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Page A4
lune 28. 2006
O pinion
Opinion articles do not
necessarily reflect or represent the
views o f The Portland Observer
The Racial Barrier
‘Separate but equal' does not work
by
J udge G kkg M athis
It has been more than
50 years since the U S.
Supreme Court handed
dow n its d ecisio n in
Brown v. Board ot Educa­
tion, ruling that ncially
se g re g a te d
p u i / ’c
schools were unconsti­
tutional. Over the years,
the judgment has had its share of chal­
lengers but, with a few exceptions, the
decision has remained on solid ground.
Things may be changing.
The court has agreed to consider two
separate lawsuits tiled in Seattle and Lou­
isville. The white parents involved in each
suit say the public school systems in their
area unconstitutionally discriminate based
on race. These will be the first race-related
constitutional cases for President Bush's
recently appointed, conservative justices,
John Roberts and Samuel A. Alito.
a disproportionate number of under­
qualified teachers than racially di­
verse schools or those with a majority
white population do.
Combined with the lack of essen­
tial resources - current textbooks,
modern computer labs - and you’ve
got an environment that is not condu­
cive to success.
Racially integrated schools level
the playing field, providing all students
with the tools they need to realize their
dreams.
Fortunately, the court, although di­
vided in its decisions, has upheld the
basic principles of the 1954 Brown ruling.
This is the first case of this kind the court
has agreed to hear since ruling in 2002 that
race could be a factor in admission at the
University of Michigan. Why the court
agreed to hear the case, however, is a
mystery. All three federal appeals courts
to hear both cases in the last few years
sided with the school
sy stem s; the S u ­
preme Court usually
only steps in to settle
c o n flic ts in the
lower-courts. With
the lower courts in
agreem ent, it ap ­
peared th at this
not be a case
v would
for the high court.
Perhaps the cur­
rent anti-affirmative action justices real­
ized that, this time, they have the numbers
they need to strike down affirmative ac­
tion laws. The court is expected to rule on
the cases some time next year.
"Separate but equal" does not work.
It’s a fact with years of data to support it.
Let's hope that as these cases are consid­
ered, common sense and the needs of the
larger society triumph over political lean­
ings. It’s beyond time for the Supreme
Court, and those that continue to chal­
lenge diverse school systems, to move on.
\ With the court stacked in favor of
the conservatives, these cases have
the potential to upset the landmark
Brown ruling, forever affecting the
educational opportunities available
to our children.
With the court stacked in favor of the
conservatives, these cases have the po­
tential to upset the landmark Brown ruling,
forever affecting the educational oppor­
tunities available to our children.
Despite the long hard tight for integra­
tion, many U.S. communities, and as a
result, their schools, are voluntarily sepa­
rated along racial lines. However, more
and more school districts, like those in
Seattle and Louisville, have begun to real­
ize the importance of a racially diverse
educational system.
An overwhelming majority of parents
also support diverse schools. Study after
study has shown that schools in predomi­
nantly black and Latinocommunities have
Judge Greg Mathis is national vice
president o f Rainbow PUSH and a na­
tional board member o f the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference.
Civil Rights Law Sabotaged
Renew the V oting
R ights A c t
by
J ohn S weeney
We are extremely disappointed that a
small band of extremists in the House of
Representatives sabotaged the bill to
renew and restore critical sections of the
Voting Rights Act. The House was ex­
pected to vote June 21 on the bill.
Despite strong bipartisan support.
Reps. Lynn W estm orland, C harlie
Norwood and others chose to derail all
efforts to reauthorize the most successful
piece of civil rights legislation ever adopted
by the United States Congress.
The Voting Rights Act - adopted ini­
tially in 1965 and extended in 1970, 1975,
and 1982-codifiesthe 15th Amendment’s
guarantee that, throughout the nation, no
person shall be denied the right to vote on
account of race or color.
It’s outrageous that our nation’s lead­
ership can preach the value of freedom
and democracy to audiences abroad and
yet turn a blind eye to the systematic
trampling of basic rights here at home.
We expect the House leadership to take
the reins and move this bill past this small
group of saboteurs before they leave
Washington for a July 4th recess. The
nation’s continued progress towards
equality demands it.
John Sweeney is president o f the AFL-
CIO.
Letters to the Editor
Congress’ Censorship
The Republicans control the House, the Senate, the Presi­
dency and Fox news. This leaves us with few options for
unbiased reporting. Of course the Republicans hate National
Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System. After all
both report the facts and are widely quoted.
Now the Bush Administration intends to eliminate
both NPR and PBS by eliminating the funding. Please
urge our Congress not to take this step towards
censorship.
Fred Heffron, Southwest Portland
21st A nnual C onference
National Organization O f Black Elected Legislative Women
Portland, Oregon June 29-July 2, 2006
at the Doubletree Lloyd Center Hotel & Executive Meeting Center
Gustavus A. Aranda
Senator John Edwards
Keynote Speaker, Friday, June 30 at 9am
2004 candidate for Vice President of the United States and former U.S. Senator from North Carolina
John Edwards
Carlotta Walls LaNier
one of the "Little Rock Nine"
2006 National Honoree
Gustavus A. Aranda, Pharm.D., M.Sc.
University of Southern California
Dr. Andriette Ward, M. D., M.P.H.
Childrens Hospital, Los Angeles
Featured in O Magazine, February 2006
(a itio tta Walls LaN ier
O th e r speakers N. presenters in c lu d e :
Dr. Titus D. Duntan, M. D., F.A.C.S.
Dr. Carolyn M. West, Ph.D.
Settati,r Margaret Carter
2006 Con/etvnee ( hair
Dr. Barbara Earl Ward, M.F.A.
To register please call 503.986.1 111, State Capitol or 503.282.6846, Portland. A limited number ot community scholarships is available.
Educational CEUs can he available. Please call: 503.986.1655. Entail: sen.margaretcarterf« st.ite.or.us
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