Where is Atticus Finch these days

I had the good fortune of reading an opinion of Atticus Finch’s influence on one’s life. It was written in 2025. This analysis of his influence can be compared to what one might have thought about the character when the movie arrived in 1962 as opposed to today.

There had been even a greater change in American thought from when Harper Lee wrote the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” in 1960. It made me think how different times are from then regarding equality of American lives. Life in our world is far different from either date, but her Atticus Finch lives on as a symbol of doing the right thing.

For many, the name of the book or movie, or even the name of the lead character may escape one’s memory. So, let us put some light on an old portrait of segregation in the deep South. The plot of the book and the movie was the wrongful accusation of a Black man for assault and rape in the deep South. Who might agree to represent him?

There were no Black lawyers in the area, and the victim was a white woman. Atticus Finch, a rather quiet white attorney, agrees to represent the accused man. With that representation came the harassment and humiliation of this attorney from his own community.

In those times, why would a white man represent an African-American? In the South in the early 1960s, the mere thought of such representation was considered absurd. The role of Atticus was played by Gregory Peck after the part was turned down by Jimmy Stewart as being too controversial.

During those times, Southern colleges did not admit Black students. White-run cafes, restaurants and bars would not serve a Black man or woman. Not one Black student had ever been admitted into the University of Mississippi. This continued until the university was forced to do so by President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Robert, as Attorney General, when James Meredith, with help of the National Guard, was admitted to Ole Miss in 1962.

These were the exact times of Ms. Lee’s writings. The role of Finch was the embodiment of equal justice in the law.

Such changes were grudgingly accepted or even had to be forced upon some. But even so, discrimination continued to exist in more subtle ways be it hiring or promotion, or merely membership in various groups. This included fancy golf clubs, organizations and even areas of a community for housing.

Think about The Masters golf tournament this week at the Augusta National golf course, founded in 1901. No Black man played there for 90 years, and the first woman to play it was in 2012.

Now we see a withdrawal from some of the laws, rules and even traditions of giving the minority an equal or somewhat better chance. In June of 2023, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that ended affirmative action in higher education. This ruling reversed decades of a longstanding practice where colleges could consider race in the admission process.

The current executive branch has rolled back DEI with an executive order to identify private sector companies with “egregious and discriminatory” DEI programs.

We now see universities and companies facing legal backlash if they don’t undo these policies. And if they do eliminate the DEI bases, some places are receiving a different backlash in the form of boycotting as is facing retailer Target right now. They follow the law and lose, or they defy such governmental ruling and lose. A tough choice.

In looking back at Mr. Finch, some of us will continue to believe in such a character. Others will read the book and find such a character merely naïve and one who didn’t understand the world he lived in. Should we go backward from our more current beliefs on equality?

The article included one of my remembered lines of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.”

Finally, do we want to be a person who does not fear competition from minorities, be it in education or the workplace? No doubt, the earlier laws of the 1960s through January of this year did make huge changes in our country by giving minorities and women a better chance at success. The question becomes whether those changes have outlived their usefulness, and we are good to go forward on equal chances of being admitted to college or to get that job.

We have come a long way in fairness from Atticus’ appearance. The new edicts do not necessarily take away what has been gained, so perhaps we have enough Atticus Finches to keep America fair and just.