A few political commentators have suggested that the era of Jim Crow, that long, dark historical period when the rights of Black Americans were all but abrogated, has returned with a vengeance. Others contend that it never really left. Let’s split the difference and call the current phase of democratic denial Clarence Crow, with no apologies to a certain noted jurist. It is absolutely disheartening that a recent Supreme Court of the U.S. (SCOTUS) vote has essentially demolished the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and that six justices can render a decision stripping millions of Americans of their constitutional rights, one of them being African American.
I know some of my fellow citizens will take umbrage at this conclusion, but we are faced with little recourse because to expect Congress to challenge the SCOTUS decision is out of the question, with the Senate firmly under the leadership of Chair John Thune; Chuck Grassley, chair of the Judiciary Committee; and Mike Johnson at the helm of the House as Speaker. While they can legally take a stand against such devastating setbacks, they have neither the gumption nor the political will to do it. It’s hard to conceive of a time when we will have a representative government in which there is equality and true majority rule.
Whatever Crow you choose to call it, Black Americans are in for a rough judicial ride in the foreseeable future, no matter where they reside and cast their ballots. As far as I can see, it is for the court to allow political gerrymandering, but dismissing maps that use race to provide representation blurs the line between intentionality.
Once again, African American voters are caught in the throes of jurisprudence semantics, and the end result will witness the disappearance of a raft of Black representatives.
Ok, Mr. Crow, you’re back on the roost.