Although our commander-in-chief has had a big impact on discussions about race in America, he will not have any of his own Supreme Court justices sitting in the racially charged court sessions that began April 20. Over the next two weeks, the Supreme Court will hear a number of cases related to race:
The Supreme Court has an opportunity to reaffirm or reshape the nation's civil rights laws as it faces a rare confluence of cases over the next two weeks, including a high-profile challenge brought by white firefighters who claim they lost out on promotions because of the "color of their skin."
The cases also touch on the Voting Rights Act, the need to provide English classes for immigrant children and, more tangentially, discriminatory mortgage lending. The most emotionally charged case is from New Haven, Conn., firefighters, whose complaints define the real-life quandary that sometimes accompanies government efforts to ensure racial equality.
Source - Washington Post, High Court Poised to Closely Weigh Civil Rights Laws
More about the firefighters' case:
The lead plaintiff, Frank Ricci, is a veteran firefighter who said in sworn statements that he spent thousands of dollars in preparation and studied for months for the exam. Ricci said he is dyslexic, so he had tapes made of the test materials and listened to them on his commute.I suggest you read the entire Washington Post article for yourself. The story of 'The New Haven 20' and commentary are riveting.
The firefighters' longtime attorney, Karen Lee Torre, did not allow her clients to talk to reporters -- other than for a segment on conservative commentator Sean Hannity's show on Fox News -- but Ricci said in a sworn statement, "I relied in good faith on the promise that effort, and not race, would determine who would be promoted."
When the results of the 2003 exams came back, only white firefighters, including one who is Hispanic, scored high enough to be considered for the openings for lieutenants and captains. All 27 black firefighters who took the test were below the cutoff. After tumultuous public hearings, with minority groups arguing that the tests were flawed and the white firefighters claiming officials were caving to political pressure, the city's Civil Service Board voted not to certify the results. The promotions remain in limbo. Source - Washington Post High Court Poised to Closely Weigh Civil Rights Laws
Comments: (21)
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By: Tired of Poor ME attitude on 4/22/2009 1:51PM
Race should have nothing to do with hiring and advancement of any Policeman, Fireman or any job. I want the best guy coming to help me, his race has nothing to do with it.
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By: tmbk247 on 4/23/2009 4:08PM
Poor me isn't a black African-American attitude. Your attitude doesn't take into consideration that, a great number of persons like yourself, fail to see that, some, black African-Americans are conscious and an alarming amount, to this very day, experience, injustice. Inequality, in the establishment of American institution, businesses, like banks that hold mortgages, the structure of state courts, supposedly, a justice system, that's designed by a majority whites to protect their interest, their investments, that benefited whites, only, from the slave trade, as a rule, in the design of slavery in America is to keep black Africans, slaves forever. Now, black African-Americans, by and large, are in a catch 22, a vicious cycle. Rearranged, today, is the built-in negativity, that fuels that quandary, in the, many, of the governing systems, but the stratagem, although, subtle, the ploy is in, typically, administrative procedures, especially, in the employment method, primarily, in the distribution of wealth, in the organization of social services and definitely in the scheme to educate. This is seen today, in, particularly, these, economically, troubled times, the racial narrow-mindedness, of a significant number of whites. In many aspects of American life but above all in the American justice system, particularly during the Bush Administration didn't yield to demonstrated pig-headness and that is definitely seen in Paul's comment that racism is truly alive in America - and it's almost all anti-white racism. And the rich white liberals are very happy to discriminate against the whites who are much further down on the ladder. Paul: to some blacks and whites ignorance is bliss! The racial determination of a key sum of whites that use whatever strategies not to eradicate the stresses that a quantity of good black African-Americans, just being, go through, as black humans, to survive and stay liberated that is possible, only, through the transmission of black values and the removal of the indoctrination of a colonized mentality. The persistence of an observable fact is the inability or unwillingness of the power structure to give up its power where there is a majority black African-Americans in, a poor, underdeveloped, community.
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By: mrcooda on 4/23/2009 4:16PM
Basically we a trying to skate up hill. What is the make up (black,white haspanic, other) of each of the organizations? How many refuse to work in black neighborhoods? This is not an attitude this is truth, which continuues today.Everyone is afraid to discuss race which has been going on for 400+ years and no end in sight.
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By: James on 4/22/2009 8:52PM
Poor ME attitude -
How do you correct past injustices?
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By: Tired of Poor ME attitude on 4/23/2009 10:16AM
It should be over NOW.
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By: DESINE MOONEY on 4/23/2009 2:38PM
first, of all that's the hardest thing in the world to even come up with an answer to . even if you come up with it would never be enough to take back all the time lost. so why even? is it first, of all even a right thing to be puttting out there in the first place.''decision making'' are we really capable of making drastic decisions like that/
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By: Paul on 4/22/2009 11:30PM
Yes, racism is truly alive in America - and it's almost all anti-white racism.
And the rich white liberals are very happy to discriminate against the whites who are much further down on the ladder.
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By: Alice on 4/22/2009 11:37PM
What a real shame that this man did everything he was supposed to do and was denied the promotion he rightly deserved. Something needs to be done to repair this country--NOW.
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By: Jordan on 4/23/2009 12:30AM
Something so wrong is happening here. Wake up, America...
We need to repair our country- now-or very soon we truly will witness an "Eve of Destruction"
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By: crap dump on 4/23/2009 2:28AM
Just about another 400 years and whites and blacks maybe even? Maybe some folks should be upset with their own ancestors and families?
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