The tentative suggestions by some pundits that we were now living in a ‘post-racial society’ were met with a cascade of denials. And rightfully so. We’ve had enough racial flare-ups over the past couple of months to determine that race remains a hot button issue in this country. Our society has little ongoing, overt racial animus, so the source of these emotions must stem from something other than the civil and voting environments.
The most persistent inequality between blacks and whites is economic. Black unemployment is much higher across the board than for whites. White households, when compared to black households of the same income status, have much greater net worth. Blacks are much more likely to move down an income level and less likely to move up once they drop. The parade of disparity statistics leads to a grim conclusion: economic experiences for the two races are fundamentally different. This is the source of much of the resentment on the African-American side.
The problem of race relations is not one-sided however, and it takes two to do the racial tango. White working class resentment is on the upswing as blacks make consistent gains in political power and national prestige. The source of these feelings stems from the current architecture of racial preference in schools, employment and elections. It’s not hard to see their point. After 9 hours on an assembly line it becomes difficult to feel like decades of racism has skewed the playing field in your favor, and that redress like affirmative action is a legitimate and necessary remedy.
So there is an impasse. Blacks resent their perceived second class status while blue-collar whites resent any attempt that is made to rectify the situation. Policymakers cannot appease one group without antagonizing the other. But there is a solution. Blacks and whites have made common cause in northern labor unions since the 1950s, coming together around a shared desire for a more prosperous life.
If we want to improve race relations and take the next step towards a truly integrated society we will adopt this blueprint for out public policy. No more majority-minority districts, no more affirmative action, no more ‘disparate impact.’ Instead our leaders must embark on a new program of social mobility. If this country radically reduces the ‘stickiness’ of severe poverty, a deadly institution most common in urban environments, and at the same time dismantles some outmoded civil rights era laws we will have taken the next step on the long road towards a true post-racial nation.
