Thursday, June 27, 2013

Constitutional Law: 2025

On my schedule senior year in college: Spanish Literature, Math (the lowest level possible, for the 3rd or 4th time), some communications class, some English literature class, a political science class or two, and constitutional law, the only thing that really held my interest in that last semester. The final project was a very long and in depth paper researching a historic court decision, my assignment: Brown v. Board of Education.

Interesting case but as a 22 year old college student, whose class study partner was a person with brown skin, really difficult to understand. Brown originated not far from where I went to school, and was decided less than 40 years prior. My dad, who was in high school at the time of the Brown decision, tried to help me make sense of what I was reading but the truth was that it didn't make sense and it was maddening to think that the issues presented were ever so divisive as to require Supreme Court level intervention.

Someday, twelve years from now, my children might find themselves in a classroom, assigned to study and write about United States v. Windsor, and I hope they find it just as infuriating as I found Brown.

2 comments:

Nellie said...

You may find it interesting to know that I was a junior in Clinton High School in the fall of 1956. At the time, I could not understand why it was an issue that needed to be decided by the court. It was a tumultuous time for our school, though even more traumatic for the particular dozen new students who lived just a matter of blocks away.

Equality has long been an issue for many.

I chuckled at your comment about your math courses.:-) I was in the same category for the required science courses at my small liberal arts school where I obtained my BA.:-)

northsidefour said...

Nellie, that is so interesting. Now that I am older I read about these events with an odd fascination, and still awe. So curious to know that you were there. I read about Ruby Bridges to the kids in school and they, for the most part, cannot understand, as they sit amongst a class of children from all over, and of every skin color. Thanks so much for your comments!

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