By Major W. Cox
In 1991, controversy over George Bush's nomination of Clarence Thomas to replace Thurgood Marshall on the U.S. Supreme Court, exposed a wide ideological schism among the African American polity with respect to racial integration. That schism remains in 1996: On one side, are those who continue to believe that integration into majority society is both possible and desirable. On the other side are increasing numbers of individuals who believe the concept of racial integration is intellectually bankrupt . . .a worthless idea that depleted their community of its social, economic and political resources.
Some who oppose integration, are former supporters of desegregation who have reevaluated their commitment to racial integration. Now, as integration detractors, they view desegregation as having destroyed many vital African American institutions. They maintain that these nonwhite institutions nurtured the special needs of the poor African American underclass within American society in a manner, style and tradition that integrated institutions do not. These integration detractors argue that desegregation effectively swindled leadership away from the African American community.
It is true that with racial integration many of the most talented and advantaged nonwhite Americans meritoriously advanced, and became a part of mainstream society. At the same time, integration neglected millions of the marginal and disadvantaged, who remain crippled by generations of slavery, segregation, and Jim Crow laws. Determining the best path. . .separate or integrated. . . to liberation for this nonwhite underclass remains to be agreed upon by our political leaders.
There are those who believe that the African American leadership misguided this underclass into accepting a victimized status in exchange for obtaining government benefits. Generations later, we can see that many of those government programs were socially destructive. Welfare programs were the most destructive. As administered, welfare created dependency and undermined the two parent family. Combined, welfare dependency and single parenthood have taken on an aspect of institutional permanence within the underclass¼ welfare supports single mothers who depend on welfare to support their children¼ creating a cycle of dependency and unwed-motherhood.
Accomplished men and women, with roots similar to Justice Thomas’, serve as excellent role models to the nation’s nonwhite underclass. Thomas, as well as many others from the nonwhite underclass, shunned the victim status and went on to succeed by exploiting both, his own talent and ability, as well as a measure of good luck. Our society needs to recognize more successful individuals, like Thomas, from that vast underclass of African Americans who are traditionally left out of everything. For millions living in segregated inner city ghettos and rural poverty, Clarence Thomas is an excellent role model. Justice Thomas’ trek from Pinpoint, Georgia to his seat on the U.S. Supreme Court is a paradigm for rejecting the seductive and addictive circumstances racial victimization offers.
Some observers view Louis Farrakhan’s successful million man march last year as an expression of frustration with the social and economic progress since segregation ended. Many of these individuals…disillusioned by their own failed hopes for, and societies yet unfulfilled promises of an integrated society… are embracing a new ideology. Some writers call it multiculturalism, other have referred to it as Afrocentrism, in this column, it’s referred to as neo-separatism (a set of ideas and beliefs emerging out of the frustrations of being political impotent). Neo-separatism must be rejected.
During it’s last term, the U.S. Supreme Court wisely declared race based congressional districts unconstitutional. Voters are now challenged to identify and elect leaders with the demonstrated ability to operate successfully within a racially integrated political environment. Electors must reject candidates for political office who would impose upon our society the failed ideology of racial separation.
America needs more leaders like Clarence Thomas, demonstrating that our society functions best as a nonracial Meritocracy. Since he was appointed at a relatively young age…his early forties…Thomas can serve on the court for many decades. He will leave his own legacy when he leaves the court. As Thurgood Marshall is remembered as the man credited with dismantling segregated school systems in America. Part of the Thomas legacy will be his role in dismantling race-based political districts. These districts unconstitutionally divides the citizens of our nation and continues to give legitimacy to the abandoned "Separate But Equal" legal doctrine.
The primary elections last month in Georgia may have been an aberration, but they offer hope. In those elections, two black candidates, U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney and U.S. Rep. Stanford Bishop, each running in a newly drawn majority white congressional district beat their Democratic Primary opponent. This must be good news to Justice Thomas, who notwithstanding dire prophetic voices, voted with the 5 to 4 majority that ruled race based political districts unconstitutional.
_________________________________
Originally Published: 1 August 1996, Montgomery Advertiser
~
© Copyright
- 1992-2004 - Major W. Cox and Montgomery Advertiser.
Read our copyright notice.
Home | Directory of Columns | Search | More About Major Cox | Related Links