--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He addressed a black lawyer as \"boy\"…" description: "\"He addressed a black lawyer as \"boy\". That's why Jeff Sessions couldn't get through Senate confirmation process under the old rules followed by Democra..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b3/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_black_he-addressed-a-black-lawyer-as-boy-that_2491903.jpg" --- # He addressed a black lawyer as "boy". That's why Jeff… ![“He addressed a black lawyer as "boy". That's why Jeff Sessions couldn't get through Senate confirmation process under the old rules followed by Democrats and Republicans.” quote by Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b3/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_black_he-addressed-a-black-lawyer-as-boy-that_2491903.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b3/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_black_he-addressed-a-black-lawyer-as-boy-that_2491903.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b3/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_black_he-addressed-a-black-lawyer-as-boy-that_2491903.jpg) > “He addressed a black lawyer as "boy". That's why Jeff Sessions couldn't get through Senate confirmation process under the old rules followed by Democrats and Republicans.” [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He notes that a black lawyer was addressed as "boy," illustrating racial disrespect that contributed to Jeff Sessions' failed confirmation. **In simple terms:** Racial disrespect in language, political fallout. Key Takeaway Address racial bias in professional settings. Themes racism politics professional conduct Mood critical reflective Type political social When to use this quote - courtrooms - legislative hearings - media commentary Key Concepts racial slur confirmation process senate dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does language reflect deeper institutional racism? - What mechanisms can prevent such disrespect? A Different Perspective May overlook systemic issues beyond language. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Democrat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrat/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [Senate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senate/) ## Related quotes > [I wanted to be a leading man - the black lawyer, the black doctor, the black policeman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-alan-grier/i-wanted-to-be-a-leading-man-the-black-lawyer-the-black-doctor-the/) [David Alan Grier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-alan-grier/) > [A group of white South Africans recently killed a black lawyer because he was black. That was wrong. They should have killed him because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-whitney-brown/a-group-of-white-south-africans-recently-killed-a-black-lawyer/) [A. Whitney Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-whitney-brown/) > [Strom Thurmond, the former segregationist candidate for president was the Republican Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1986 and he tried to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/strom-thurmond-the-former-segregationist-candidate-for-president-was/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [If Jeff Sessions had been an editor of something like "Breitbart", Ronald Reagan wouldn't have even nominated him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/if-jeff-sessions-had-been-an-editor-of-something-like-breitbart/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Jeff Sessions wished he wasn't the attorney general. The president Donald Trump has the most incompetent cabinet in history, and he's unhappy with only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/jeff-sessions-wished-he-wasn-t-the-attorney-general-the-president/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [According to the old rules, Senator Jeff Sessions could not be confirmed by the United States Senate because in fact he wasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/according-to-the-old-rules-senator-jeff-sessions-could-not-be/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [ Senator Jeff Sessions is reportedly on the \[Donald\] Trump shortlist to be either the next Secretary of Defense or the next Attorney General of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/senator-jeff-sessions-is-reportedly-on-the-donald-trump-shortlist-to/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [The "New York Times" interview shows that the president Donald Trump believes he can get through the special prosecutor's investigation of obstruction of justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-new-york-times-interview-shows-that-the-president-donald-trump/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Someone who traffics in much more than what Jeff Sessions said back then will be with the president every day in the White House…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/someone-who-traffics-in-much-more-than-what-jeff-sessions-said-back/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Something the committee had not done in 50 years. Jeff Sessions is now the Chairman of the Committee that rejected him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/something-the-committee-had-not-done-in-50-years-jeff-sessions-is-now/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [It is amazing that Jeff Sessions is still in the job. Any self-respecting Attorney General of the United States would have publicly resigned as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/it-is-amazing-that-jeff-sessions-is-still-in-the-job-any-self/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [When Ronald Reagan nominated Jeff Sessions for federal district court judgeship, the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected his nomination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/when-ronald-reagan-nominated-jeff-sessions-for-federal-district-court/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Rudy Giuliani would bring conflicts of interest into any Senate confirmation hearing that would be impossible to clear if confirmation hearings operate under the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/rudy-giuliani-would-bring-conflicts-of-interest-into-any-senate/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [In pre-Trump Washington where the old rules applied, Rudy Giuliani could never survive the Senate confirmation process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/in-pre-trump-washington-where-the-old-rules-applied-rudy-giuliani/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [The question for the Republicans running the confirmation hearings in the United States Senate is whose rules are they going to use?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-question-for-the-republicans-running-the-confirmation-hearings-in/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) ## More by Lawrence O'Donnell > [All writers are forced to live within deadlines, and deadlines determine how good they can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/all-writers-are-forced-to-live-within-deadlines-and-deadlines/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [The question for the Republicans running the confirmation hearings in the United States Senate is whose rules are they going to use?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-question-for-the-republicans-running-the-confirmation-hearings-in/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Prosecutors have absolutely no control over what witnesses say when they leave the grand jury room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/prosecutors-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what-witnesses-say-when/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Because Republicans defected and voted with all the Democrats to reject Jeff Sessions' nomination when they discovered that when he was working as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/because-republicans-defected-and-voted-with-all-the-democrats-to/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [ In this case, the government will essentially be run by the people who are running it now. 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They're not there to be partisans, they're not there to be ideologues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/national-security-advisors-are-not-there-to-be-advocates-generally/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Never once has Republican world said hey, maybe we should look into how police officers are carrying out their solemn public responsibility to serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/never-once-has-republican-world-said-hey-maybe-we-should-look-into/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [When Ronald Reagan nominated Jeff Sessions for federal district court judgeship, the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected his nomination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/when-ronald-reagan-nominated-jeff-sessions-for-federal-district-court/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Show business comes with wonderfully long vacations, like the life of a college professor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/show-business-comes-with-wonderfully-long-vacations-like-the-life-of/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [It is amazing that Jeff Sessions is still in the job. 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