Contradictions

I was extremely disheartened by the Supreme Court ruling which limited K-12 schools' use of race to combat the segregation that still exists in our public school system. I agree with the Times editorial that speaks to the irony of the ruling. Given the state of public schools (i.e. largely segregated and unequal), the ruling seems to contradict Brown v. Board and the importance it placed in integration. In fact, Louisville just recently came out from under integration mandates, and it is the relics of these mandates that the court ruled against.

I am working on getting through the full ruling, but it seems clear that the majority of the court feels that race is no longer a major factor in our society and that taking it into account would be unconstitutional. I could go on and list stats and personal stories that speak to the reality of racism and how it continues to affect individuals and groups, but you can read my and others' article and books for that information. If you want the cliffnotes version, read my posting on my other blog (that I swear my friend and I are working to revamp and revitalize!). This commentary is also a succinct illustration of the way in which the discussion of race has shifted in the recent years.

I appreciated Justice Kennedy's split from the majority opinion in that he refused to equate "diversity" with racial balancing, thereby making it unconstitutional. Given that our society from its beginning has taken race into account, it would be illogical to say that the amendments to the constitution and various court rulings aimed to end slavery and give full rights to slaves would be unconstitutional simply because they would be equated with racial balancing. We cannot be acontextual. That would be like refusing to see the usefulness of chemotherapy simply because it destroys cells. If you understand it in context, you realize that it is the destruction of cells that allows for the cancer to be attacked and healthy cells to grow. I could fill a whole other post with a discussion of "diversity," but what is real is that our society is more diverse than ever. Working to provide an environment that mirrors that diversity, which prepares children to interact in this world, should not be misconstrued. We have lots to do to make sure that the numerical diversity that is achieved is used to foster interactional diversity, but again, that's a whole other discussion.

In reality, the ruling does not change the fact that racism is a live and well and affecting the outcomes for many. Those that see that truth will continue to work towards ways to minimize its impact. I would love to live in the world that the justices believe already exists, but it's simply not a reality.