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Garry is a young black professional, Florida State and UNC Law grad, and attorney currently residing in Miami, FL.

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Integrating Success and Opportunity

July 9th, 2007 • Related • Filed Under

Clarence Thomas. I know, right?

As you are probably aware, the Supreme Court (and Thomas because he is the only blackclarence.jpg justice) has received a lot of attention because of the recent decision that public school systems cannot seek to achieve or maintain integration through measures that take explicit account of a student’s race. The decision is thought by many to effectively destroy the inroads made by landmark decisions like Brown v. Board of Education, argued by Thurgood Marshall. Thomas voted in the majority in the recent the case and it is not the first time his presence or vote has seemingly gone against everything he should (or is expected to) represent as a black justice on the court.

However, an article I read today in the New York Times raised interesting questions for me and forced me to admit that he and I actually agree on a few things. The article suggests that Thomas has secured his place as a critic of integration. He is also quoted as saying, “it is far from apparent that coerced racial mixing has any educational benefits, much less that integration is necessary to black achievement.” And, in the past he has said, “that affirmative action programs cruelly deceived black students admitted to elite law schools under special programs who then found that they could not compete. These overmatched students take the bait only to find they cannot succeed in the cauldron of competition.” And, on this point Justice Thomas and I find some agreement.

During and since law school I have been struck by the number of former classmates and friends who have had unpleasant experiences that stem in large part from mediocre and below average academic performance. I cannot be sure how many were admitted based on affirmative action or diversity initiatives, but I know for certain many were. Now, do I think the law school benefited culturally and educationally by the many ethnic groups represented in our class? Absolutely. But, do I think all of us had the resources, lineage, or prior knowledge to fully and best compete? No.

integration.jpgI am not suggesting any of us blame our past educational institutions, parents and family or anyone else. However, on some level I believe Thomas is correct. The fact of proximity and access to white students, professors and administrators was not in law school (or in grade school, for that matter) or now a guarantee of a better education or more successful experience. And, the fact that my race may be a factor that affords me an opportunity I might not have otherwise is still no guarantee of success, only opportunity.

The thing is opportunity has been something that was long important and always thought to be a part of the struggle for equality. So, I, and most beneficiaries I am sure, remain grateful for those opportunities, wherever they come from. And, my only lingering concern regarding Justice Thomas is that even though I understand his criticism and reservations about affirmative action, a better plan has yet to be presented. Personally, I have always felt that it is the history and generations of wealth, education and experience that many minorities and the socio-economically disadvantaged do not have that perpetuate underachieving cycles. Until that playing field is leveled, I do not see how we actualize any substantive equality. Though integration has not provided the de facto solution, what it did offer was a chance minorities and the poor would not be left to languish in poor schools with few resources and ill-equipped educators. So, though I can appreciate the insight Justice Thomas’ opinions offer, until he delivers as many solutions as he does what can feel like stinging setbacks, his decisions are likely to remain shocking and divisive.

Viewing 8 Comments

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    It really is a catch-22 situation. If he opposes integration so much. He should give back to the community so that others coming after him don't have to suffer the drawbacks of coming from a 'sub-par' academic background.

    And this should apply to everyone. Professional societies like NABJ, NSBE, BMBA should really ramp up efforts to give back. I listened to an interview a while ago about a group in California who selected a relatively small group of grade school kids and have basically tutored and mentored them and will do so up to and long after college/law school.

    It's not so much as granting scholarships and creating after school programs for a few hundred or even thousand kids, but follow-up/ mentoring which is where people drop the ball.

    So my suggestion would be to follow that group's model, work with a few kids from grade-school all the way up to professional level and it will create a domino effect because these same kids will mentor younger kids while they are in college and so forth.
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    I love that idea. Here in Miami there is a program called 5000 role models that tutors and mentors kids by pairing them with professionals in the area who keep an eye to college and the future for the kids. It's the beginning when success and things like that can take root, so we do have the power (through Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and all sorts of organizations) to start small to change BIG!!!!
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    i'm going to have to disagree with thomas here.


    the inherent flaw in the logic of dismissing the factor of race as an essential piece in fair education is the assumption that the status quo plays to a fair audience.


    of course, in a perfect world, the visual differences between us shouldn't factor in the quality of our education or the depth of our experiences. i mean, after all...it's been proven that skin color bears no scientific merit.


    the problem, however, is that human beings are not direct followers of practical, scientific thought, dare i say rational thought. we are emotional, prejudicial, and biased entities that gravitate towards comfort zones and areas of acceptance. challenging our natural tendencies by diversifying our learning environments is essential for us to grow as a species. to pretend that affirmative action policies 're-tip' the scale in a minorities favor is an argument that reiterates my point.


    the fact that we still argue and discuss the 'deserved merits of minorities at certain places' shows the true biased character of even the brightest minds. the real question is 'why shouldn't blacks be there?' and 'what determines a qualified applicant?' why is it that lawsuits about 'qualified applicants' are assumed to have merit merely because the plaintiff is white? so our standards are now based on 'what is generally accepted (3.5+, 1600, chi omega tau)?' who has defined this?


    to assume that one would have done better at law school merely because of the opportunities afforded to people of a majority race substantially shows that our society is not utopia and that decisions like this are counterproductive to the end goal. affirmative action aims to provide opportunity. if a school decides, based on its applicant pool, to accept a certain caliber of student, then the argument of 'able to succeed' is moot.


    success is defined by ones experiences, not by another's definition of predicated standard. it is up to the school to take its pool of applications, of all backgrounds, and help them define their own destiny.

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    Let me thread-jack a bit:

    How do affirmative action programs today ameliorate the differences in funding structure and socioeconomic levels between groups?

    i.e. schools in poor areas remain so because they cannot generate the necessary revenue due to the lack of property tax value.

    Determining who can/cannot enter an elite educational institution would seem to do little to effect improvement in the elementary/secondary/postsecondary academic achievement if there is no means/method to EQUALLY fund those supply schools.

    That puts the responsibility back on the parents or the local teachers, who may or may not be sub-optimal in the first place.

    So by that standard, isn't Thomas correct in theorizing that the mere presence next to white folks is enough to improve black academic performance?

    Or maybe that's the butyllithium talking??
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    I see your point, Fredric and I raise you the unfortunate reality. It's true that our own definition of success is what is important. I had to "redefine" success in law school when I no longer received the grades I was used to. That will never change the fact that as a practical matter a 3.5 tends to lead to a six-figure salary, a big house and a car and that for the most part people will look on that as a valid measure of success. I think it is unrealistic to expect a paradigm shift in the minds of students re: success when only certain numerals are going to lead to scholarships, Phi Beta Kappa or even your mom and dad giving you $5 dollars for every "A" or "B".

    Additionally, if we are aware that we need to challenge our natural tendencies I would say the onus is on us, our parents and role models to help us "diversify." Which goes back to Black Ph.D Chemist's point. I had a mother who made it a point to expose me to a very wide variety of activities and people. As a result I met a lot of people and different people at a very young age and that activity gave me something in common with them even if my race didn't. I am not saying that will be easy. And, if you are in an all black school (or all "whatever") it's that much harder since your extra-curricular activities are likely to be all whatever. But, that furthers another crucial point. Schools are only responsible for so much of our children's education. I would say more than 75% of our education should be happening outside of our schools but we rely on them as baby-sitters and parental proxies and blame them for many of our children's ills. It's the parents and it's the village that are responsible. If we are so concerned about our children's education, definitions of success, and sense of culture and diversity then it's our job to supplement it and create those opportunities more so than any school. And, for us older "students" once we know the benefits of a broader range of experience that knowledge provides the impetus to do something about, to get out there learn, change and grow.
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    This is HARD for me to say but maybe we as black folks aren't being as honest about this subject as we would like to think. Really what "we" want is what "they" have...a good school with a good reputation, excellent resources and where students will be given all of the tools necessary to realize their full potential. AND THAT'S IT! We use the argument, that we want to exchange cultural experiences because we all have something postive to share....blah blah blah. We use that arument because we have to! I really think that most of us would be fine with our children attending the all black school down the street if we felt that our children were being given the best education possible and that it would give them access to all of the things that WE ALL want in life... a nice job, a nice home, financial stability, the ability to raise a respectable family, happiness, freedom whatever. We use the argument that culture adds something to education because we have to...not necessarily because we want to learn what other cultures have to share with us. Where the problem lies in my view, is that the one pathway to realization of full potential (affirmative action) would be cut off by saying "race doesn't contribute to education" with no alternative provided and therefore no necessary resources and no ability for many to realize the potential they have. If affirmative action is not the answer, all I am saying is give me one, but I need AN ANSWER.
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    I need to re-read this, but I just wanted to say inadequate preparation will always lead to inadequate performance if certain groups aren't given the chance to operate in a "superior" environment. Whether they can "compete" or not will always remain a mystery if they are never given a shot.
 
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