Downtown Boxing Gym continues the fight for equity with at-risk youth

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A day after the US Supreme Court overturned Affirmative Action regarding race as a factor in college admissions, Downtown Boxing Gym in Detroit issued a statement of its own.

On Instagram, it posted a message saying — in part — it will continue to ensure "every child has a chance to succeed."

"Whatever the Supreme Court does, it’s not going to hinder our mission as we move toward equity," said Deanna Miller, Downtown Boxing Gym. "And if we can't navigate systems to produce equity by focusing on race as a category, then there are other ways to move toward equity."

Miller is the foundation advancement manager for the gym.

At DBG, boxing gets the kids in the door - but Miller says the organization exposes them to other opportunities for academic, social, and emotional development.

The goal is to level the playing field for children who come from lower-income neighborhoods in the same way Affirmative Action was meant to help.

"We meet so many kids who are just absolutely amazing, and they have these incredible dreams and goals for themselves," said Deanna Miller. "But sometimes it’s difficult to realize those things because of environmental violence, because of the impacts of poverty, because of school systems that are struggling to support kids that need hyper-individualized care and support."

A report by the Brookings Institution says while the number of young adults with a bachelor degree or higher has doubled to 40 percent in the past 50 years, there’s still a disparity in earning a degree.

The number of Black and Hispanic young adults who have earned a degree is much less compared to young adults who are white or, of Asian or Pacific Islander descent.

Critics of the Supreme Court’s decision to ban Affirmative Action for college admissions — which Michigan voters had already banned in 2006 — believe this creates another barrier.

But the Downtown Boxing Gym believes its one that can be knocked out.

"In a number of ways, we are working to sort of expand our influence in different spaces so we can support more folks in communities who are going to impacted by these federal decisions," Miller said. "We just really want them to find that thing that makes them happy. it’s not just about making sure they get to college or making sure they get a job. It’s about making sure they follow the educational pathway that’s best for them."

Fighting to provide a better future for Detroit youth who are already facing a number of challenges.

For more information about the Downtown Boxing Gym CLICK HERE.