Cross posted from the African-American Group for anyone who has asked ...

[1StrongBlackMan]

"What we can do to end racism?" and was sincere in the asking.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1187&pid=49584

It is a long and academic read ... but well worth it.

[bemildred]

1. I agree.

Until you reform the court, so it is not a bastion of reaction and privilege, it will always be easy to find excuses for workplace bias of all descriptions, and that certainly includes racism. And until you have equality in the workplace, in a nation where your job so defines you, you do not have equality at all.

[tkmorris]

3. Pretty snarky there

Of course, since NO ONE EVER said that simply raising the minimum wage would fix racism, it seems just a little bit misplaced.

[1StrongBlackMan]

4. Perhaps an hour more of sleep ...

Might help you.

[bemildred]

6. I thought you wanted to talk? nt

[1StrongBlackMan]

7. Good point. N/T

[ismnotwasm]

5. I finally got around to reading as well

I really appreciate the analysis, it goes far past the simplistic thinking that the "Internet meme intellectual" is able to produce. (I'm at work, I'll try to post to this later)

[1StrongBlackMan]

8. I think it's an important piece of work ...

as it suggests a basis for solutions.

[octoberlib]

9. This was so educational.

We have an upward mobility problem in Charlotte or rather America has an upward mobility problem but it's worse in Charlotte than in a lot of other cities. I just emailed this paper

to one of our city council members that I know.
The first step to ending racism is being aware of all the components of structural racism and this paper lays it all out.

From white normativity ( example: print media describing Michelle Obama's dress as nude instead of champagne colored) to rugged individualism and this
(I hear "I'm colorblind" quite a lot)
5. Colorblindness
Colorblindness, the fifth component of structural racism, is an
aspiration based on the belief that everyone, white people as well as
people of color, should not care about race, or even notice it, in our
dealings with each other.135 At the individual level, this is
admirable, and most people do try to treat others with equal respect.
Although this may be a commendable personal goal, it cannot
end racial disparities for two reasons. First, the evidence presented
by psychologists described above indicates that our conscious intent
cannot override our unconscious programming. Second,
colorblindness actually fuels structural racism because it keeps us
from noticing racial disparities and their structural causes.
Colorblindness “‘white-washes’ the racial status quo” because white
people of goodwill who understand racism only as intentional
prejudice may exempt themselves from responsibility for their
participation in the structural system by taking comfort in their own
benevolent attitudes toward people of color.136 Sociologists and
psychologists have demonstrated that a purposeful intent to
discriminate is a narrow and unrealistic view of the reality of
racism.

[1StrongBlackMan]

10. That excerpt caught my eye, as well ...

I'm hoping that others picked up on it, too!

There is so much more in this article.