From Del Walters, Ebony Magazine:
Perhaps it shouldn’t matter to anyone – but it does. While it may be years before we see the first African American woman president, we could have and should have had a shot at the first African American female justice. Even more troubling, there was no public cry for one, save a few brave radio DJ’s. When the short list of qualified candidates was being vetted around Washington, no one asked why there was no mention of black women.
If nothing else, think about the proud heritage that person would draw upon. Imagine a woman who hails from the same spirit of Harriet Tubman, or Sojourner Truth, or even the late Dorothy Height. There is a certain dignity that comes with being an African American woman. It defies schooling, and transcends pedigree. An African American woman should have been considered by the president because without them, we, and I’m speaking as an African American male, would not be where we are today. Neither would he.
Imagine the wisdom of Oprah Winfrey on the bench, or the eloquence of Maya Angelou arguing cases in the chambers. Imagine the discipline of a woman who, like Harriet Tubman, led her people from slavery. Black women did so then, they continued to do so today. What’s wrong with Justice Winfrey or Angelou, or Gilmore?
Gilmore? Okay, I admit I’m a bit prejudiced here. Judge Vanessa Gilmore is also a friend. But she’s also a Federal Judge who sits on the bench in Houston. She possesses quick wit, a sharp tongue, and wisdom beyond her years.
A Clinton appointee, Gilmore is the embodiment of the African American female. She is strong, independent, and outspoken when needed and silent when silence matters. She is a single mom, raising an adopted child, a male, and she is doing it well. Like many before her, she did not graduate from Harvard or Yale, but instead a lesser known school. Despite that, she rose through the ranks of the legal system and did well enough to get the attention of then President Bill Clinton. For those reasons alone, she deserved a shot at becoming the first African American female Supreme Court Justice.
To be certain there will be those who will argue that a candidate should not be chosen simply because she is black, or female, or young or old. I disagree. I remember integration. It was that time in American society when right minded people saw fit to integrate a wrong thinking America. We had separate lunch counters, drinking fountains, and schools of thought. Without those lunch counter demonstrations, and silent demonstrations none of this would be possible. The NBA would be bland, with white men still shooting underhand. Football would look like hockey, and hockey would be, well, the same. Teaching at Harvard does not make someone qualified. Teaching at Bowie State University does. Teaching at a well heeled prep school does not make an educator, teaching in the Baltimore public school system does.
I doubt seriously that the Senate would have confirmed a black female, which is a statement in itself. The fact that America so quickly dismisses the possibility is to deny their very existence. Yes Mr. President, it was time to at least try. Rosa Parks deserves no less.
Continue to the full article at the Ebony Magazine website.