“One More River to Cross”-Recognizing the Real Injury in Brown: A Prerequisite to Shaping New Remedies” by Charles Lawrence
Context/Premise:
Segregation, racism, blacks vs. whites, justice, Supreme Court, misunderstandings, recognition or lack there of, Brown, laws, privilege, power, unchangeable, ideas, school, nature of the institution, society, inferiority, equal participation, stigmas, race, protection, amendments, education, children, roots, establishment, injury, exclusion, state action, self-confidence, self-perpetuating institution, deeply embedded ideas, change, control, preparation and desegregation.

Argument:
Charles Lawrence argues that “the Brown decision fostered a way of thinking about segregataion that has allowed both the judiciary and society at large to deny the reality of race in America, that the recognition of that reality is critical to the framing of any meaningful remedy-judicial or political-and that Brown may ultimately be labeled a success only insofar as we are able to make it stand for what it should have stood for in 1954.”

Evidence:
“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;” and the “failure to recognize and articulate the true nature of racial segregation was more the product of an intentional, knowledgeable decision than the result of any inability to comprehend.”
This sentence reminded me of some of the previous documents we have discussed in class that without recognizing and speaking the words things will just continue on in the same manner as they have been. It’s similar to “putting a band aid on a broken leg” statement because the court did not recognize the true nature of segregation; not because they were not able to comprehend it, but instead, because they chose to not acknowledge it. Segregation in itself is an institution which is formed to label blacks inferior, as the next statement suggests.

“Segregation’s only purpose is to label or define blacks as inferior and thus exclude them from full and equal participation in society.”
Basically this article revolves around this statement. The concept and foundation of segregation is to keep blacks in this state of inferiority making it extremely difficult to rise above it and ultimately remain in a lower position. The true nature of the institution of segregation is what Charles Lawrence argues about in this document in relation to Brown and other court decisions.

“Blacks are injured by the existence of the system or institution of segregation rather than by particular segregation acts.”
Because blacks are kept in this state of inferiority they have a much more difficult time rising above the segregation which the institution keeps them in. This statement argues that blacks are more affected by the institution of segregation than they are by segregation acts placed upon them.

“Segregation is organic and self-perpetuating. Once established it will not be eliminated by mere removal of public sanction but must be affirmatively destroyed.”
I liked the way that segregation was described as being “organic and self-perpetuating” because it is another way of describing it as an institution which has deep roots making it difficult to remove. Self perpetuating, to me, is describing something which can reproduce all on its own from its own establishment. It also has the affect of making me think that it is something which is embedded within people’s nature at a young age unless they are able to unlearn it and at that point of unlearning the nature of segregation does not necessarily mean that anything will be done about it. The institution of segregation, as described, can “not just be eliminated by mere removal of public sanction but must be affirmatively destroyed.” What does it mean to affirmatively destroy something? How would someone go about affirmatively destroying an institution such as segregation?

The next three quotes taken from this document are all examples of how the institution of segregation’s purpose is to keep blacks in an inferior class unable to move forward because of the lack of opportunities presented to them through the strict and deeply embedded nature of segregation. Unfortunately, like the previous statements have explained, to “affirmatively destroy the institution and its principles is the only way in which to eliminate segregation.

“Purpose of the institution of segregation has always been to stigmatize and subordinate rather than to simply separate.”
This quote talks of how segregations purpose is not only to separate the races, but more importantly or rather more significantly, segregation is used to stigmatize and keep blacks in an inferior position.

“Institution is used as an instrument of subordination which used a strict and rigid caste system to clearly define and limit the social, political, and economic mobility of blacks.”

“To create and maintain a permanent lower class or sub caste defined as race.”