Last week, Samaria Johnson wrote an excellent piece titled “The University must provide support for black students, not just words.” As is the norm for controversial columns, Johnson’s piece received a number of hostile Internet comments. The disturbing thing about these comments in particular was how familiar they sounded. One remarked, “Put down your race card … No one owes you anything.” Another said, “You WANT to believe that whites hate you.”
I think that Johnson’s column stands on its own merits, and it certainly does not need a defense from me. But I would like to address the stance, exemplified by the comments on her piece, that programs designed to support black Americans are unfair and counterproductive.
I have met a number of white people who believe that as long as no one is acting out against a racial minority with malicious intent, racial equality has been somehow achieved. They believe that if black Americans are poor, incarcerated and uneducated at higher rates compared to white Americans, then the black community just needs to work harder.
What these people fail to understand is that racial inequality stems mostly from economic disparity that has been inflicted on black Americans over centuries. For an example of how this affects black Americans today, think of the prestige that is associated with being a first-generation college student. Our society recognizes that it is a significant achievement to go to college when your parents did not.
Now consider the fact that until the ’60s, barring black Americans from universities was a matter of public policy. This means some black Americans could have no more than two generations of college education behind them.
This is the crux of inequality in our nation today: There is no “old money” among black Americans. Every black American who makes significant financial or scholastic achievements has to do so without the benefit of ancestral wealth or education. For anyone who doubts the importance of these things, consider the fact that parental income is the single strongest predictor of academic success.
Why does white America have such a hard time realizing that the odds are stacked against the lower social classes, including most black Americans? It may be because we want to believe that every American succeeds on his or her own merit. We like the idea that America is the place where anyone can make it if they work hard enough, and this belief blinds us to the fact that some people – many people, in fact – don’t get a fair shake in our country.
Yes, on an individual basis some black Americans will be able to overcome the odds. Some will work hard enough and have enough natural ability to overcome their financial disadvantages. Others will simply be born rich. But that does not change the fact that the bulk of black Americans are still struggling with a 400-year-old legacy of racism which has culminated in crippling social inequality determined largely by race.
When you take this historical context and its economic consequences into account, it is easy to see how black Americans and white Americans do not compete on a level playing field. This is why we need programs to help ease the burden of inequality. This is why we need to continue having race conversations.
Nathan James is a senior majoring in psychology. His column runs weekly on Thursday.
