The United States Supreme Court’s majority in June tied itself in knots in order to construct a ruling that race-conscious admission programs at two elite universities were unconstitutional and therefore unlawful.
It was a tortured exercise in magical thinking, untethered from the reality of America as it is and will continue to be—a pluralistic and multidimensional country that grows more diverse each year. And it was based, in large part, on a counterfactual presumption that we live in a colorblind society, despite a plethora of evidence to the contrary.
At the Boston Foundation, we will redouble our commitment to our principal goal of advancing equity for all. We remain committed to closing the gaps caused by our region’s greatest disparities. But to do so we must be honest about their very existence and the historical legacies that led to their creation. As Greater Boston’s community foundation, we will continue to reflect and support the rich diversity of our city and region, promote policies and practices that tackle the individual, systemic and root-level causes of inequity, and be a bold voice to unapologetically face challenging issues. This is our promise.
