Talking Point #7 - Charles Lawrence

Premise:

• race
• segregation
• schools
• "black children"
• justice
• education
• inferiority
• Supreme Court
• laws
• hate
• misunderstanding

Arguement:

Charles Lawrence argues that "the Brown descision fostered a way of thinking about segregation that has allowed both the judiciary and society at large to deny the reality of race in America, that the recognition of that reality is critical to the framing of any meaningful remedy - judicial or political - and that Brown may ultimately be labeled a success only insofar as we are able to make stand for what it should have stood for in 1954." In short, Lawrence argues that while Brown v. Board of Education was a step in the right direction, it was merely a bandaid on a broken leg.

Evidence:

"They are kept separate because the seperation labels or claddifies blacks as inferior beings. Segregation violates the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment not because there is no rational relationship between the classification and the purpose- it is a supremely rational system - but because its purpose is illegitimate."

"Segregation is self perpetuating: once established it will not disappear of its own accord, and its elimination requires affirmative action by the state."

"Once blacks are labeled as inferior, they are denied access to equal societal opportunities. The resulting inadequate educational preparation, poverty of cultural backgrounds, and lack of experience constitute real limitations on their ability to contribute to society, and the prophecy of their inferiority is fulfilled."

Comments:

I thought "One More River to Cross" was one of the more difficult and tiresome readings. The main reason for this was because there were so many "lawyer" terms and words of that nature that most readers aren't familiar with. I also felt like the points and issues he brought up were constantly repeated throughout the text. While it wasn't one of my favorite readings, it was interesting to sort of re-learn about a very important event in our nation's history.