WASHINGTON—Today, the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in two cases that could determine whether colleges can continue to use racial preferences in the admissions process. Heritage Foundation experts Monday called on the justices to correct a wrong that has unfairly punished students across this country seeking to attend the school of their choosing.

Lindsey Burke, director of Heritage’s Center for Education Policy, released the following statement:

“American colleges and universities should welcome all students who have the academic capabilities, interests, and values to perform well in their institutions. They should reject racial preferences in favor of genuine diversity—a student body admitted based on merit that has a wide range of life experiences and political and philosophical viewpoints, all of which contribute to a robust climate of free expression and academic inquiry on campus.”

Heritage senior fellow Mike Gonzalez added the following statement:

“The college admissions process should be focused on bringing the best and brightest minds to an institution, not making elite liberals feel good about their ‘racial sensitivity,’ which is all the euphemistically named ‘affirmative action’ does.

“Affirmative action does not solve the problem of why members of some groups fall behind academically. It does not address failing public schools, worsening socioeconomic and family formation issues, or high out-of-wedlock birth rates that hold people down. Instead, affirmative action mandates by imperial fiat that a certain percentage of a college must be filled with a certain group.

“The American people hate this kind of unfairness and that’s why it’s imperative the court overturn these admission schemes.”

Hans von Spakovsky, Heritage senior legal fellow, made the following statement:

“Universities like Harvard and the University of North Carolina have set up racial spoils systems that discriminate against some students and benefit others based on the color of their skin. These odious admissions policies violate the basic civil rights of students and must finally be ended by the Supreme Court. Barring the door to Asian-American students today is just as wrong as barring the door to African-American students was 60 years ago.”