WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is deeply disappointed in this week's Supreme Court decisions that, following the trend set with last year's Dobbs decision, continue to systematically dismantle the rights, opportunities, and protections afforded to Americans across the country. Those include women, members of the LGBTQIA2S+ communities, racial, religious, and ethnic minority communities, and economically disadvantaged populations.
NASW is committed to advancing social justice initiatives and public policy priorities that advance equity, equality, and inclusion for all Americans and urges social workers to join with us as we actively and vigorously oppose all efforts to restrict access to these fundamental human rights. You can learn more about our social justice priorities, including
NASW's 2021 Blueprint of Federal Social Policy Priorities.
As for the issue of Affirmative Action, NASW, and 37 other organizations, joined an amicus brief led by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) in the case of
Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard College and University of North Carolina, Nos. 20-1199 & 21-707.
The brief was filed in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Harvard and University of North Carolina (UNC) (Respondents) and their affirmative action policies to defend their interest in maintaining a diverse student body and ensuring that past discrimination and exclusion do not perpetuate ongoing exclusion.
Our brief highlights the ways that affirmative action policies are necessary for addressing race and sex discrimination based on stereotypes – and the effects of historic and current discrimination that uniquely harm women of color.
The brief also highlights how women of color continue to remain underrepresented in higher education and across various fields. This focus on women of color is particularly important here because of the intersecting ways that racism and sexism create harms, and the specific stereotypes tied to combined racial and sexual identities.
By highlighting how vital it is for universities to combat these biases through affirmative action policies, we hoped to convince the Court not to overrule or otherwise narrow decades of precedent upholding such policies.
We are disappointed that this wasn’t the case.
Lastly, NASW is a member of the
United for Democracy campaign, which seeks to rein in the Supreme Court and put power back in the hands of citizens. To get involved, you can sign up for their listerserv and contact Congress: