BLACK ROBES, WHITE JUSTICE

Judge Bruce Wright wrote a book called Black Robes, White Justice (1987) to explain why our legal system doesn’t work for blacks. Judge Wright studied at a progressive HBCU called Lincoln University in PA. A famous judge named Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice, also went to Lincoln. In a diametrically opposed way of thinking, the replacement for Marshall on the Supreme Court was a white-oriented thinking “Black man” named Clarence Thomas. Before his death, Marshall was disappointed with the selection of Thomas to replace his seat on the court. The ideological stakes are becoming more complex since the most recent appointee to the U.S. Supreme Court (i.e., Elena Kagan) studied under Justice Marshall. Thomas wears a black robe and he definitely supports white justice. Even more glaring, Clarence Thomas’ white wife (Virginia Thomas) will be a speaker for the conservative Virginia Tea Party in two months. Therefore, you can follow the thinking in this legal matrix. August 17: The U.S. Supreme Court ordered a federal judge to “receive testimony and findings of facts” in a new hearing for death row inmate Troy Davis, giving the Black man a chance to present evidence to clear him in the murder of a white police officer 20 years ago. August 24: A federal judge ruled that Davis failed to prove his innocence and this would set the stage for resuming plans for Davis’ execution. In the midst of the legal matrix, Justice Thomas voted in August to deny Davis the rights to prove his innocence. Remember, Geronimo Pratt, another Black man, sat in jail for 27 years in California before he was vindicated and proven to be innocent. Mumia Abu Jamal, another Black Man, currently sits on death row under similar circumstances to Davis. I conclude by stating, I am Mumia – I am Troy – Who are you? Do your research! www.freemumia.com www.troyanthonydavis.org