The Constitution abhors classifications based on race, not only because those classifications can harm favored races or are based on illegitimate motives, but also because every time the government places citizens on racial registers and makes race relevant to the provision of burdens or benefits, it demeans us all. Purchased at the price of immeasurable human suffering, the equal protection principle reflects our nation’s understanding that such classifications ultimately have a destructive impact on the individual and our society. 

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas