I think the single most powerful force in the country today that promotes racism is identity politics. It scares me… why should I (white), my grandchildren (African American) and my wife (Asian) head towards different corners to line up with people of our own skin color?
Nothing destroys a person’s chance to succeed more than convincing them they are victim of something they can’t change… Imagine an African American child (like my grandchildren) growing up with these two different narratives…
- You are African American and you will be a victim of racism your whole life. You can’t succeed because the color of your skin will be held against you by a society dominated by white people. Your only chance to get “what you deserve” is to join in with other African Americans and act and vote like a block.
- Recent studies have demonstrated that African Americans with college degrees have the same economic success rates today as measured by unemployment rates as white people. Staying in school and studying hard almost assures you of escaping poverty and attaining a middle class or better lifestyle. Furthermore, if you come from a poor family, there so many financial programs to insure that if you qualify to go to college, you will be able to attend.
So which of these two narratives are more likely to provide an African American child the best chance to succeed? As a society, we have to be careful of the recent trend in which every group in America paints themselves as a “victim” of white male dominance… it does not help anyone. More importantly, the fact that studies are emerging the women will dominate the economy and society within one more generation due to inheriting wealth from their husbands and graduating at higher rates from college than males do suggests this construct is not true. A truly male dominated society would not let that happen.
Similarly, Asians, Jews, and Nigerian immigrants all do better economically than whites. A white dominated society would not let that happen. So how do we explain the reality that certain minorities and women are rapidly displacing the so called “white male” dominated society? The easiest explanation is that for years education and gender and skin color were highly correlated and so studies linking gender and skin color to economic success had a significant element of truth to them… but current studies show that as education, skin color and gender are de-linked, education is proving to be the most significant determinant of success in our society. Secondary to education, I would venture to guess a derivative of education is equally important in predicting success, that would be the education of one’s parents.
My point is not to deny that racism was a factor in the past or that racism no longer exists, but rather the awareness of the massive changes going in our society and the rewards that education offers means the time is here when focusing on “victimhood” is counter productive to one’s personal success relative to focusing on the acquisition of important skills. Let’s point people in the right direction…
