Every little Black girl ought to be like Condoleezza Rice
By Jackie Turner
The person I most admire is Condoleezza Rice. When I first saw her on TV, she walked with an air of class and knowledge. President George W. Bush had nominated her to be the Secretary of State. Can you imagine that? A young Black woman as Secretary of State!
My smile was so big I think my teeth were bright with pride. Before the war in Iraq started, I watched her talk on TV about getting to the bottom of who was hiding weapons of mass destruction. At that moment, I thought that this woman was also brave. She had a doctorate in political science, and had been an outspoken professor. She impressed me.
I don’t think there has been anyone like her since. She was a shining example of someone who had beauty, brains and class. She broke a glass ceiling and caused everyone to admire her.
When a person looks up to someone, it is because that person is doing something good and worthwhile. When a person is first in their field, it fills others with pride. Women need persistent role models.
In my day, there were only a few women who held leadership jobs. This might sound funny but in my neighborhood, most of the women had jobs working as cooks or as daycare providers. None of them could ever imagine being the Secretary of State for the United States. While most had gotten past high school, few went to college.
For some reason though, Condoleezza was unique. We are the same age. When I first saw her get nominated to Secretary of State, I thought, “if only that was me.” She made me feel like I had a chance at something big. Or that people after me would have better opportunities for themselves.
President Joseph Biden has been saying that he wants to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court. That is a lifetime appointment, and it would be the first time for a Black woman. Black women have long strived to improve this world we live in. They have not only raised children, but have also shaped our society.
It’s time a Black woman has a chance to do so on the nation’s highest court as well.
Jackie Turner is a vendor and artist with Street Sense Media.
Why race shouldn’t be a factor in choosing Supreme Court justices
By Jeffery McNeil
If you fly an airplane, are you looking for diversity or someone who won’t crash a plane?
Standards are required to become a neurosurgeon. Would you be comfortable working in a high rise if the architects were hired because of their race? If standards are required for medicine, aeronautics, and building skyscrapers, why is there a greater emphasis on diversity when picking a Supreme Court justice?
Of course many judges of color meet the same standards that white judges do. But Joe Biden’s pronouncement that he will choose a Black woman above all others isn’t good for Black people, or for America. And it’s particularly odd considering his predecessor’s approach.
When Barack Obama was president, Black women were the Democrats’ most loyal foot soldiers. Barack Obama received the gift of three vacancies on the Supreme Court. MSNBC’s Joy Reid never demanded that Obama nominate a Black woman for the highest court, and he never did. Instead, Obama chose Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and a white man, Merrick Garland, because character content was more important than skin color.
Now that a white man is a president, putting a Black woman on the Supreme Court is the top priority for the Black bourgeoisie. However, much of the Black community doesn’t want a first — but rather someone who will fix their schools, arrest criminals, and encourage parenting over promiscuity.
Biden won 87% of the Black vote in the 2020 election. Today, Biden’s approval rating among Black voters has plummeted from 83% last April to 64%. Members of Biden’s own party, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, blocked the Build Back Better spending plan and voting rights legislation.
Black progressives argue the Supreme Court doesn’t reflect America, and that selecting a Black woman brings diversity. But African Americans already have representation: Clarence Thomas. Putting another African American justice on the bench takes away a seat from an Asian, Native American, or LGBTQ person — reminiscent of signs that read, “Irish need not apply.” And 76% of Americans disagree with hiring judges based on race.
Even if he planned to appoint a Black woman, announcing he would do so from the get-go only did her a disservice, and the rest of America as well. Hiring because of past injustices doesn’t heal past wrongs, but instead creates resentment. Would the black community be happy if a Republican said the only qualified candidates are white men?
It does nothing for me if America’s new justice is Kamala Harris or Lori Lightfoot. I want an American judge, not someone that considers themselves hyphenated.
Jeffery McNeil is a vendor with Street Sense Media.
