2008 Woodie Awards
'Colorblind' Constitution discussed
Panel event draws students
Ashley Fuquay
Issue date: 9/20/07 Section: News
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Constitution Day, Sept. 17, was celebrated by Tarleton's third annual panel discussion this year headed by Dr. Charles Howard from the department of Communication Studies, Dr. Malcolm Cross from the department of Social Sciences, and Amanda Bigbee, who is associated with the law firm Henslee and Schwart and was well attended.
This discussion was held in the Jesse Tackett Auditorium on the subject of race relating to the U. S. Constitution. The title was "Colorblind Constitution?"
Cross explained that the constitution means what those in power says it means because it is open to interpretation. "Because the society is not colorblind, the constitution cannot be colorblind," he said.
"The constitution of the United States was not intended to be a colorblind document, despite the fact that it was written in colorblind language and secondly, the Constitution of the United States will never be interpreted in a colorblind fashion that given the prejudices we bring to the constitution, given the fact that we are not necessarily a colorblind society, the constitution is not going to achieve that colorblind status." said Cross. He contested that the beginnings of the constitution were not colorblind.
Cross explained that in writing the constitution there were many provisions made to assure the South of its rights to own slaves, such as the Three-fifths Rule, that the South would representation based on the number of free white citizens plus Three-fifths of the number of slaves in the state, and the installment of the electoral college, which we still use today to elect the president.
"For all its faults, the Constitution of the United States and the men who made it fashioned a national government and a citizenry strong enough and courageous enough to continuously address the issue of race in America," Cross concluded.
Bigbee went over the issue of racial programs in public high schools. Especially the issue of admitting a student to a high school in order to balance the areas demographics of race. She used examples such as the cases of Jefferson County Public Schools and the Seattle Public School District.
This discussion was held in the Jesse Tackett Auditorium on the subject of race relating to the U. S. Constitution. The title was "Colorblind Constitution?"
Cross explained that the constitution means what those in power says it means because it is open to interpretation. "Because the society is not colorblind, the constitution cannot be colorblind," he said.
"The constitution of the United States was not intended to be a colorblind document, despite the fact that it was written in colorblind language and secondly, the Constitution of the United States will never be interpreted in a colorblind fashion that given the prejudices we bring to the constitution, given the fact that we are not necessarily a colorblind society, the constitution is not going to achieve that colorblind status." said Cross. He contested that the beginnings of the constitution were not colorblind.
Cross explained that in writing the constitution there were many provisions made to assure the South of its rights to own slaves, such as the Three-fifths Rule, that the South would representation based on the number of free white citizens plus Three-fifths of the number of slaves in the state, and the installment of the electoral college, which we still use today to elect the president.
"For all its faults, the Constitution of the United States and the men who made it fashioned a national government and a citizenry strong enough and courageous enough to continuously address the issue of race in America," Cross concluded.
Bigbee went over the issue of racial programs in public high schools. Especially the issue of admitting a student to a high school in order to balance the areas demographics of race. She used examples such as the cases of Jefferson County Public Schools and the Seattle Public School District.
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