Thomas’ examples of current systemic racism are all a product of low and/or unstable income and of voting Democratic. The per pupil spending claim is not factually correct--compare DC to Utah. Much of the lowest per pupil spending is in rural areas mainly white but also black.
The former status is indeed partially rooted in Jim Crow, but …
Thomas’ examples of current systemic racism are all a product of low and/or unstable income and of voting Democratic. The per pupil spending claim is not factually correct--compare DC to Utah. Much of the lowest per pupil spending is in rural areas mainly white but also black.
The former status is indeed partially rooted in Jim Crow, but there are no longer Jim Crow laws to repeal. The problem is poverty. The sub prime crisis was driven in part to address the lack of credit available to people including minorities with unstable credit. When it blew up in 2008, many academics argued that the provision of easy credit that ultimately was not affordable was racist. Heads you win tails you lose.
Unless you can identify specific reforms, claims of systemic racism are useless and a distraction. Racism is a hearts and minds thing and poverty is best addressed by addressing poverty.
"Unless you can identify specific reforms, claims of systemic racism are useless and a distraction."
Exactly. 'Twas always thus. From the very beginning of the civil rights movements, campaigners *campaigned* for legitimate, measurable change. For laws. For policies. Modern social justice activism seems so much more focused on finding ways to blame racism for problems than addressing those problems effectively.
I'll make the bold claim that in 2023, there are hardly any problems that are based on skin colour. Most problems that disproportionately affect black people are based on wealth inequality. And affect disproportionately black people because black people are disproportionately poor. This is a serious problem of course. And speaks clearly to the legacy of racism. But it also suggests a more helpful lens for fixing those problems. The fixing of which would disproportionately *benefit* black people.
It's so frustrating that MLK was saying literally exactly this 60 years ago. Even while segregation and Jim Crow *were* based on skin colour. And yet here we are still infighting instead of taking effective action.
Thomas’ examples of current systemic racism are all a product of low and/or unstable income and of voting Democratic. The per pupil spending claim is not factually correct--compare DC to Utah. Much of the lowest per pupil spending is in rural areas mainly white but also black.
The former status is indeed partially rooted in Jim Crow, but there are no longer Jim Crow laws to repeal. The problem is poverty. The sub prime crisis was driven in part to address the lack of credit available to people including minorities with unstable credit. When it blew up in 2008, many academics argued that the provision of easy credit that ultimately was not affordable was racist. Heads you win tails you lose.
Unless you can identify specific reforms, claims of systemic racism are useless and a distraction. Racism is a hearts and minds thing and poverty is best addressed by addressing poverty.
"Unless you can identify specific reforms, claims of systemic racism are useless and a distraction."
Exactly. 'Twas always thus. From the very beginning of the civil rights movements, campaigners *campaigned* for legitimate, measurable change. For laws. For policies. Modern social justice activism seems so much more focused on finding ways to blame racism for problems than addressing those problems effectively.
I'll make the bold claim that in 2023, there are hardly any problems that are based on skin colour. Most problems that disproportionately affect black people are based on wealth inequality. And affect disproportionately black people because black people are disproportionately poor. This is a serious problem of course. And speaks clearly to the legacy of racism. But it also suggests a more helpful lens for fixing those problems. The fixing of which would disproportionately *benefit* black people.
It's so frustrating that MLK was saying literally exactly this 60 years ago. Even while segregation and Jim Crow *were* based on skin colour. And yet here we are still infighting instead of taking effective action.
So well said