Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the Fisher v. University of Texas case that seeks to overturn the consideration of race in college admissions. Joe had an excellent post about this case a few days ago, you can read it here.
(Abigail Fisher on the steps of the Supreme Court, from here.)
Once the court issues a ruling, we’ll be back with more analysis. Until then, you can read the transcript for yourself, it’s available for download here (pdf). And, if you’d prefer to have someone else read it for you, and give you updates in a series of cogent 140-character updates, you can read through Jessica Luther’s Twitter timeline (@scATX) here.
Let me first say that I’ve read most of the other recent essays here, and they all get my thumbs up.
But aside from the mystifying change in polls based on a single debate, this Fisher case is the other thing occupying my activism energy.
Is it just me, or does anyone else thing the complainants in this case are spoiled and entitled. Back when I was graduating from high school and matriculating into college, I didn’t get a scholarship I had applied for. I didn’t blame race, black or white. I knew I didn’t interview well. In fact, if I were to blame anyone besides myself, I have to blame my interviewers for having me sit in a swivel chair! Still, though, you get my point. I didn’t feel entitled to the scholarship. When a classmate of mine won the scholarship, even though we’re equally smart (or I’m smarter), I didn’t wig out. So what’s these people’s problem?
The other thing that just sticks in my craw is that 5 of the 9 people presuming to make this monumental decision for the rest of the 300 million of us are white men. There’re two white women, a Latina, and Clarence Thomas, who is the very definition of internalized racism. Are you kidding me?!
And how do these girls know the credentials of the other applicants anyway? My aforementioned classmate, I heard, had a summer math tutor. And I know other the girls who helped her with her English and history papers because she’s stronger at math. And I think she tutored other students. But this is someone who graduated valedictorian of my high school class. And my mom had taught at my high school. So I had access to info I wouldn’t have known about kids at other high schools. AND, we had all graduated college by the time I found out I was the only person in my class to score a 5 on the AP biology exam. So how do these girls know the qualifications of other applicants such that they can argue others took their spots just because of race?
Btw, did I mention the audacity of so many white people and Clarence Thomas presuming to even hear this case, much less make a decision!