In response to the recent Supreme Court decision outlawing race as a factor in college admissions, former Vice President Mike Pence said on Sunday that racial inequities no longer exist in America’s school system.
"I really don't believe there is" racial inequity in America's education system, former VP @Mike_Pence says.
"There may have been a time when affirmative action was necessary…but I think that time has passed," he says. "We'll continue to move forward as a colorblind society." pic.twitter.com/hvEMWBCvEd
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) July 2, 2023
Pence shared his perspective during an interview with “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan, where they discussed the Supreme Court’s decision and the purpose of affirmative action.
When asked about the Supreme Court’s ruling and whether he believed racial inequity persisted in the education system, the GOP presidential candidate responded, “I really don’t believe there is. I believe there was.”
He went on to explain that while affirmative action may have been necessary in the past to open doors for students of all races, he believes that is no longer the case.
“There may have been a time when affirmative action was necessary simply to open the doors of all of our schools and universities, but I think that time has passed,” he stated.
The Supreme Court recently ruled, by a 6-3 decision, that race-based affirmative action violated the equal protection guarantees of the 14th Amendment. This decision stemmed from a case involving Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where admission practices were deemed to be in violation of the Constitution.
Contrary to the claims by those on the left, Pence dismissed the idea that the end of race-based affirmative action would result in a return to the predominantly White campuses from the 19th and early 20th centuries, emphasizing that America can progress as a colorblind society, where individuals are judged on the content of their character and their academic achievements.
Pointing out that minority students have excelled in the educational foundation created in America, Pence, who described affirmative action as a “temporary solution,” stated that he is confident that the doors of opportunity will remain open to them.
“I really do believe that we can move forward as a country and embrace the notion that we’re all going to be judged not on the color of our skin, but on the content of our character, and in this case, on our GPA,” he went on to say.
Pence’s perspective aligns with the conservative majority on the Supreme Court, who argued that race should not be a factor for admissions in higher institutions. The ruling affirms the belief that equal protection under the law should apply to all individuals, regardless of their race or ethnicity.
