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History tells a story that informs the future. It shapes our understanding, inspires our path forward, and builds our faith in the face of adversity. At the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity, we believe that stories matter. We show that #HistoryCounts when we honor and learn from the experiences of those who've come before us. History helps us to create new opportunities for hope, resilience, and change.
As we prepare to explore "The Path Forward" at the 2023 Color of Education Summit we will use #HistoryCounts moments to ground our work in truth. These moments will highlight significant people and events in history over the next few months. We hope that you will find these moments both informative and inspiring.
Follow the hashtag #HistoryCounts on Twitter to learn more and engage in conversation with others. Secure your spot at Color of Education to join the work to ensure equity, access, and opportunity for every student.
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The Historical Context of Affirmative Action |
Since the Supreme Court's decision in the Grutter v. Bollinger case (2003), higher education institutions in the United States have been legally permitted to consider race when making admissions decisions. As efforts of the Civil Rights Movement were underway in 1965, affirmative action was conceptualized and first implemented to ensure equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. As the efforts of pioneers, educators and champions of school integration such as, Dr. Dudley E. Flood and Dorthy Counts-Scoggins progressed and schools across the US began to fulfill the mandate set forth by the Brown v. Board decision, affirmative action increasingly helped to ensure equal access to higher education opportunities for every student regardless of their identity.
For decades the efforts of activists, coupled with the implementation of policies such as affirmative action ensured equal access and opportunity for students. While the US continued to fall short of achieving true integration in public education, for many years, affirmative action encouraged institutions to create diverse learning environments that were beneficial to all students. On June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court ruled affirmative action unconstitutional, and in many ways undid centuries of progress towards the desegregation and integration of public learning environments.
This decision will undoubtedly impact the future of higher education, especially for students of color. This is true not because students of color are less educated, talented, or capable than their counterparts, but because of the historical context of race relations in the US and the systems of oppression that allow inequities to persist. The negative impacts of the continuous attacks on public education do not only impact targeted populations, but ricochets into the lives of every individual, leaving people to ask "Where do we go from here?"
That is why the 2023 Color of Education Summit is centered around The Path Forward: Co-Creating Equitable Spaces. Public education is under a vicious attack and students need fierce scholars, policymakers, educators, students, community members, business leaders, parents, and advocates like you to join the efforts to protect and support every student. The summit is creating space for individuals and organizations to organize, strategize, and actualize for educational equity.
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Student Perspectives on
Affirmative Action Ruling
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FACEBOOK
Share our event with your friends and family on Facebook. Let them know that you are planning to attend and invite them to join. All are welcome!
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INSTAGRAM
Tune in for pre-summit videos and other relevant updates. Share our posts and stories with your friends and family on Instagram.
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TWITTER
Get ready to use the following hashtags and handles on Twitter to follow this year’s hybrid event @DudleyFloodCtr, @NCForum, #HistoryCounts, #FloodEquity, and #ColorOfEducation on Twitter.
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