SB3 is a dangerous bill that seeks to eliminate affirmative action, one of the most effective tools for addressing systemic discrimination against people of color and women.
The ACLU of Arkansas strongly opposes SB3 because:
- It threatens equal opportunity. Affirmative action helps ensure that qualified individuals—regardless of race or gender—have fair access to education, employment, and other opportunities. Eliminating it would reinforce systemic barriers that have historically excluded marginalized communities.
- It ignores ongoing discrimination. Discrimination against people of color and women is not just a relic of the past—it persists today. Policies that promote fairness and inclusion are still necessary to combat systemic inequities.
- It undermines progress. Affirmative action has been instrumental in expanding opportunities for historically excluded groups, creating more diverse and equitable workplaces, schools, and institutions. Rolling it back would be a step backward in the fight for civil rights.
Arkansas should be working to expand opportunities for all — not dismantling policies that promote fairness and inclusion. The ACLU of Arkansas stands against SB3 and any effort to weaken equal opportunity protections.
