Sunday, March 27, 2016

SCIENCE Magazine, AAAS Editorial: Einstein v. Roberts, by S.J. Gates Jr.


EDITORIAL
Einstein v. Roberts

S. J. Gates Jr.

Summary

In the recent U.S. Supreme Court hearing on A. Fisher v. the University of Texas about university admission policies regarding minority students, Chief Justice John Roberts asked, “What unique perspective does a minority student bring to a physics class?” As an African-American physicist researching string theory, and a teacher of university students since 1972, I have a response.


Excerpt...

In the recent U.S. Supreme Court hearing on A. Fisher v. the University of Texas about university admission policies regarding minority students, Chief Justice John Roberts asked, “What unique perspective does a minority student bring to a physics class?” As an African-American physicist researching string theory, and a teacher of university students since 1972, I have a response.

Issues related to race in the United States have created barriers since the nation's founding, determining which citizens experience benefits, and which deprivations. This problem is not new for physicists. Albert Einstein's essay “The Negro Question” includes “What…can the man of good will do to combat this deeply rooted prejudice? He must have the courage to set an example by word and deed, and must watch lest his children become influenced by this racial bias.” Einstein described racism as a “disease,” and he recommended principles to end discrimination, aligning with the O. Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, decision by the Supreme Court in 1954 to desegregate public schools.

“…a different perspective is an asset in science…”


Read the full article here in SCIENCE  

Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science

Author Information:
S. J. Gates, Jr. is a professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD, and a University System of Maryland Regents Professor.