Sonya SteeleDec 19, 2022

Judge Robert L. Wilkins re his ancestors:

"Those founding fathers drafted a Constitution that denied the humanity of Edie and Nancy; it didn’t even consider them to be “persons,” and you want to tell me that the only way to properly interpret the Constitution is to endorse and adopt their value system without question? That might honor Madison, but it dishonors Edie and Nancy. I cannot stand for that; but more importantly, no one should."

#BlackMastodon #BlackFedi
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/12/representation-judiciary-federal-bench-judge-wilkins.html

What One Black Judge’s Family History Can Teach Us About Justice

This is why representation matters.

Slate
Show threadNaomiOhMy 🐝 🇺🇦Dec 19, 2022
@sonyasteele What a speech. His deep (and deeply personal) understanding of the limitations of our Constitution (and of the "originalism" so often touted in conservative circles) must infuse every decision he makes. What a win for all of us that he chose to pursue a life pursuing justice. Thanks for sharing this.
Show threadSonya Steele
@NaomiOhMy
His speech provides such clarity as to why representation matters. There is no intellectually honest or moral rebuttal to his reasoning.
Dec 19, 2022 at 11:17pmWeb
Show threadNaomiOhMy 🐝 🇺🇦Dec 19, 2022
@sonyasteele I feel the same way every time Justice Jackson speaks in court--truth barreling forth, changing the world with every word.
Show threadSonya SteeleDec 19, 2022
@NaomiOhMy I totally agree 🙂