--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The unhappy persistence of both the…" description: "\"The unhappy persistence of both the practice and the lingering effects of racial discrimination ...is an unfortunate reality...and the government is no..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d6/sandra-day-o-connor-3681_acting_the-unhappy-persistence-of-both-the-prac_2771723.png" --- # The unhappy persistence of both the practice and the… ![“The unhappy persistence of both the practice and the lingering effects of racial discrimination ...is an unfortunate reality...and the government is not disqualified from acting in response to it.” quote by Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d6/sandra-day-o-connor-3681_acting_the-unhappy-persistence-of-both-the-prac_2771723.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d6/sandra-day-o-connor-3681_acting_the-unhappy-persistence-of-both-the-prac_2771723.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d6/sandra-day-o-connor-3681_acting_the-unhappy-persistence-of-both-the-prac_2771723.png) > “The unhappy persistence of both the practice and the lingering effects of racial discrimination ...is an unfortunate reality...and the government is not disqualified from acting in response to it.” [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Racial discrimination persists, and government must actively address it rather than remain passive. **In simple terms:** Discrimination continues; government should intervene. Key Takeaway Advocate for equitable policies. Themes justice equality policy Mood determined hopeful Type activist inspirational When to use this quote - legislation - education - community programs Key Concepts civil rights government responsibility social reform Questions to Reflect On - What concrete steps can you take? - How can you support systemic reform? A Different Perspective Change is slow and faces political resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Affirmative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affirmative/) [Affirmative action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affirmative-action/) [Discrimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrimination/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Persistence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persistence/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Racial discrimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racial-discrimination/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy/) ## Related quotes > [The black middle-class in America is a prosperous community that is now larger in absolute terms than the black underclass. Does its existence not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/the-black-middle-class-in-america-is-a-prosperous-community-that-is/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [And affirmative action is a very nice term for racial discrimination against better-qualified white people in jobs, employment, promotions and scholarships, and college admittance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duke/and-affirmative-action-is-a-very-nice-term-for-racial-discrimination/) [David Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duke/) > [ ...The Court ...\[recognizes\]...the persistence of racial inequality and a majority's acknowledgement of Congress's authority to act affirmatively, not only to end discrimination, but also… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/the-court-recognizes-the-persistence-of-racial-inequality-and-a/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We expect that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary to further the interest approved today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/we-expect-that-25-years-from-now-the-use-of-racial-preferences-will/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race, and to apply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/the-way-to-stop-discrimination-on-the-basis-of-race-is-to-speak/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [“When you truly believe that the racial groups are equal, then you also believe that racial disparities must be the result of racial discrimination.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/when-you-truly-believe-that-the-racial-groups-are-equal-then-you-also/) [Ibram X. 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Governments should act to establish equitable employment standards and penalise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/it-is-of-the-highest-importance-to-provide-equal-access-to-the-labour/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) ## More by Sandra Day O'Connor > [When I went to law school, which after all was back in the dark ages, we never looked beyond our borders for precedents. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/when-i-went-to-law-school-which-after-all-was-back-in-the-dark-ages/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [I think I learned to appreciate and treasure each day, because you don't know how many you're going to be given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/i-think-i-learned-to-appreciate-and-treasure-each-day-because-you-don/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [I loved my husband very much, and it was heartbreaking to have him develop Alzheimer's disease, and to stand by and watch him decline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/i-loved-my-husband-very-much-and-it-was-heartbreaking-to-have-him/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [My concerns through the years increased about the concerns of an independent judiciary and how we maintain it. Certainly in the states. 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And the questions deserve a valid legal response, even if the response isn't one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/you-have-to-answer-the-question-like-it-or-not-and-the-questions/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [A fundamental premise of American democratic theory is that government exists to serve the people. ... Public records are one portal through which the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/a-fundamental-premise-of-american-democratic-theory-is-that/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [This chance will stand before you only once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/this-chance-will-stand-before-you-only-once/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [I care very much about women and their progress. I didn't go march in the streets, but when I was in the Arizona Legislature,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/i-care-very-much-about-women-and-their-progress-i-didn-t-go-march-in/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [There was no hostility at the court when I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/there-was-no-hostility-at-the-court-when-i-arrived/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [And I went off to Stanford, I was pretty young and pretty naive. 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