NAACP Louisville Branch asks colleges to sign diversity pledge after affirmative action ban

The NAACP Louisville Branch is asking Louisville colleges and universities to sign a diversity pledge in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling outlawing affirmative action.

At a ceremony Thursday night, the Louisville Branch presented more than $85,000 in scholarships to 41 local college students.

At the ceremony, Louisville Branch President Raoul Cunningham announced the NAACP will be asking fifteen colleges and universities in Louisville, including UofL, Bellarmine University, and Spalding University, to sign a pledge that they’re calling “Diversity No Matter What”.

If any of the schools decline to sign the pledge, Cunningham said the NAACP will make their refusal to sign public.

The pledge was created by the NAACP national office and includes legal strategies to help colleges and universities have a diverse student body.

Some suggestions in the pledge include eliminating entrance exams in favor of an approach that looks at more than just a student’s testing skills.

The National Education Association cites some studies that show students of color score lower on college entrance exams.

Other items on the pledge include recruiting diverse faculty and staff and eliminating the use of legacy admissions. You can read the full pledge by clicking or tapping here.

NAACP leaders said while the Supreme Court’s decision was disheartening, the responsibility will fall on colleges and universities to look for other ways to maintain a diverse student body.

“They can put a policy in place, but we can still do the work,” said Dr. Geneva Stark-Pittman, who donated $1,000 for a scholarship for a future educator. “We still can be able to provide opportunities for young people to be able to obtain these scholarships.”

“Race-conscious admission and hiring provide a necessary tool for colleges, universities, and employers to correct past wrongs,” Cunningham said.

The schools that are being asked to sign the pledge are:

• University of Louisville

• Bellarmine University

• Spalding University

• Sullivan University

• Campbellsville University

• Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

• Simmons College of Kentucky

• Louisville Presbyterian Seminary

• Boyce College

• Louisville Bible College

• Spencerian College

• Decker College

• Galen College of Nursing

• Brown Mackie College

• Empire Beauty School