Ep. 22 - Representation Isn’t Enough

May it Displease the Court

Minority representation in positions of power is increasing at all levels of government and on the bench. But, if a minority leader was chosen and promoted by the ruling elites, with an understanding that they would use their position of power to advantage the rich and powerful who put them in power. Then those minority leaders offer the minority group which they came from nothing more than symbolic representation.

We look at Justice Clarence Thomas, Vice President Kamala Harris, Senatorial Candidate Hershel Walker, and Robert Fogg, who may be the next Monroe County Public Defender. And argue that that representation, while important, isn’t enough.

Pitting marginalized groups against each other is bad for coalition building. If a lesser qualified minority is chosen over a more qualified minority because they serve a niche need for representation, it hurts coalition building. For example, suppose a less qualified black person is selected over a more qualified white woman. In that case, it makes it harder for the two groups to unite to fight against the system still dominated by white male patriarchy.

Changing the lives of poor and minority groups requires a focus on achieving policies that redistribute public resources to change their material conditions. A person’s membership in an underserved or minority group should be one factor considered. The most influential leader who will improve the lives of underserved minorities will be the person who will fight for institutional reforms and get them effectively implemented.

Sources

• https://www.thedailybeast.com/herschel-walker-is-the-saddest-senate-candidate-ive-ever-seen

• https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/02/politics/caitlyn-jenner-transgender-athletes-california-recall/index.html

• https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/local/2022/07/28/monroe-county-legislature-president-sabrina-lamar-says-robert-fogg-her-choice-for-public-defender/65384873007/

• https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2021/11/19/monroe-county-public-defender-tim-donaher-not-seek-reappointment/8688265002/

• https://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/rochester/candidates-make-their-cases-to-lead-the-monroe-county-public-defenders-office/Content?oid=14523858#:~:text=The%20Monroe%20County%20Public%20Defender%E2%80%99s%20Office%20was%20created,with%20one.%20Annually%2C%20it%20handles%20thousands%20of%20cases.

• http://etksdefense.com/ed-nowak-appellate-superstar/

• Usual Cruelty: The Complicity of Lawyers in the Criminal Justice System by Alec Karakatsanis

• N-word vs. F-word, Black v. Gay: Uncovering Pendejo Games to Recover Intersections by Catherin R. Squiresco in the book Critical Rhetoric of Race by Kent A. Ono