It Is Time to Appoint an African American to the RI Supreme Court – Rep. Almeida
Thursday, June 11, 2020
With everything going on today, it is a moral imperative Governor Gina Raimondo name an African American to serve on the Rhode Island Supreme Court. This is something that would go a long way to giving a voice to our minority sisters and brothers.
At the moment, the Rhode Island Supreme Court is comprised of all white justices with Justice Gilbert Indeglia retiring in January. With this retirement, there will be one vacancy to the Rhode Island Supreme Court, and this vacancy should be filled by a minority especially an African American.
Our courts should be a melting pot of diversity yet we have never had an African American Supreme Court judge. This is something that Ms. Raimondo (whom I supported over the years) needs to rectify. Rhode Island’s minority community needs fair representation on Rhode Island’s highest court, and this is one way to ensure it.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTMs. Raimondo claims to be on the side of the “Black Lives Matter” movement and also has been very supportive of many of its leaders. Desegregating the Supreme Court would go down in the history books as an achievement for her, and our minority community.
This appointment will not rectify the challenges we face as a country when all too often African Americans are murdered simply for being black. It will not rectify years of discrimination, or the high poverty levels minorities are forces to subsist within.
However, it is a positive step in the right direction toward racial justice. All too often, minorities are locked out at far higher levels than white. If anything, minorities desperately need a voice on the Supreme Court; someone that can forcefully speak to his or her own experiences as a minority.
We need to see action especially with this near-constant stream of high profile African American deaths at the hands of police officers. This is Mrs. Raimondo’s time to show that as a state we can have learned to embrace diversity and inclusion; that we all should have a voice.
Ms. Raimondo, we need action on this issue. Appoint an African American to the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Show that you are on the side of diversity and inclusion.
Rep. Joe Almeida represents the 12th District, representing the South Side and Washington Park in Providence.
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