The family of Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a searing rebuke to the Supreme Court after Thursday’s ruling striking down race-based affirmative action policies, saying it was an attack on “Black and Brown Americans.”

“The old saying, ‘kick them when they’re down,’ has never applied more,” said Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King in a statement after the 6-3 ruling.

They said affirmative action has been crucial to opening opportunities for millions of Americans the past 40 years, adding that the playing field is not yet level.

“It is unconscionable and infuriating. The Supreme Court has become the go-to place for extreme politicians to rip opportunities and rights away from marginalized communities,” they said. “The pillars of Dr. King’s mission were peace, justice and equity. We will not settle for the targeted attacks coming from the Supreme Court.”

The high court ruled Thursday that the race-based policies used by Harvard University, the University of North Carolina and many other schools violate the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., writing the key opinion, said judging potential students by the color of their skin cannot survive constitutional scrutiny.

The King family said the high court cannot be the last word.

They pleaded for Congress to pass legislation to “reinstate affirmative action immediately.”

It’s not clear how that would work, given the Supreme Court’s ruling was delivered on constitutional grounds and would presumably take a constitutional amendment to surmount.

• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.