A recent press release from the Stephen Wayne Smith Texas Supreme Court race screamed: “African-American Democratic elected official supports Stephen Wayne Smith, Hopwood law-
yer and Republican nominee for the Texas Supreme Court.” Hardly news. Black folks always manage to find a way to work against our best interests.

In this instance, a Black woman who serves on the school board of the Everman school district (near Fort Worth) praises Smith for leading a lawsuit to create single member districts in that area. That is well and good. After all, Smith is a graduate of that school district. However, the trustee takes it a step further when she said she supports Smith’s stand against affirmative action in college admissions, as evidenced by his infamous Hopwood lawsuit, which was bad enough in itself.

However, the court decision on this case led then Republican-wannabee Attorney General Dan Morales to move to the right of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and place undue limits on college admissions and financial aid at Texas public institutions. So, this is the ideological company Marilyn Hodge keeps. In her praise of Smith, Hodge said, related to college admissions: “Whoever has the highest score, let them in.” Is it time to establish an IQ or fitness test for people to serve in public office?

(Martin is a freelance political columnist living in the Texas Capitol and the U.S. Capitol).