Campus Community

Commentary: 'How the First Amendment Can Save Affirmation Action'

July 19, 2023

Seattle University President Eduardo Peñalver co-authors article in The Hill on recent Supreme Court rulings. 

President Eduardo Peñalver has co-written an opinion piece with Kent Greenfield, professor of constitutional law at Boston College, for The Hill on recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings on affirmative action and religious freedom for business owners.

Here's an excerpt:

Our two institutions, Seattle University and Boston College, are Jesuit universities that seek to construct diverse and inclusive academic communities. Founded in the late 19th century initially to educate Catholic immigrants who were frequently excluded from other institutions of higher learning, over time we came to understand our missions more broadly as serving all of those who have been excluded from higher education and promoting a more just society by repairing the wounds caused by pervasive racism and unequal opportunity. We also understand our mission to be the education and formation of our students as whole persons in all of their complex identities. The pursuit of this kind of holistic education requires a student body that reflects the rich diversity of humanity.   

Read the article in its entirety.