"One More River to Cross"

Talking Points #7

“One More River to Cross”
By: Charles Lawrence

Premise: segregation/desegregation, black/white people, judicial/political law, Brown v. Board of Education(1954), Plessy v. Ferguson, 14th Amendment, NAACP, remedy, inferior, equality, feelings, struggle

Argument: “The Brown Decision fostered a way of thinking about segregation that has allowed both the judiciary and society at large to deny the reality is critical to the framing of any meaningful remedy – judicial or political – and that Brown may ultimately be labled a success only insofar as we are able to make it stand for what it shood have stood for in 1954.”
Translation of Argument: Lawrence is trying to say segregation in schools is illegal now, but there is still segregation in society. Segregation in society is not good either, unlike the schools’ where it is illegal. People of different color should be coming together.

My Thoughts: “One More River to Cross”, by Charles Lawrence, was a little difficult to understand it all. It is obvious that he is a lawyer. The title, “One More River to Cross”, is actually from a Black folk song. The Brown v. Board of Education was a good thing but it is only one step. Blacks are still treated as inferiors. This stigma still very much lies all around us. There is not total equality. The whole purpose of segregation was not to separate the different colors but to make the Blacks feel inferior in their own place. When I think of the word “inferior” now, it seems like we are somewhat inferior also. We caused so much pain that it is not fair to be calling anyone inferior. We as people are still not equal in society. Peoples’ thinking is going to be a hard thing to change. Being White I do not even see up close how bad this discrimination really is. I need to step into their shoes to actually know what is going on. Lawrence keeps bringing up the word “remedy”. I think of this of a disease that is trying to have a cure. This is exactly what Lawrence is trying to say, and the only way to do this is to continue through life and try to get along with one another, otherwise, it can get deadly.