Stardate 20010831.1549 (On Screen): "The refusal of the government to send the highest ranking African-American in its history to engage the world in a discussion of racism is disrespectful of the sacrifices of all that have suffered to get him where he is." So saith the Congressional Black Caucus about the decision of the government to not have Secretary of State Colin Powell attend the deeply flawed UN conference on racism being held in South Africa. That would certainly be the case if Powell's job was to be black. But it isn't, and indeed he holds that position of honor and power because he deserves it and is qualified to do so; it's not that he's black, but that he's good. I look on it a different way: Powell's race isn't relevant
and that is how it should be. It has become totally unremarkable that someone like him should be appointed to such a position. The fact that he isn't attending is the triumph of the civil rights movement: it means that Secretary Powell isn't "Secretary in charge of being a token black on the cabinet"; it means that his race didn't influence the decision. And it shouldn't have.
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