Here’s what critics of the Supreme Court’s decision about race-conscious admissions at colleges are saying

The Supreme Court on Thursday overturned more than 40 years of policy at many of the nation’s college campuses by making it illegal to use race alone as a factor in admissions.

» READ MORE: Supreme Court has ruled to end race-based admissions in colleges. This is what Philly-area schools are saying.

Here’s what leaders are saying about the decision:

“Today the Supreme Court has bowed to the personally held beliefs of an extremist minority. We will not allow hate-inspired people in power to turn back the clock and undermine our hard-won victories. The tricks of America’s dark past will not be tolerated. Let me be clear — affirmative action exists because we cannot rely on colleges, universities, and employers to enact admissions and hiring practices that embrace diversity, equity and inclusion. Race plays an undeniable role in shaping the identities of and quality of life for Black Americans. In a society still scarred by the wounds of racial disparities, the Supreme Court has displayed a willful ignorance of our reality.”

— Derrick Johnson, NAACP president and CEO

“This is a dark day in America. Affirmative action has been a beacon of hope for generations of Black students. It stood as a powerful force against the insidious poison of racism and sexism, aiming to level the playing field and provide a fair shot at a high-quality education for all. Students across the country are wide awake to the clear and present danger encroaching on their classrooms.”

— Wisdom Cole, NAACP national director of youth & college division

“The Supreme Court just stuck a dagger in the back of Black America. Affirmative action was a commonly embraced policy because it served as a check on an admission process that was rife with racism, nepotism, and favoritism for generations. The reality is race plays a factor in admissions, from pre-K to post-doctorate, and institutions just saw their best tool for fairness outlawed. Let’s not forget this wasn’t a decision supported by higher education institutions. It was pushed by a small group committed to peeling away our civil rights, who want Black and brown faces out of their ivory towers. It’s why you saw so many colleges and universities batten down the hatches and come up with contingency plans when it became clear affirmative action would end.”

— The Rev. Al Sharpton, president and founder of the National Action Network (NAN)

“Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to prohibit the use of race as a factor in college admissions constitutes a major setback for higher education and for our democracy. It greatly complicates the efforts of colleges and universities to design holistic admissions policies that advance their distinctive missions and to create educational environments and experiences that produce the learning outcomes they seek for their students.”

— The American Association of Colleges and Universities

“A year after the Dobb’s ruling rescinded a woman’s right to an abortion, SCOTUS — an unelected and unaccountable body — again reversed a longtime precedent that may negatively impact millions of Americans. Today’s ruling ending the use of affirmative action in higher education admissions hurts all students but is especially detrimental to Black and brown students who are already underrepresented on many college campuses. This is incredibly disappointing at a time when we need to be doing more to foster diversity and inclusion, not less. In Pennsylvania, we’ll continue to fight for equitable educational opportunities for every student.”

— Pa. State Rep. Joanna McClinton, speaker of the House, (D., Philadelphia)

“Today, the Supreme Court put our nation in reverse by ending affirmative action in college admissions. For a nation that has repeatedly rejected comprehensive reparations for Black Americans, affirmative action has been a narrow remedy to the oppression of 200 years of enslavement, 100 years of Jim Crow terror and segregation, and continued systemic racial discrimination. The Court’s decision makes way for new 21st century segregation. Now college admission officers and recruiters are told to put back on the same blinders that prevented them from seeing Black talent for centuries.”

— Pa. State Sen. Art Haywood (D., Montgomery)

“I condemn this decision as a legislator, as a person of color and as a member of the Black Legislative Caucus. And, I want to say this very pointedly because this decision attempted to divide people of color, as an Asian American, I condemn this decision.”

