{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-cleaver-bush-call-um-system-restore-race-based-scholarships-and", "Reps. Cleaver, Bush Call on UM System to Restore Race-Based Scholarships and Emphasize Recruitment of Underserved Communities", "2023-10-05", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", "cleaver", "https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 Today, U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) and Cori Bush (D-MO) called on the University of Missouri System (UM System) to reverse their recent decisions following the Supreme Court\u2019s disastrous ruling undermining affirmative action in June. In a letter to Dr. Mun Y. Choi, President of the UM System, the lawmakers specifically called on the President to restore race-based scholarships, consider the experience of race in admissions, and emphasize recruitment to underserved communities\u2014all of which are still allowable under the Supreme Court\u2019s Students for Fair Admission Inc (SFFA) v. Harvard and v. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill decision.\n\n\u201cWe believe that a rushed decision to exclude race-based criteria would endanger the futures of Black and Brown students in Missouri who will bear the brunt of decades of discrimination and unequal access to higher education,\u201d the lawmakers wrote. \u201cAs duly elected Members of Congress representing over 1.5 million Missourians, we implore you to restore race-based scholarships, consider the experience of race in admissions, and emphasize recruitment to underserved communities.\n\nThe lawmakers continued: \u201cThe Court severely limited the ability of higher education institutions to consider an applicant\u2019s race alone. However, the opinion does not prohibit universities from considering an applicant\u2019s discussion of how race affects their lives. The University of Missouri System can and should consider the ways that a student\u2019s lived experience would benefit their contributions to campus and how it can impact their ability to access higher education in the first place. Again, the Court did not restrict the use of race-based scholarships or financial aid. When we lose talented applicants and graduates, we risk driving residents out of Missouri and into other areas that can provide more stable opportunities.\u201d\n\nThe Missouri Representatives also requested a response to several pressing questions about the UM System\u2019s decision-making and policies moving forward, including:\n\nHow is the UM System accounting for centuries of racial segregation and discrimination in higher education?\n\nWhy did the UM System decide to eliminate race-based scholarships when the Supreme Court decision made no mention of scholarship considerations?\n\nWill admissions and/or scholarship awards based on legacy status be eliminated as well?\n\nWhat other lived experiences will the UM System consider instead of race when evaluating student\u2019s applications?\n\nHow will the System expand its recruitment efforts to underrepresented student populations?\n\nHow will the UM System invest in the success of its students of color so that their graduation rates can match those of their white counterparts?\n\nThe official letter from Reps. Cleaver and Bush is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-cleaver-bush-call-um-system-restore-race-based-scholarships-and"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0354658588767052, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}