ATLANTA — Reactions are pouring in after the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision against affirmative action programs. The high court struck down the consideration of race in college admissions with a 6 to 3 decision. The ruling means that any school using race as an admission factor will have to stop immediately.
Those for the decision said admission should be based on merit and race should not be a factor at all. In the Peach State, the University System of Georgia said in its 26 institutions across the state-- race or ethnicity is not a determining factor in its admissions.
Shelley Wynter, host of The Shelley Wynter Show, is among those praising the court’s decision.
"Don't pick the Black kid, simply because he's Black. Pick him because he's going to be a great addition to your university,” Wynter said. "What's going to happen to the kid… the same African American kid, who has the same grades, experiences, and extracurricular activities as the Asian kid, or white kid. Well, what's going to happen is that they are going to compete like they would in the real world."
Those against the Supreme Court's decision, including NAACP Atlanta President Richard Rose, said the decision doesn't acknowledge the years of racial discrimination endured by and still impacting people of color.
“What it does is deny racial discrimination upon which this country was founded," Rose said. “To exclude the race as a consideration because of the circumstances associated with race… contradicts the reality of America."
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens was also among those opposing the decision. In a statement posted to Twitter, the mayor said the decision will have “disastrous effects on families of color who are already grappling with upward economic mobility.”
RELATED: Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action, bans consideration of race in college admissions
An April 2023 NBC News poll showed increasing support for affirmative action programs over the last 10 years. In 2023, 37% of those surveyed were in support of the program. That’s up from 29% of people who said they supported affirmative action programs in 2013.
Among Black Americans surveyed, while overall there is majority support for Affirmative Action programs, there was a slight decrease in support with 68% in 2023 compared to 71% supporting the programs in 2013.
Now, some are asking if a focus on socioeconomic considerations over race will provide equal opportunities.
“I think, if you are going to look at admissions in college, socioeconomic status has to be more of a play than race. We have millions and millions of professional and great African American achievers who are now raising families… those kids are not disadvantaged,” Wynter said. “What about the white kid that comes from a single mother... 'Are they disadvantaged or because of their race are they going to get in?'”
Rose countered this argument by saying not including race in admissions considerations, regardless of socioeconomic status, will ultimately hurt lower-class applicants.
“To say race should never be a factor because some people have escaped the bounds of racial discrimination and have been able to achieve does not make it level at all,” Rose said. “That doesn’t help children who live in public housing in Atlanta, or even in middle and lower class neighborhoods to achieve the same educational opportunities."
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll in May of 2023 found 63% of people surveyed said the Supreme Court should not block colleges from considering race or ethnicity in college admissions. However, 68% surveyed also said race should not be a significant factor in admissions decisions.