About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

38 UCLA L. Rev. 499 (1990-1991)
The Pursuit of Manhood and the Desegregation of the Armed Forces

handle is hein.journals/uclalr38 and id is 513 raw text is: ARTICLES
THE PURSUIT OF MANHOOD AND THE
DESEGREGATION OF THE
ARMED FORCES
Kenneth L. Karst*
The statue of the Minuteman stands at the edge of the Lexing-
ton Battle Green as a reminder of the American tradition of the
citizen soldier. From the Revolution onward, a great many Ameri-
cans have believed that a citizen has the responsibility, in time of
need, to serve in the armed forces. The same association of ideas
also works in the other direction: when we amended the Constitu-
* David G. Price and Dallas P. Price Professor of Law, University of California,
Los Angeles. 1st Lt., USAF (JAGD), 1954-56. This Article is an expanded version of
the Melville B. Nimmer Memorial Lecture given at the UCLA School of Law on No-
vember 15, 1990.
In the five years since we lost Mel Nimmer, much has happened to constitutional
law. Students of the first amendment can appreciate what it means to say that we must
do without Mel's thought-provoking commentary on developments in that field. But
his UCLA law colleagues have suffered other losses, too-not just the chance to talk
with Mel about the whole range of constitutional questions, or about copyright or con-
tract law, but the day-to-day experience of Mel as a colleague. A conversation with him
might lead in any of a hundred directions, so wide-ranging were his interests and learn-
ing. He and Herb Morris organized the first series of faculty colloquia in our school;
what began in their living rooms is now a regular part of our collegial life. Mel had
strong opinions, and he expressed them in careful arguments, accented with wit. Even
when he was explaining how I had fallen into error, it was fun to talk with him. I miss
Mel Nimmer, and I feel honored to be allowed to offer my views in a forum dedicated to
his memory.
For their helpful comments on a draft of this Article, I am grateful to Alison Grey
Anderson, Julian Eule, William Forbath, Catherine Hancock, Leslie Karst, Sylvia Law,
Christine Littleton, Robin McDuff, Carrie Menkel-Meadow, Mary Newcombe, Judith
Stiehm, and Jonathan Varat (1st Lt., U.S. Army, Artillery, 1969-72; Vietnam,
1970-71). For their capable research assistance, I am grateful to Judith London and
Linda Maisner.

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

profiles profiles most