Goodbye AA

Yesterday was a sad day in American history. The Supreme Court struck down the legality of Affirmative Action. Believe you me, the Ivory Tower is very Ivory. Now it is just gonna be more and more Ivory, like it was when it started.  

What are we going to do about this ruling? I know that Affirmative Action was never meant to be forever. It was supposed to help people catch up. So, perhaps it is the right time to strike it from the books. Only time will tell. I teach at my alma mater, which of course I love, and we are proudly an Anti-Racist University. We are also private, so the rules may be a little different for us - thank God!

I started to freak out yesterday, but then I spoke with my sister up in Michigan who is very smart.  Michigan is where some of this started. I studied it in depth in my PhD program in Educational Leadership. Affirmative Action court cases were for the University of Michigan Law School at the beginning of the millenium. My sister reminded me of a fact that Affirmative Action has been illegal in Michigan since 2006. I had forgotten that fact. 

Then I said the "Serenity Prayer" -- "Accept the things I cannot change." I try daily but fighting racism, sexism, homophobia - those are systemic issues. One person - little ole Molly -- cannot change an entire culture. But,  "The courage to change the things I can," now that's something I can do. I don't have to get all negative and fight with people in the Twittersphere or whatever over politics. "And the wisdom to know the difference." I get that the only thing I really can do is work with the parts over which I have control - which is really not much. God is in charge though. She's smarter than me, so that is a very good thing. 

I wish we lived in a post-racial society.  I remember ignorantly thinking that we did while Obama was in office. But sadly, we simply do not. Race in America is the worst it has been in my entire lifetime of half a century. 

Thank goodness that recovery is good for me. I would have gotten all negative about this a few months ago. But why even bother getting in a negative space when so much positive work still needs to be done?

So, Michigan had to figure this all out in 2006. America will too. Gosh, I am so proud to be from Detroit, Michigan. What an amazing city.  The heart and soul of America - and she just keeps recovering beautifully and leading the way. Michigan figured this out. America will, and perhaps will be better for it. One can hope right?