EdLoC Reflections as New Supreme Court Term Begins

This week marks the start of the Supreme Court’s new term and the historic beginning of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s tenure as the first-ever Black woman to hold a seat on the Court.

As an organization dedicated to ensuring that young people of color have the support they need to thrive, capitalize on opportunities, and build generational wealth, Justice Jackson’s presence on the Court gives us hope in the possibilities our work can foster. At the same time, we remain appalled by this Supreme Court’s attack on basic protections our constitution has promised to all, and deeply concerned about the Court’s intentions to further stymie the success of our communities given the cases it has decided to take up this Fall.

At EdLoC, we believe it is imperative to recognize the complexity of the challenges facing our children and families, so that we can advance multiple strategies and innovations that ensure continuing economic advancement for low-income and underrepresented children and their families.

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which removes the constitutional right to abortion that has been upheld for nearly half a century, not only infringes upon the bodily autonomy of child-bearing people, but also disproportionately puts the lives and welfare of people of color at risk.

The Supreme Court’s decision to expand gun rights during a year in which the United States has already had over 250 mass shootings – 27 of which were at schools – is a cruel choice to imperil the physical safety and mental wellbeing of children, their educators, and their families.

The Supreme Court’s decision to limit the ability to enforce Miranda Rights strips citizens of their right to sue a police officer for damages if they are not warned of their right to remain silent, despite significant evidence raising doubt about the transparency and accountability of police departments nationwide. Again, putting our children and communities most at risk.

The Supreme Court’s decision to sanction prayer in public schools unnecessarily alienates children from communities who don’t practice the dominant faith, highlighting differences that stoke division among children and disrupt the learning process.

The most activist Supreme Court we’ve had in 90 years is showing us they plan to ensure that our communities will never enjoy the freedom, liberty, and justice our democracy promises. They plan to hear a case challenging affirmative action and others that could further limit our participation in democracy, our access to the promises of this country, and our ability to achieve EdLoC’s vision. We should all be prepared to speak out against decisions that continue to marginalize communities of color.

Ultimately, we can never forget that EdLoC members are on the frontlines of the battle for the full liberation of people of color. We changed our organizational strategy to fully lean into that fact – liberation requires more than educational change. It requires us to view our communities holistically, understand the intersections among the issues that contribute to our thriving and dismantle barriers standing in the way.

The people we serve are counting on us to help them create and discover silver linings amid the chaos. They are counting on our creativity and nuanced perspectives to create solutions that can help them fulfill their human right to thrive. Let us continue to push past the silos that have constrained our progress for children and families for so long. It is working. The Supreme Court and others who don’t share our values are reacting to our impact. They are trying to hold us back. May Justice Jackson’s presence among them serve as evidence that we are stronger now than we’ve ever been.