"I was born and raised in the oldest settled part of the nation and in an environment in which racism was officially mooted"

Constance Baker Motley's quote, "I was born and raised in the oldest settled part of the nation and in an environment in which racism was officially mooted", offers a reflective lens into her early life and the social context she experienced. Motley's birth place, New Haven, Connecticut, belongs to a region thought about to be amongst the earliest settled locations of the United States. This historical background is vital in comprehending the social dynamics she is describing.

The expression "the oldest settled part of the nation" evokes images of a region soaked in traditions and historical significance. It recommends a longstanding societal structure, possibly resistant to rapid modification, therefore nurturing a particular status quo which typically consisted of established racial attitudes and policies. This environment would have influenced Motley's worldview and, likely, her understanding of the systemic nature of racial discrimination from a young age.

In juxtaposition with this setting, Motley mentions that racism was "officially mooted". The term "mooted" recommends dispute, factor to consider, or conversation. In this context, it shows that while racism was a recognized problem within the legal or social structure, it was perhaps discussed more in principle than actively confronted or dismantled. This could imply a small recommendation of bigotry without corresponding reliable actions to resolve it. Such an environment might expose a young, observant person to the dichotomy between the perfects of equality and liberty upheld in American starting documents and the truths of discrimination and partition experienced by marginalized communities.

Motley's recommendation of this environment is critical. It means the early formation of her consciousness regarding racial issues, which certainly influenced her later work as a civil liberties advocate and judge. By highlighting this contradiction in her upbringing-- a place where the old and the officially egalitarian existed side-by-side-- Motley provides insight into the complexities of fighting ingrained prejudices and pursuing significant social change. Her option to spotlight these nuances highlights the consistent gap in between legislative modification and genuine social development, a gap her life's work intended to narrow.