Much like in the early days of the civil rights movement, It was one man who stood up to the status quo and brought a racist institution; the confederate flag.
During the jury selection duty of the murder trial of Felton Dorsey, Carl Staples stood before the court and said he was outraged by the sight of the Confederate flag in the courthouse lawn. Because of his statement, the judge allowed the prosecution to remove Mr. Staples from the jury. The prosecutor was then allowed to remove five of the seven qualified black prospective jurors.
Carl Staples, the prospective black juror, had refused to participate during jury selection in the trial of Felton Dorsey, saying that he was outraged by the sight of the Confederate flag in the courthouse lawn. According to the Louisiana Justice Institute, after Staples’ outcry, the judge granted the prosecutor the opportunity to remove him from the jury. The prosecutor then proceeded to strike five out of the remaining seven qualified black prospective jurors.
In my opinion, if a court is allowed to fly a confederate flag on its lawn, it obviously is not willing to address claims of racism. ““In a community that is 48 percent black, the tendency has been that only one black person is allowed to serve on the jury,” charged Ben Cohen of the Capital Appeals Project, who is also working on the case. The flag is a symbol of one of the most heinous crimes ever committed to another member of the human race, and I just don’t see how you could say that, I mean, you’re here for justice, and then again you overlook this great injustice by continuing to fly this flag which puts salt in the wounds of people of color.” (abajournal.com, 2011)
“Allowing it to fly outside the Caddo Parish courthouse sends a clear statement that capital punishment cannot be fairly administered within the courthouse walls,” pleaded ACLU Staff Attorney Anna Arceneaux before the Louisiana Supreme Court in defense of Felton Dorsey. The ACLU, along with a coalition of other civil rights groups and local protesters, rallied on May 3, 2011 for the removal of the flag. They were joined by Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree, who called Staples “the Rosa Parks of the criminal justice system, the juror who would not serve under a Confederate flag.” The Louisiana Supreme Court issued and opinion about the charge that its presence promotes racism, The opinion acknowledged “the display of a confederate flag would be offensive to some” citing cases from the 4th and 11th Circuit Courts that recognized that “the confederate flag has multiple ‘emotionally charged’ meanings and is viewed by some as a symbol of white supremacy” and that “It is the sincerely held view of many Americans, of all races, that the confederate flag is a symbol of racial separation and oppression… it is not an irrational inference that one who displays the confederate flag may harbor racial bias against African-Americans”(lasc.org, 2011).
After more than sixty years, 0n November 4, 2011, the request to remove the flag came before the Caddo Parish Commissioners who voted 11-1 the authorization to remove the flag from the grounds of the Caddo Parish Courthouse. It was a very heated and emotional outcome from those who see the flag as a symbol of heritage and those who see the flag as a symbol of racism. Personally I see it as a heritage of slavery, lynchings, the Ku Klux Klan, Segregation, Jim Crow, terrorism, and treason. I also never been one to hold back on my opinions.
Because of the possibility for violence to break out while the flag was being lowered, the courts removed the flag in the middle of the night instead of 4 pm the next day as requested by one of the Caddo Commissioners. In any event, it is gone now, and maybe real justice can be served in Louisiana. I hope it makes a difference, even though racism is still alive and well in the south.
Because of the possibility for violence to break out while the flag was being lowered, the courts removed the flag in the middle of the night instead of 4 pm the next day as requested by one of the Caddo Commissioners. In any event, it is gone now, and maybe real justice can be served in Louisiana. I hope it makes a difference, even though racism is still alive and well in the south.
Louisiana Supreme Court to consider impact on courthouse. (2011). Abajournal.com. Retrieved on November 30, 2011 from
Blog of Rights. (2011). aclu.org. Retrieved on November 30, 2011 from
New Release #56. (2011).Louisiana Supreme Court. Retrieved on November 30, 2011 from http://www.lasc.org/news_releases/2011/2011-056.asp
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