For forty years, Girls Inc. of Metro Denver has advocated for equitable access and opportunity for girls, including educational attainment, so that those we serve can know their strength, use their voices, and realize their goals, all while eliminating barriers along the way.
Today’s decision by the Supreme Court of the United States is deeply troubling as it will likely result in the nation’s top colleges enrolling fewer students of color. The majority of Girls Inc. of Metro Denver participants are girls of color and will seek college admission. These young women are well aware that the effects of less-diverse educational environments and inequitable access to educational attainment will resonate beyond college, through the workforce, and their career trajectories, with repercussions for the success of the nation and beyond.
Despite the Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action programs, Girls Inc. of Metro Denver’s mission has not changed. If anything, the principles and values we hold dear and which motivate our work are as true and relevant today as they were when we first opened our doors: we will always stand for more diversity, not less; we will always fight for more opportunities, not fewer; we will always champion the right of girls to have access to educational excellence because that is what they deserve; and, we will always celebrate our girls for using their voices to make change for good—at home, at school, at work, and in their communities.
It is our hope that because of this collective work, inclusion, and equity will someday be the unquestioned foundation of our educational system, meaning no case like this one need ever again come before the Supreme Court.