NBC News, through its publication, reports on the reactions of major U.S. civil rights organizations to Supreme Court decisions that ended affirmative action programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. The organizations criticized the Supreme Court for backsliding on the nation's racial progress and accused conservative justices of bowing to the beliefs of an extremist minority. The statements by the leaders of the organizations emphasize the importance of race in shaping the identities and quality of life of black Americans and assert that the Supreme Court has demonstrated willful ignorance of the racial reality of the United States.

The article also mentions the Rev. Al Sharpton, who advocated racially conscious admissions policies as a means of combating racial injustices and historical social inequalities. Renika Moore of the American Civil Liberties Union pointed out that colleges still have a responsibility to increase educational opportunities for students of color, despite Supreme Court rulings. The National Urban League expressed disapproval and called the day of the decisions “historic for the wrong reasons”.

Reaction to the Supreme Court's decisions has been divided along party lines, with Democrats criticizing the decision and Republicans praising it. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the court for obstructing racial justice, while former presidents Barack Obama and Michelle Obama expressed disappointment with the rulings. Michelle Obama spoke about the opportunities offered by racially conscious admissions policies and the importance of diversity on college campuses.

“In a shorter statement, the former president acknowledged that, as a policy, ‘affirmative action wasn’t perfect’.” ‘But it allowed generations of students like Michelle and me to prove we belonged’, he said. ‘Now it’s up to all of us to give young people the opportunities they deserve — and help students everywhere benefit from new perspectives’.”

According to a poll conducted by NBC News, a slim majority of Americans believe affirmative action programs are still needed to counteract the effects of discrimination, as long as there are no rigid quotas. However, a significant portion believe these programs unfairly discriminate against whites and Asian Americans.