"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 way…
"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.
"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