Demand Ted Cruz Apologize for Racist Comments

Target: Ted Cruz, Senator from Texas

Goal: Demand that Senator Ted Cruz take responsibility for his theatrical tirade at Supreme Court Nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing as unjust, racist and politically motivated. 

As the historic confirmation hearings of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson come to a close, the GOP’s discomfort with the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court grows more apparent. During Judge Jackson’s latest conversation with the Senate, Senator from Texas Ted Cruz contributed to the Republican smear campaign against the nominee, weaponizing her support of critical race theory and race consciousness in general. The Republican senators’, particularly Ted Cruz’s, probes of Judge Jackson were informed by blatant racism, partisan politics, and white fear. Senator Cruz must apologize for his unjust, discriminatory attacks, as well as acknowledge that confirmation hearings for the highest court in the country are no place for the exercise of a personal, racist philosophy.

While wielding “Antiracist Baby” by Ibram X. Kendi, Senator Cruz asked Judge Jackson if she “agreed with this book…being taught,” at the school where Jackson serves as a trustee. He pressed forward, asking if she believed “that babies are racist.” The origin of Cruz’s comically inappropriate performance shined through during his much needed clarificatory comments. “If you look at the Georgetown Day Schools’ curriculum,” he insisted, “it is filled and overflowing with critical race theory.” “Literally stacks and stacks of books.” Cruz later invoked part of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, misappropriating it as a call for racial ignorance and falsely molding the line into a corroboration of the dangers of education on race. 

Cruz’s line of questioning, or what could be more accurately described as theatrics of ignorance, was sourced in fear and blatant racism. Critical race theory is an academic movement, originating from the late 80s, that examines the ways in which racism exists within and is perpetuated by seemingly unbiased law. The discipline, as noted by Judge Jackson in her response, is a topic taught in higher education and not necessarily during grades K-12. Jackson further mentioned that Cruz’s charade related in no way to her qualifications pertaining to her future duties as a Supreme Court Judge–the determined purpose of the hearing. Rather, Cruz’s statements were grounded in a fear of progressive change and apprehensiveness that comes when white people face America’s racist past. Sign below to demand Ted Cruz apologize for his racially motivated antics.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Mr. Cruz,

During the latest confirmation hearing of our current Supreme Court Judge Nominee, you used racist and out of scope tactics to discredit the qualifications and integrity of Ketanji Brown Jackson. You used props and weaved theatrical imagery in an attempt to weaponize Judge Jackson’s support of Black and brown people and used that as an illustration of her supposedly dangerous progressive politics.

Your presentation was woefully misinformed, unprofessional and harbored racist adhoc motivations. We demand an immediate apology for your clear prejudiced commentary, knowing that an acknowledgement can only come with an awareness of fault that you clearly do not have.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore