The United States Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments in an important case on affirmative action at universities. Affirmative action is the practice of improving educational opportunities for members of groups that were not treated fairly in the past because of race, gender or other factors. This case is debating whether race-based affirmative action at universities is legal under the U.S. Constitution.

During oral arguments on the case Wednesday, Justice Antonin Scalia questioned the benefit of admitting more African-American students to elite colleges. He went on to say that most black scientists in this country have come “from lesser schools, where they don’t feel that they’re being pushed ahead in classes that are too too fast for them.”

His comments sent social media into a heated debate. The editor of Essence magazine tweeted: If I listened to #Scalia I never would have applied to and graduated from 2 Ivy League schools. This level of ignorance is dangerous.” At the same time #Scalia trended on Twitter in the United States, #13thamendment was also a trending topic. The U.S. marked the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the 13th Amendment with a ceremony Wednesday at the Capitol building. The 13th amendment formally abolished slavery.