MILWAUKEE CHAPTER
NATIONAL BLACK NURSES ASSOCIATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SILVER SPRING, MD (June 29, 2023) - The National Black Nurses Association, Inc (NBNA) joins other professional nursing organizations and associations, civil rights groups, and many major universities in denouncing the detrimental Supreme Court’s ruling against race conscious (affirmative action) college admissions. This decision dismantles over four decades of settled law that was enacted to help provide access to higher education for historically disenfranchised Black and other communities of color. In the partisan decision to strike down this precedent in a landmark ruling, the highest court in the land appears to have conveyed its support for continued systemic and structural racism. The ruling blatantly ignores the reality of long term societal racial inequities and inequalities that stem from 300 years of legalized racial oppression in the United States. The nursing profession, at 11% Black/African American, is not racially or ethnically diverse, and this ruling will adversely impact admissions to schools and colleges of nursing maintaining this disproportionate deficit. The nursing profession’s ability to deliver culturally relevant and equitable care to all depends on creating a nursing workforce that mirrors the racial and ethnic diversity of the country’s population. NBNA is a longtime advocate for holistic, race-conscious admissions to nursing programs that promote diversity in the profession while decreasing health disparities and supporting health equity. The court’s decision is a monumental disappointing setback to these goals. NBNA will continue to call on Congress, healthcare leaders, and other policy makers to support legislation that promotes justice, equity, diversity, equality, and inclusion in the nursing profession overall and in schools of nursing admission practices.