The Supreme Court has killed off Affirmative Action for most US colleges and universities, issuing joint rulings Thursday in two cases applying to private and public schools, respectively. However, there is one notable exception to the Affirmative Action ruling: military academies.
In the fourth footnote on the decision, the court clarifies that: “The United States as amicus curiae contends that race-based admissions programs further compelling interests at our Nation’s military academies. No military academy is a party to these cases, however, and none of the courts below addressed the propriety of race-based admissions systems in that context. This opinion also does not address the issue, in light of the potentially distinct interests that military academies may present.”
Amicus curiae means “friend of the court,” and is generally an individual/organization that “is not a party to a legal case, but who is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case.” Basically, the United States (and by extension, its military) was allowed to provide ‘insight’ into the case, where they stated that Affirmative Action was an asset to military universities.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson called out the court on this exception, noting in her scathing dissent that “the Court has come to rest on the bottom line conclusion that racial diversity in higher education is only worth potentially preserving insofar as it might need to prepare Black Americans and other minorities for success in the bunker, not the boardroom.”
Justice Sotomayor similarly dissented, noting the hypocrisy in claiming that “the Nation’s military strength and readiness depend on a pipeline of officers who are both highly qualified and racially diverse—and who have been educated in diverse environments that prepare them to lead increasingly diverse forces,” when that statement equally applies to civilians universities.
This is incredibly shady in practice and in its timing, as US military recruitment is at a record low, meaning the government will be putting pressure on young people now more than ever. The US Military has already faced controversy over putting ROTC and military recruiters in schools with majority black and minority student populations.
I also need to remind people that the United States and Somalia were the only two countries that didn’t sign the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child, which included a section on not recruiting minors into the military. Other countries don’t market their military to literal teenagers and when they do, we call them out for using child soldiers. Funny how that works.
In any case, the effect of this change is a step backward for minority students in America, many of whom are already burdened with a disproportionate amount of the country’s student debt, which the Supreme Court will also be making a ruling on soon.
If you are deep in student debt and want to look into “pay as you earn” or “income-contingent” plans, I highly suggest taking a look at the Fed Pro Student Loan website and seeing what they can do for you. You can get your student debt forgiven in 20 years without having to risk your life and health in the military.
(featured image: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
