Charles Lawrence “One More River to Cross"

Premise:

o Race
o Rules
o Inequalities
o Misunderstanding
o Hope
o Differences
o Power
o Privileges
o School
o Laws
o Whiteness
o Color
o Students
o Separation
o Fairness

Argument:

Lawrence argues that the Supreme Court’s reasoning in striking down an interdistrict desegregation order in Detroit was flawed in that it misunderstood the true nature of the institution of segregation. The Court’s failure to recognize and articulate the true nature of racial segregation was more the product of an intentional, knowledge decision than the result of any inability to comprehend.

Evidence:

1. “segregation’s only purpose is to stigmatize and subordinate rather than to simply separate is perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that the whites in the antebellum south had no aversion in commingling with blacks as long as the institution of slavery made their superior status clear.”(pg 282)
2. “ black children are injured by the existence of a system of segregation, not merely by particular acts that result in the segregation of schools”(283)
3. “ segregation is self-perpetuating: once established, it will not disappear of its own accord, and its elimination requires affirmative action by the state”(284)

Thoughts to share:

This reading was one of the toughest readings we have worked on so far. I found myself continuously rereading and feeling still confused. I looked up many words. And even now I still am confused. I looked at the brown vs. board before but they way this was presented just didn’t interest me very much. However I believe it is an important topic that we need to look at.