HAWAI‘I CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION
KOMIKINA PONO KĪWILA O HAWAIʻI
MARCUS L. KAWATACHI
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
STATE CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION VOICES SUPPORT FOR KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS ADMISSIONS POLICY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2025
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission strongly supports the Kamehameha Schools admissions policy, which gives preference to students of Native Hawaiian ancestry. This policy is rooted in the principles of restorative justice, cultural preservation, and equity.
Kamehameha Schools was established by the will of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop to uplift Native Hawaiian children through education. In doing so, it has become a cornerstone institution in the broader movement for Native Hawaiian self-determination and cultural revitalization and re-normalization. The admissions policy is a direct expression of this mission, ensuring that Native Hawaiian youth have access to culturally grounded, academically rigorous education that honors their heritage and prepares them to lead with aloha.
This policy is also a powerful expression of civil and human rights in action. It recognizes that justice must be responsive to history—that equity requires more than equal treatment; it requires remedying the effects of past and ongoing discrimination. The Kamehameha Schools admissions policy is a form of affirmative restoration, rooted in the understanding that Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and develop their institutions, cultures, and languages, as affirmed in international human rights frameworks such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Further, the work of Kamehameha Schools benefits not only Native Hawaiians but the broader community. KS invests heavily in public charter schools, early childhood education, teacher training, and community-based programs that serve children and families of all backgrounds. Its research, land stewardship, and cultural initiatives help sustain the natural and cultural resources that make Hawai‘i a thriving and resilient place for everyone.
We recognize that Native Hawaiian values—such as aloha, kuleana, and mālama ʻāina—are not only Indigenous principles but shared values that shape Hawai‘i’s identity as a place of inclusion, compassion, and justice. The Kamehameha Schools’ work is beneficial to all Hawaiʻi’s people through its dedication to vast community partnerships and programs in health, education, and economic development. In this way, Kamehameha Schools exemplifies the truth that what is good for Hawaiians is good for Hawai‘i.
In supporting this policy, we reaffirm our commitment to civil rights that are inclusive of Indigenous rights, and to a vision of justice that acknowledges the past while building a more equitable future for all who call Hawai‘i home.
The mission of the Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission is to eliminate discrimination by protecting civil rights and promoting diversity through enforcement of anti-discrimination laws and education. The Commissioners are: Chair Alphonso Braggs and Commissioners Arsima Muller, Jon Matsuoka, and Raymond Nichols.
