Dear Pomona College Community,
The U.S. Supreme Court today reversed decades of precedent with a ruling that ends race-conscious college and university admissions. This decision overturns several generations of policy, and lifetimes of effort, aimed at supporting the ongoing struggle against racism in this country by increasing opportunity. But the struggle to end racism and promote opportunity is not one I am prepared to cede, even as the tactics colleges use must now change.
Pomona College will adhere to this latest court ruling surrounding affirmative action; we also remain committed to our values of diversity, equity and inclusion. To any prospective students or families discouraged by today’s decision, I want to be clear: Pomona College will continue to seek applicants from all backgrounds. We will continue to strive for a student population that meaningfully reflects our nation’s democratic strengths and values. Remember, this is a nation which has long sought to reinvent itself to honor the radical ideals of equality enshrined in our constitution.
I have long been vocal in my view that affirmative action plays a crucial role in enabling American colleges and universities to be among the best in the world.
A diverse student body creates a campus where students—some for the first time in their lives—have a chance to see the world through different eyes.
This diversity broadens approaches to problem-solving and helps students see possible solutions through many lenses. It increases capacity for leadership by allowing students to understand and work alongside others in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. It increases empathy in a world where empathy is too often in short supply.
And in providing access to talented students from all backgrounds, we stay true to who we are at Pomona College, bearing in trust our added riches for all.
Affirmative action served as an important tool to reach this diversity. However, while affirmative action helped many people win individual victories in the struggle against racism, it has never been anything close to the whole fight.
I said at our Commencement this year that the test of humanity is how we wrestle with what we have done, so that what we will do brings us closer to the ideals of justice we espouse. The late civil rights attorney John Payton ’73 put it well in a speech dedicating Pomona’s Draper Center for Community Partnerships more than a decade ago:
“When you look back on history you can be misled into thinking that progress was inevitable,” Payton said. “That view is not only incorrect, it is dangerous. It leads some to think that they have no responsibility in the quest for progress.”
We will move forward on that quest at Pomona.
I note now that the test of a democratic society is how we work within the law to attain the justice we seek. It is time to focus on what we in higher education will do to ensure that racism does not continue to constrain educational opportunity.
This means recruiting excellent students from all walks of life; it means outreach without fear or favor across this country and around the globe. It takes the engagement of alumni and families to share our commitment and spread the word. It takes a campus committed to full inclusion in our classrooms, on our teams, in our studios and theatres, in our residences and in all that we do.
I look forward to working side by side with you as we continue to be the best we can be, and to stand united for the values we hold dear.
With best wishes,
Gabi