AFT’s Weingarten on Fisher v. University of Texas decision

WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold affirmative action in Fisher v. University of Texas:

“The AFT, as the nation’s largest union of faculty and a longtime champion of racial equity, joins with our allies in celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision to affirm what we already know—that affirmative action is one tool among many to level the opportunity playing field and to combat racial segregation and inequity.

“Students—regardless of race or ethnicity—deserve access to a quality higher education. And our colleges and universities are strengthened through diverse student bodies, which provide richer learning environments for all students.

“Affirmative action promotes diversity, but more importantly, it helps level an unjustly tilted playing field. For people of color, massive income inequality and gross disparities in educational opportunity mean that learning and career opportunities too often remain separate and unequal.

“A case like this highlights not only the importance of having Supreme Court justices who value fairness and diversity, but also what’s at stake in the 2016 election.”