La. debate over black justice recalls earlier racial divide

By some accounts, Justice Bernette Johnson is on course to become the first African-American chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court in February, marking a pivotal moment in the state’s history of race relations. But, as USA Today is reporting today, a swell of opposition from within the bench has touched off a controversy that recalls Louisiana’s most contentious racial clashes. The issue began simply enough. Two fellow Supreme Court justices, who are white, contested Johnson’s tenure, saying she did not have as much experience on the bench as they possess. No racial comments were made; the justices said their opposition was based solely on experience. Many Louisianans, however, see it as a black-and-white issue. “This is one of the most blatant and obvious racially motivated fights we’ve seen since David Duke made the runoff for governor,” says state Sen. J.P. Morrell, a Johnson supporter, referencing the former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard who narrowly lost a bid for Louisiana governor in 1991. Read the full story here.