NAACP Calls On Colleges And Universities To Sign Diversity Pledge

The NAACP has issued a call for colleges and universities to sign on to a “Diversity No Matter What” pledge. The campaign is a response to the recent Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard University and Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. University of North Carolina, essentially ending the practice of race-conscious college admissions used at many selective colleges and universities.

According to a July 3 press release from the NAACP, the organization is asking “more than 1,600 U.S. public and private colleges and universities with selective admissions processes” to commit an effort “to ensure that higher education institutions foster environments mirroring the nation’s diversity and increase the representation of historically underrepresented students.”

“Let’s be clear – Black America is in a fight for our lives. The NAACP has been at the forefront of this battle for more than a century and we’re not backing down,” said NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson, in the news release. “It is our hope that our nation’s institutions will stand with us in embracing diversity, no matter what. Regardless, the NAACP will continue to advocate, litigate, and mobilize to ensure that every Black American has access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.”

The “Diversity No Matter What” pledge includes a list of steps the NAACP believes schools can take to advance campus inclusion and diversity and inclusion, including:

• Eliminating racially biased entrance examinations and adopting a holistic approach that considers every aspect of an applicant’s background, achievements, and potential.
• Supporting the matriculation and retention of low-income and first-generation students through outreach programs, scholarships, mentoring, and academic support services.
• Recruiting diverse faculty and staff who can serve as role models and mentors for our students while contributing to our curriculum and research.
• Creating a welcoming, and supportive campus climate that values diversity, stands for equity, and advances inclusion in all aspects of academic and social life.
• Striving towards greater inclusivity by ending the use of legacy admissions which give an advantage to children and family members of institutional alumni or donors.
• Partnering with and supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions, and other Minority Serving Institutions that have deeply rooted race-conscious missions.

“When a college or university commits to our ‘Diversity No Matter What’ pledge, that signifies a huge stride toward future insurance that every student, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or socioeconomic status, has an equal opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive at a higher education institution,” said Dr. Ivory Toldson, NAACP Director of Education Innovation and Research.

The “Diversity No Matter What” pledge can be found here.