The issue of race has always been a delicate one in the United States. So when the Supreme Court rules on the subject it is likely to stir passions.

That is what happened on Tuesday, when the High Court ruled on a new case- Schuette v. BAMN.  It dealt with a college hot topic- affirmative action.

What happened? The Supreme Court, in a 6-2 decision, stated a Michigan amendment banning affirmative action at public universities is constitutional. You can find the official document here.

So what does this mean? Public universities may still make their acceptance decisions based on race however, voters and law-makers now have the right to avoid such action.

Others predict that more states may now enact anti-affirmative action policies. Check out these graphs that show the changing demographics of students based on their states’ affirmative action policies.

What are the Justices saying? Justice Kennedy wrote the majority opinion stating:

“This case is not about how the debate about racial preferences should be resolved. It is about who may resolve it.”

Justice Sotomayor, in one of her most notable dissents, criticized the majority saying

“As members of the judiciary tasked with intervening to carry out the guarantee of equal protection, we ought not sit back and wish away, rather than confront, the racial inequality that exists in our society.”

Any similar cases? Last June, the Supreme Court took on Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin. In this ruling, the court stated that states have the right to make college decisions based on race. This was in response to a white female applicant who said she was denied admission because of her race.

The Supreme Court had its say…now it is your turn to add your voice to the discussion.