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State rep decries end of affirmative action in admissions

By Aubrey Wright

Posted July 12, 2023

Indiana Black Legislative Caucus Chair Rep. Earl Harris (D-East Chicago) said this year's town halls will focus in part on property taxes.

Rep. Earl Harris, Jr. (D- East Chicago) is chair of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus. (Lauren Chapman / IPB News)

Almost two weeks after the overturning of affirmative action and the end of race-conscious college admissions, Rep. Earl Harris, Jr. (D- East Chicago) said it’s too soon to feel the full impact of the Supreme Court decision.

Chair of Indiana’s Black Legislative Caucus, Harris issued a statement June 29, claiming the decision sets America back 45 years. Harris said though he fears decreases in college attendance, he and his caucus are “hoping for the best” and still working to create diverse classrooms in Indiana.

“It is a loss of progress, but that doesn’t mean it has to be the end,” Harris said.

In his statement, Harris said he feared the risk of “huge decreases of African American and minority students” in college, which will have long-lasting, generational impact.

Harris said he sees education as “the great equalizer.” With an education, he said Black and brown people can advance in almost every aspect of their lives, and progress was being made in America as more people earned a college degree.

If today’s generation can’t get to college, then it will be even harder for their children, he said.

“It's just going to eliminate the opportunity for a lot of Black and brown people who otherwise would have the opportunity to pursue education post high school,” Harris said.

Before the ruling, nine states already outlawed admission policies such as affirmative action, according to The New York Times. Some of those schools saw a drop in attendance by Black students after banning race-conscious admissions. Harris said he fears the same will happen around the U.S. now.

Increasing the number of college graduates in Indiana has been an issue as the state’s college-going rate falls behind the nation. In 2022, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education reported the amount of Black students, who already attended college at the lowest rate, decreased the most during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hispanic and Latino students had the second-lowest college attendance.

Harris said legislators need to do what they can to get kids into college, and increasing diversity in higher education is crucial.

“We, the members of IBLC, will continue to push and work to provide those opportunities for diverse classrooms,” Harris said. “It's vital for universities. It's vital for us as a society to have diversity in classrooms to have those opportunities for those voices to be heard.”

Harris said there’s still plenty of opportunity and support for prospective college students.

“I encourage people to please stay engaged, stay in the process,” Harris said. “Stay involved, and don't give up on your dreams have a higher education.”

Aubrey is our higher education reporter and a Report For America corps member. Contact her at aubmwrig@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @aubreymwright. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.