Students hit back at judge's comments that university should have fewer black students

African American University of Texas students are using a hashtag to hit back at a Supreme Court judge who suggested black students stopped a white student from getting a place at the university.

University of Texas student Susie Carmichael. Source: Twitter

A US Supreme Court judge, overseeing the case of a white student complaining she lost her place to black students, has suggested African American students do better at less challenging universities.

Abigail Fisher is suing the University of Texas, claiming she was not admitted due to a race-based admission system.

During the court case last week, Justice Antonin Scalia questioned whether admitting black students to universities like the University of Texas benefitted them or the institution.

"There are some who contend that it does not benefit African Americans to get them into the University of Texas, where they do not do well, as opposed to having them go to a less-advanced school, a slower-track school where they do well," Justice Scalia said.

"I'm just not impressed by the fact the University of Texas may have fewer [black students]. Maybe it ought to have fewer."

The LA Times reported students sitting in the court room were shocked by his comments.

The judge's comments, and the case itself, have sparked a Twitter campaign #StayMadAbby.

Current and former UT graduates have been tweeting pictures of themselves and their qualifications, showing they have succeeded on their own merit.

The LA Times reported only 4 per cent of students at UT were African American, a number which has remained relatively flat since 2000.

Engineering students Camryn Burkins, 20, and Claiborne Jones, 21, both told the LA TImes teachers and fellow students continually assumed they were not capable students and were unable to keep pace with their course.