Laura Bauman/The Ithacan AFRICAN-LATINO SOCIETY members hold up signs during the group’s sit-in for affirmative action in the Campus Center last Thursday. They are, from left to right, junior Janitza Lopez and seniors Teaira Hardimon and Sarina Heyward.

As the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in important affirmative action cases Tuesday, thousands of people marched in front of the courthouse — including 19 Ithaca College students.

The students took a bus sponsored by the African-Latino Society to Washington to support affirmative action during Supreme Court hearings about whether to uphold a decision that legally makes race a part of admissions policy at public institutions.

The group included representatives from Student Government Association and ALS; Traevena Potter-Hall, director of affirmative action and equal opportunity; Cynthia Baldessare, assistant professor of theater arts; and Zillah Eisenstein, professor of politics. During the past week, SGA and ALS sponsored several events on affirmative action, including a forum March 22, a sit in last Thursday and a debate Wednesday.

The rally began Tuesday morning in front of the Supreme Court, then turned into a march that stretched along Constitution Avenue before ending at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Official estimates ranged from 5,000 to 7,000 demonstrators, while organizers put the number at 50,000.

The majority of the crowd was in favor of affirmative action. Senior Candice Dawkins, educational affairs officer for ALS, said she did not see any people protesting against affirmative action, while Potter-Hall said that at one point she saw two people holding signs denouncing it.

“The rally and march was an attempt to send one final message,” Potter-Hall said. “The fact that there were so many people shows that this is important. If there was nobody there — not a single sign — that would have sent a message, too, that people don’t care about affirmative action.”

The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in the cases of Gratz v. Bollinger, involving admissions at the University of Michigan’s undergraduate college, and Grutter v. Bollinger, involving Michigan’s law school. Though the justices will only decide whether race can be used as a factor in admissions to publicly funded institutions, the decision, which is expected to be made by late June, could affect the future of affirmative action.

“I think the justices heard us,” Dawkins said. “I hope they pay attention. It doesn’t help that the president has stated how he feels.”

The Bush administration has expressed opposition to the University of Michigan’s style of affirmative action, a fact which Dawkins said makes protesters think that a decision won’t be made in their favor.

The majority of the demonstrators were students, although some teachers and union workers also attended. Most visibly absent were corporate leaders, who depend on diverse college enrollments for the future of their companies, Potter-Hall said.