— State Sen. Nikil Saval, vice chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Asian Pacific American Caucus

“I am deeply disappointed in today’s U.S. Supreme Court’s decision finding affirmative action in university admissions unconstitutional, putting an end to an important tool in diversifying college campuses across the United States that has stood for decades. This is especially true of our Ivy Leagues. Disparities are real. Systemic barriers are real. To turn a blind eye to the inequalities we see every day — including equal access to post-secondary and higher education — is irresponsible and is a further erosion of our constitutional principles of equity. Generations of people of color, including my own father, John Street, benefitted from affirmative action and have consequently achieved great success. Society works better when it is diverse, and all have an opportunity to succeed. The Supreme Court has historically helped to ensure diversity at our institutions of higher learning. Today we’ve taken a significant step backwards.”

— State Sen. Sharif Street, (D., Philadelphia)

“Make no mistake: Today’s draconian ruling by the Supreme Court is a catastrophic decision that will have dire outcomes for millions of Americans for decades to come. This decision ignores the original sin of this country — it’s a throwback to a cruel, racist past that admissions policies like this tried to repair. This decision doesn’t simply end affirmative action, it has huge consequences for public life far beyond higher education. Ignoring the facts before them, the majority pretends that both discrimination and the effects of discrimination simply do not exist and do not need to be tackled.”

— Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers

“Today the Supreme Court upended the basic concept that diversity is our strength as a country. Institutions of higher education are places where people of all backgrounds come to learn more about themselves and the world around them. Today’s action tries to erase the very simple fact that historical racism exists in this country. It’s a cowardly decision that will have negative impacts for years to come.”

— U.S. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania

“While today’s ruling will substantially alter admissions practices at many institutions, public universities’ mission to provide access to an affordable, high-quality education for all remains unchanged. Talent is spread across all zip codes, but opportunity is not. Far too often, access to high-performing schools and resources that best prepare students for college access and success have been out of reach for students from underrepresented communities, low-income households, and those in families where no one has previously attended college. Public universities are committed to drawing on — and developing — talent in all our communities to educate the workforce America needs today and for decades to come.”

— Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities

“The Supreme Court’s decision today does not change the responsibility of colleges and universities to increase educational opportunities for students of color. Colleges have long touted diversity as imperative to creating enriching educational environments for all students — our institutions of higher education must double down on that commitment and advance policies that ensure every student gets a fair shot. In fact, colleges can still consider race in alternative ways and students can continue to discuss race and how it has shaped their character or unique abilities in the college admissions process. Our nation’s future as a thriving multiracial democracy depends on students having the freedom and opportunity to learn, work together, and understand what unites us.”

— ReNika Moore, director of the ACLU’s racial justice program

“Fifty years since the passage of civil rights legislation has not been nearly enough to address or correct more than 350 years of discriminatory practices intended to keep people of color away from higher education institutions or, starting in the 19th century, severely limit their prospects of increasing their educational attainment. Today’s decision will have negative consequences for all Americans and diminish our society’s economic and social development. The civil rights movement inspired the development of this life-altering policy that has supported all students since the late 1960s. We must not lose the important ground that has been gained. We must not revert to an inequitable society.”

— Mildred García, president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities

“The Supreme Court’s decision is profoundly damaging and continues to demonstrate that it is out-of-step with the American public and is operating well outside of the judicial mainstream. The court’s decisions continue to have incredibly harmful effects on millions of people across the country — well captured by the powerful words of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson: ‘With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life. And having so detached itself from this country’s actual past and present experiences, the Court has now been lured into interfering with the crucial work that UNC and other institutions of higher learning are doing to solve America’s real-world problems.’”

— U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware

“The Supreme Court’s decision disregards the systemic barriers that persist and perpetuate inequality in our society. By dismantling affirmative action, it sends a damaging message that the struggles faced by marginalized communities can simply be overlooked and ignored. This decision undermines the principles of fairness and equal opportunity that our nation should strive to uphold. By striking down affirmative action, the Supreme Court threatens to perpetuate cycles of discrimination and hinder progress towards a truly equitable society. It undermines efforts to bridge the gap between different socio-economic backgrounds, promotes exclusion rather than inclusion, and weakens our collective ability to confront systemic injustices.”

— The Pennsylvania Legislative Latino Caucus