holds — and what kinds of chances will be open to them," she said. "And while I know the strength and grit that lies inside kids who have always had to sweat a little more to climb the same ladders, I hope and I pray that the rest of us are willing to sweat a little, too. Today is a reminder that we've got to do the work not just to enact policies that reflect our values of equity and fairness, but to truly make those values real in all of our schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods."

In response to the Supreme Court's decision to roll back decades of progress, Obama also shared a few helpful resources for those interested in supporting organizations advocating for the cause. See the former first lady's recommendations below.