The U.S. Supreme Court is going to rule on two affirmative action cases, and ahead of the ruling, Apple has filed a bride with the Supreme Court in support of affirmative action programs which are being challenged at the University of North Carolina (UNC) and Harvard.
The Cupertino tech giant is a strong advocate of racial equity in the United States. Apple has launched multi-million dollar “Racial Equity and Justice Initiative” projects to provide equal educational and professional opportunities to individuals from marginalized black and brown communities and challenge systemic racism in the country.
In November 2021, the tech company committed $300 million to expand the Racial Equity and Justice Initiative “to support students and innovators from colored and minority groups, and advocacy organizations working for criminal justice reform and environmental justice.”
Apple and 80 U.S. companies argue that affirmative action programs at universities harvest a diverse and inclusive workforce
Bloomberg reports that Apple, along with Google, Meta, and nearly 80 more companies filed the brief with the Supreme Court earlier this week. The companies argue that affirmative action programs at universities produce highly qualified, inclusive, and tolerant individuals which enrich the corporate work environment.
The brief filed Monday argues corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts “depend on university admissions programs that lead to graduates educated in racially and ethnically diverse environments.”
“Only in this way can America produce a pipeline of highly qualified future workers and business leaders prepared to meet the needs of the modern economy and workforce,” the brief said.
The Harvard and UNC cases are the first cases in the Supreme Court which now has a 6-3 conservative majority. Maybe, the Supreme Court’s recent overturning of the Roe vs.Wade judgment, the landmark ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion, has worried the companies about its possible decision.
“This is the perfect time for the corporate world to not just sit on the wayside,” said Lael Chappell, the director of insurance distribution at Coalition, Inc. who works on diversity, equity and inclusion issues.
