"FIRM...but fair" with Jeffery A. Faulkerson  

On Tuesday, July 14, I watched as South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham questioned Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor about her distinguished record as a federal court judge. Judge Sotomayor just happens to be the first Latina woman nominated for this judgeship. But my skin crawled when Senator Graham lambasted Judge Sotomayor about her “wise Latina” comment.

Senator Graham believes that if he had said the experiences of a wise Caucasian man better equip him to use “sound judgment” when making court decisions, his career would have been over. And he would have been right, resulting from his being a member of the controlling majority. We must never forget that the ancestors of this same controlling majority, or white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant males and females, ascended to power by stepping on the backs of Hispanics, African-Americans and other persons of color. And even though America has come a long way in healing the wounds suffered during its racist past, many members of this controlling majority continue to walk around thinking they are God’s gift to mankind, thus diminishing the varied contributions of other racial/ethnic groups.

Senator Graham is also ignorant to the fact that many persons of color on the grassroots level are unable to take advantage of educational and vocational opportunities because access is often denied. I believe this denial of access results from the existence of longstanding “Good Ol’ Boy Networks” that welcome white males and females with open arms but turn a blind eye and deaf ear to Hispanics, African-Americans and other persons of color applying for the same jobs. If these networks had been more inviting to persons of color, we wouldn’t be prefacing Sonia Sotomayor’s name with “the first Latina woman to be…”

I applaud Judge Sotomayor for using phrases like “wise Latina” to inspire Hispanic children and adolescents. Senator Graham and others like him should be doing the same. A wise Latina understands that there are better days ahead, that a day will arrive in America when, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., persons are judged by the content of their characters rather than the color of their skins. But I don’t think this message registered with Senator Graham. He seems to be on a mission to classify Judge Sotomayor as an activist judge. But I have one question for Senator Graham: Doesn’t the legacy of American racism and discrimination require that all persons of color assert themselves as activists, especially as it pertains to our inalienable rights to life, liberty and happiness?

Activists are committed to changing the status quo, or business as usual. If most of the firefighters in a department are white, the administrators in that department must make intentional strides to recruit, hire and retain more persons of color. If a college or university serves as a haven for mostly white students, college recruiters must make intentional strides to equip and identify students of color who can thrive on their campus. It doesn’t take a genius to know that these efforts must be made to level the playing field. But we must ask ourselves, are our powerful and influential white brothers and sisters willing to make these intentional strides.

I wish Sonia Sotomayor would respond in a way that lets these senators know that America has a long way to go in leveling the playing field for all Americans. But she won’t. Like most persons of color who ascend to powerful positions, she is going to appease the controlling majority by saying what they want to hear. Shameful? Yes. But let all of us hope that when she gets confirmed, she will not forget where she came from, that she will extend her hand to the other minority men and women, boys and girls, who want to lead prosperous lives.

What do you think?

I look forward to reading your responses.

Jeffery A. Faulkerson, MSSW

THE PURPOSEFUL WRITER

www.jefferyafaulkerson.com