Tagged: BAMN

“The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race, and to apply the Constitution with eyes open to the unfortunate effects of centuries of racial discrimination. As members of the judiciary tasked with intervening to carry out the guarantee of equal protection, we ought not sit back and wish away, rather than confront, the racial inequality that exists in our society. It is this view that works harm, by perpetuating the facile notion that what makes race matter is acknowledging the simple truth that race does matter.” — Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Justice Sotomayor stated this in her dissent to the case Bill Schuette v. Coalition To Defend Affirmative Action. Of course, the majority conservative and Republican appoinetd Justices concluded that it was constitutional for the state of Michigan to ban affirmative action in college admissions. It pisses me off that over the last 38 years, it is mostly the Justice of color who has been willing to acknowledge the realities of racism in the 21st century and write a judicial opinion with statements like this. But what good is it if her views on race will always be part of the minority?

Source: Adam Serwer. “Sonia Sotomayor: Court’s Right Wing ‘Out Of Touch With Reality.'” msnbc. http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/sonia-sotomayor-slams-supreme-court-right-wing-race-matters.