March Editorial Winner

When will we quit recording society’s firsts?

By David Stringer, The Lawton Constitution

When will it be, we wondered last week, that we’ll have to quit recording “firsts” for humanity’s development?

Far overshadowed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, headlines of the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the nation’s first Black female to the U.S. Supreme Court was hailed in some circles and, as you might imagine, criticized in others.

The criticisms seemed to focus primarily on the fact that then-candidate Biden promised he’d appoint a Black female to the court for the first time in history, causing opposition to decry that it was an 
“affirmative action” selection as much as it was about her qualifications. We’re trying to remember if Ronald Reagan’s similar promise to nominate the Court’s first female – Sandra Day O’Connor – was criticized for similar reasons. It probably was, to some extent.

Still, we wondered, won’t it be nice when a nominee, selection, or whatever just happens without having to look to be the “first”. Or are we destined to slice and dice selections into ever-more-granular categories? “She was the first lactose intolerant, south equatorial emigre of at least 15 percent indigenous ancestry to finish in the top-third of a publicly-funded religious-based online certification program.”

We’re not making light of the fact that we need to continue to get better. And Judge Brown Jackson’s selection is historic. We just long for the day when we don’t have to look for such distinctions.

Bishop John Dunaway, a member of Lawton’s religious community noted clearly what should be our goal as a people: “I think when we consider that she’s not just being nominated because she’s a woman, or African-American, that she is qualified, not just marginally qualified, but top-of-the-line qualified. I always want the room to be filled in an equitable way, but I don’t want the room represented by those who are not qualified.”

When we reach that point, that’s a first that’ll be worth celebrating as well.