Berry-Myers, part of the group of Blacks who testified in favor of the Supreme Court nomination of Justice Clarence Thomas, said that while she and other Black Republicans embrace anti-discrimination programs, they abhor affirmative action mandates by the government.
"The federal government should fight discrimination, not promote it," she said. Height said that many of the opponents of affirmative action are ignorant of their roots. She said many people misunderstand Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s statement that people should be judged by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin. Height said it was important to note that his life focused on tearing down an unjust system and opening doors to those shut out of opportunity.
"Many of us are the beneficiaries of open doors, but don't know how they got open in the first place," she said. "Many of us are not old enough to know where we came from."
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