Supreme Court Takes Aim at Affirmative Action

 In one of the most impactful decisions, since the United States legalized slavery in the "new world" over 300 years ago; the Supreme Court of the United States is taking on a case involving whether Affirmative Action should continue as a factor in selection for admittance to colleges.  Affirmative action is a tool used to open doors for groups of people wronged as a class by discriminatory actions and policies.

There are many black families who have had ancestors lynched, and killed by other means, by European Americans.  Why?  Because they were black and the culture in the United States allowed European Americans to be judge, jury, and exeutioner without a trial. There were very few European Americans held accountable for their lynching murderous behavior.  We now have many descendants of those European Americans walking around, leading a life of leisure and enjoyment. Some of them do not know of the crimes of their ancestors, and some do.

Isn't Affirmative Action the least this country can do to make amends for those horrific crimes against humanity?  Who are these Asians protesting this act of contrition to black people?  Those Asians can also benefit from Affirmative Action based on how they were mis treated as U.S. Citizens during the days in World War II when Japanese -American people were rounded up and sent to camps because of their heritage.  Wasn't there a financial settlement/reparations given to those Japanese Americans based on that mis treatment?  If so, does that mean the families of those Japanese Americans impacted now have to return those funds to the government of the United States?

Affirmative action has been an effective tool in breaking the cycle of poverty in families.  Affirmative action allowed members of a family to have a first generation family member attend a college of their choice.  Affirmative action moved families forward.  Affirmative action opened doors previously closed to black people. It continues to do so.

Any decision to overturn Affirmative Action as a positive tool is a return to injustice.

Many years ago, European Americans made a decision that the best way to build the "new world" they found inhabited my Native Americans was two fold.  One:  Enslave people from another land to do all the hard work European Americans were unwilling to do.  Two:  Eliminate the Native American population.  Now we have a continuance of those policies.  The new item number Three:  Take away and eliminate any practices that open doors to wronged classes of people.  Absent a one time reparations to black families, Affirmative Action is only one of the tools at our disposal.

I likely have benefited from Affirmative Action programs.  Doors were opened to me.  But once the doors were opened, it was up to me to do all the hard work required after I walked through the door.  That is what I have done.  As a first generation college graduate in my family, to include obtaining a Masters degree, I have flourished and had a successful life in these United States of America.  So, is that the intent of any elimination of Affirmative Action as a factor in deciding who will be admitted to a college.  If so it is a decision that will tell many that "we do not want you to be successful".

Regardless of what the Supreme Court does, we as black people will find a way through the closed doors.