EXPERT REPORT OF THOMAS J. SUGRUE
Gratz, et al. v. Bollinger, et al., No. 97-75321 (E.D. Mich.)
Grutter, et al. v. Bollinger, et al., No. 97-75928 (E.D. Mich.)
XIII. CONCLUSION
In an increasingly diverse country, deep divisions persist between whites, blacks, Hispanics,
and American Indians. There is nothing natural about these divisions. They are not immutable facts of life. Rather they are a consequence of a troubled and still unresolved past. Much about race and ethnic relations has changed in the last half century, but it is undeniable that in many aspects of American life, separation and interracial suspicion persist. Racial and ethnic groups remain separated by residence and education. Pronounced differences by race and ethnicity persist in socio-economic status and public opinion. Racial and ethnic stereotypes are all too common. There are unfortunately few places in American society where people of different backgrounds interact, learn from each other, and struggle to understand their differences and discover their commonality. The fundamental issue that we face at the end of the twentieth century is to work to overcome our divisions in the spirit of the venerable American motto, "E Pluribus Unum." To build unity from pluralism, to recognize diversity and learn from it, to fashion a democracy of many voices, is still an unfinished project. Its success is vital to our nation's future.
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