What do these recent Supreme Court rulings mean?

The Supreme Court started on March 4, 1789, and since its inception, rulings made by this governing body help define and categorize the laws of the land.

From the beginning, the Supreme Court has been responsible for a number of controversial decisions, and that doesn't seem to be coming to an end anytime soon. During President Donald Trump's reign, he appointed three conservative justices that allow for a 6-3 majority.

Before this week, their most recent controversial ruling came around this time last year with the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Roe v. Wade was responsible for protecting people assigned female at birth when it came to making decisions over their own bodies in terms of pregnancy and termination.

On June 29th, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that colleges and universities can no longer consider race when determining student admissions. As we all know, the United States of America used to be a segregated country, well after the ending of chattel slavery within our borders. Affirmative Action was issued as an executive order by Lyndon B. Johnson on September 24th, 1965. This law prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, and national origin.

In the late 1960s, colleges and universities all around the country began to consider race as a factor when determining admissions. Though Black Americans founded their own universities, known as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), these practices allowed more students of color to attend universities they were historically excluded from (Predominantly White Institutions or PWIs).

This recent ruling is upsetting to many in terms of equity in higher education in the United States of America. The opinion, delivered by Chief Justice John Roberts, states that such practices violate the Equal Protection Clause. However, it's notable to acknowledge that Legacy students at top universities are given special consideration determined by their parental/familial connections with the school.

Additionally, students of color are not being accepted to top universities solely based on their race. In order to attend these prestigious institutions, potential students, regardless of race, must maintain the required GPA, reach the ideal standardized test scores, and participate in additional extracurriculars/volunteer work.

On June 30th, the Supreme Court made two additional rulings that have many people reeling. It seems, based on reactions, many citizens no longer trust the integrity and morality of this centuries-old institution.

Firstly, the Biden Administration's Student Loan Forgiveness Program has been blocked. In August of 2021, Biden signed an executive order for the forgiveness of $10,000 in federal student loans for people making less than $150,000 a year. An additional $10,000 was awarded to people who are the most financially vulnerable, students who received Pells Grants.

The order has been held up by courts for months, until the decision today to strike it completely. This strikes a nerve for many economically disadvantaged working-class citizens holding onto seemingly impossible-to-pay-off student loans. For years many people were told attending college was the way to advance, but the high-interest rates these loans have are leaving people behind. It's a hard thing to watch considering how many fraudulent PPP loans were forgiven in the aftermath of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

The other ruling today that has people worried is something many saw coming incrementally after the overturning of Roe. Roe was long considered to be protected under the Right to Privacy before that right was completely stripped away by the SCOTUS decision last June. Another law protected under the Right to Privacy includes the ability for same-sex couples to marry.

The decision today was in favor of a Christian web-designers right to deny service based on sexuality, which is concerning for LGBTQ+ Americans throughout the country. The lines are blurred when it comes to which businesses will actually be able to discriminate against American citizens based on something they have no control over; their gender expression and sexual orientation. It seems like one step in an extreme direction that could lead to the overthrowing of Obergefell v. Hodges. A decision that was only recently made in 2015, which allows same-sex couples the right to join in legal union anywhere in the United States.

How are you feeling about the recent court decisions? Feel free to open up a conversation in the comments. Thank you for reading!