The Obamas Weigh In On End of Affirmative Action, Say It Allowed Them to Prove They ‘Belonged’

Barack and Michelle Obama commented on the Supreme Court’s decision to disallow the consideration of race in college admissions decisions, arguing that the policy allowed them the opportunity to “prove we belonged.”

In a brief statement, the former president acknowledged that affirmative action “wasn’t perfect” but nevertheless mourned its end:

Like any policy, affirmative action wasn’t perfect. But it allowed generations of students like Michelle and me to prove we belonged. Now it’s up to all of us to give young people the opportunities they deserve — and help students everywhere benefit from new perspectives.

He then listed a number of “organizations doing important work” that he urged readers to support.

His wife’s statement was lengthier and more pointed. In it, Obama argued that “there’s no doubt that it [affirmative action] helped offer new ladders of opportunity for those who, throughout our history, have too often been denied a chance to show how fast they can climb.” She continued:

Of course, students on my campus and countless others across the country were — and continue to be — granted special consideration for admissions. Some have parents who graduated from the same school. Others have families who can afford coaches to help them run faster or hit a ball harder. Others go to high schools with lavish resources for tutors and extensive standardized test prep that help them score higher on college entrance exams. We don’t usually question if those students belong. So often, we just accept that money, power, and privilege are perfectly justifiable forms of affirmative action, while kids growing up like I did are expected to compete when the ground is anything but level.

So today, my heart breaks for any young person out there who’s wondering what their future holds.

I wanted to share some of my thoughts on today’s Supreme Court decision on affirmative action: pic.twitter.com/Wa6TGafzHV

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) June 29, 2023

Obama went on to, like her husband, list a number of groups “who have long been advocating for this cause.”

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