Staff Reports
Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears has ruffled some feathers by calling Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson a “diversity hire.” Sears made this statement in response to Jackson’s reasoning for dissenting to a recent ruling on race-based admissions standards for universities. In an appearance on Fox News, Sears stated, “What you have is a justice who was chosen because she’s black and because she’s a woman. And ya know, that’s what we’re understanding now, what a woman is.”
It seems that Sears takes issue with Jackson’s inability to define what a woman is, as evidenced by her statement during her Senate confirmation hearing that she is “not a biologist.” Sears sarcastically remarked, “And Martha, while we’re playing these stupid games, I’m saying that education and the lack of it in America has risen to a national crisis. China is not playing these stupid games, China is interested in total world domination.”
Not only has Jackson’s dissent received criticism from legal scholars, but even Justice Clarence Thomas has weighed in, calling it lacking in constitutional basis. In her dissent, Jackson wrote, “With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life.” Sears seems to agree with the criticism, stating, “And having so detached itself from this country’s actual past and present experiences, the court has now been lured into interfering with the crucial work that UNC and other institutions of higher learning are doing to solve America’s real-world problems.”
Sears continued to express her concerns, stating, “No one benefits from ignorance. Although formal race-linked legal barriers are gone, race still matters to the lived experiences of all Americans in innumerable ways, and today’s ruling makes things worse, not better.” It seems that Sears is suggesting that race still plays a significant role in society and that the ruling has failed to address this reality.
Justice Thomas didn’t hold back in his criticism of Jackson either, stating in his concurring opinion that her attempts to link “the legacy of slavery and the nature of inherited wealth” to negative socioeconomic outcomes for black Americans is irrational. Thomas also called it “an insult to individual achievement and cancerous to young minds seeking to push through barriers, rather than consign themselves to permanent victimhood.” It seems that Thomas sees Jackson’s perspective as detrimental to progress and promoting a sense of victimhood.
Winsome Sears calls Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson a diversity hire:
“What you have is a justice who was chosen because she’s black and because she’s a woman.” pic.twitter.com/3erXvvv1HH
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) June 29, 2023
Overall, it’s clear that Sears and Thomas are not fans of Justice Jackson’s dissent and have taken issue with her reasoning. They argue that her perspective fails to address the real-world impact of race and perpetuates a victim mentality. Whether you agree with their views or not, it’s clear that this ruling has sparked controversy and differing opinions.
