From A Racist Recession?, which discusses the racial disparity in unemployment rates: “High black unemployment has more to do with lags in educational attainment and skill acquisition than with racism.”
Um, what caused those lags in educational attainment and skill acquisition? Oh, that’s right. Institutional racism.
(not to mention the victim blaming)
EDIT: I thought I’d clarify after a few questions on Twitter (where I linked to this post). I think Bradley (the author) dismisses racism, when he should not, because I see racism as an institutional system that needs to be addressed. See Suzanne Pharr’s “The Common Elements of Oppression” reprinted on Eric Stoller’s blog for my understanding of institutional racism. Bradley quickly engages in victim blaming instead of looking at what causes problems in education, crime, drugs, and violence. He has a “pull yourself up the bootstraps mentality” in his essay.
LOL. Epic fail in that article. Institutional racism isn’t often discussed.
I didn’t really look at the context of the article, which is dumb of me. Turns out institutional racism doesn’t exist! *shakes head*
I am highly concerned that a black man thinks that institutional racism doesn’t exist.
I don’t think we can expect someone in a minority position to assume the certain political understandings of the world just because of their identity. I know plenty of women who (unfortunately) don’t believe sexism exists (or if it does, that it’s just a few chauvinist pigs, and not a systemic problem).
But the heart of his argument is building a family structure, as if the very family structure isn’t affected by a number of institutional problems. I am just amazed that anybody can’t see how these problems influence minority populations.