Friday, April 04, 2003

Race and Reparations There's a case before the Supreme Court right now -- it's an appeal by a white student who was denied acceptance at a Michigan University. She believed that she was denied a position because she was white, that a person of color "unfairly" took her place. The case has attracted the attention of the right wing everywhere...who see a great opportunity to lock in the status quo. The idea is that everything in our country should be color-blind; that we should strive for an ideal, and that no adjustments for history are permissible, let alone wise. A simple reading of this case would tend to agree -- yes, we should not discriminate against a white student for being white. But can we say that not giving someone a bonus on their application score is the same thing is discriminating? All things being equal, I would agree with the plaintiff in this case. They're not. If you want to put this case into perspective, look up the Tulia 46. Read about that case, and particularly what's happened just in the last few days, and decide for yourself if the playing field is truly level. 46 Blacks in Tulia were convicted on the unsubstantiated word of a single, miserable, lying police officer -- one who was demonstrably racist. In one day, the police of this town threw half of the Black population in jail. This didn't happen in 1918. It didn't happen in 1940. It happened three years ago. What's more, the Attorney General of Texas refused to even pursue the case. Diligent efforts by civil libertarians resulted in the vacating of a whole series of these convictions, and a judge has just thrown out the rest. Perhaps you believe that reparations are pointless, and unnecessary, at this point in history. I believe that reparations are a critical part of rectifying the black (and minority) experience in this country. I believe that the most promising and powerful form of reparations are the affirmative action programs our education institutions have implemented. It is the right kind of reparation, the most elegant, and the one that truly moves us towards the goal of a society of fairness and opportunity for all. 1:05:34 AM