Friends, Today we deal with one of the oldest and most intransigent sources of inequality — systemic racism — and explore the ways to deal with it. I’m delighted to be reposting the important lecture of David C. Wilson, Dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy.
It's a bit surreal to see this class on systematic racism, especially considering just last week, Texas lawmakers passed a series of bills that basically amount to further voter suppression. One of the bills allows the secretary of state, who Abbott appoints, to remove any local election officials for "good cause." These bills combined target "large urban areas," which mainly are intended for Harris county that has a large non-white population and has turned blue in recent years. I think it's sad that when a number of amendments to the Constitution entitle ALL of us to vote, we're still fighting to make that a reality. And when the voices of some of its citizens are so easily silenced, it's no wonder we have inequality and resulting racism.
It's evident society can't deal with everyone being equal, for some reason it seems people need a teared social system in order to feel good about themselves, one in which there exists a level beneath the one they occupy. I call it the blame level, a group that catches all the flack for the negatives experiences by the more fortunate groups. Its a shameful trait that has existed since the beginning of time, and we seem to revel in it.
Our government continues to promote systemic racism in our country. The laws which are enacted are to protect the upper echelon of our society. In the past, the United States condemned apartheid laws in other countries. Even though the U.S. condemned these laws, apartheid was happening right here in the U.S. I believe one of the reasons is we as a country have never come to grips with our racist past. One way the U.S. became an economic power was through the use of slave labor. In fact, slavery as we now realize was legitimized by the Constitution and the Supreme Court. Texas which someone wrote about has never abolished slavery in the state. Now, as we look at the lecture being given in one of the most elite schools in the country. In a sense, isn't Berkeley part of the racist system. What is ironic is it took a president from the South, Texas even, to promote civil rights in our country. We need to leave the theoretical or abstract and create concrete laws to destroy racism in our country once and for all. As with the Germans who confronted their Nazi past, we need to confront our past of immorality as well. How can we ignore a past in which over four million people were enslaved and were treated worse than the animals on the Southern plantations.
It is denied by the cult who practices it daily but systematic racism is with us and is alive and well . It must be confronted in all aspects but as long as the republican cult survives they will practice it. We will suffer.
This class as it did on the first time I saw it a few years ago always made me feel uncomfortable. And as Robert Reich has said it is better to be challenged than to talk with people who always agree with you. We can't have a discussion about wealth and inequality without talking about systemic racism and how it stays entrenched in society. When there are macro aggressions (no health care, forced to work benefits, anti abortion, mortgage discrimination, tax discriminafion, school funding discrimination) against black and brown people going on it allows the little microagressions (anti union/pro child labor, no time off) against individuals to flourish. I see quantifying and dealing with systemic racism will benefit all people. If we dont stand up to the big bully we will have no chance against the small ones. Thank you for bringing this speaker on.
Robert, I haven’t had a chance to see the last few classes due to my schedule. Thank-you, thank-you for giving us all the links. I’ve learned things from your classes and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate being a virtual UC Berkeley student! This is information I now get to pass on to friends and even to my co-workers as I volunteer in an alderman’s office in Chicago.
The book ban will fail, we are getting the information we need thanks to you and so many others. Hugs to you!
Thank you, dnkarr. I do not suggest that words be banned. I do not suggest that much of anything be banned. My point was about marketing and messenging. In my experience, Mr. Reich does not speak simply to speak, but his goal is to be heard, to make a difference. Preaching to the choir isn't going to move the needle. Make sense?
I become enraged at people who claim that to recognize systemic racism in our culture, we have to make all POC “victims” and devalue them as persons. That is a nuanced bit of illogic that is hard to refute in just a few words [but most people don’t want a lecture, so they won’t listen to a discussion], and it resonates with too many people who WANT to keep their racism alive and kicking.
But that attitude turns reality on its head — It’s not pointing out racism that devalues people; it is denying it while practicing it that devalues people.
To point to one successful POC, or several, or even a great many, and say they disprove that systemic racism exists is so flawed an argument, but people who don’t analyze reality are prey to that illogic.
They see it as like a single horse in a race that can, by it’s own effort, run to the head of the field and win, so there’s nothing keeping all the rest from winning except their own unwillingness or inability to get the job done.
But the problem with systemic racism is not about any single member of the group. It’s not a statistic that applies to any ONE individual at all, because that is not how statistics and averages and demographic patterns work. It’s about hobbling an entire group, historically, systemically, and continuously, over many generations. DENYING THEM A CHANCE TO EVEN COMPETE. And it is measured by how well that group is now doing, and what patterns {individual and systemic} of behavior are at work still. And don’t kid yourselves — POC feeling like they are stuck and don’t have choices is not just because, today, they are being called victims and told that racism holds them back.
They too often feel stuck because they have gotten the systemic message for generations that their people are second rate and deficient. And they’ve been de facto and de jure excluded from many benefits of being US citizens. They don’t always buy into the myth of inferiority, and I applaud that, but it’s still hard to shake off the feeling of not measuring up when you are out and about and trying to live your life, and all around, you are devalued and disrespected and left out. And it’s tougher when your entire demographic has been economically sidelined, so some are successful, sure, but, more struggle day to day on a smaller slice of the national pie.
Don’t tell me it’s up to individuals to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. It’s up to all of us to stop standing on other people’s bootstraps.
You can SEE the racism in regard to individuals. Even Nikki Haley and Tim Scott talk about their experiences of it, and tout their ability to rise above it. And you can try to deny it is systemic because they succeeded. But that does not disprove SYSTEMIC racism. It just proves that resilient and talented POC can still make it, even though they are swimming up-river in our system.
Looking at the demographic is where one sees the SYSTEMIC racism — seeing how our culture in practice, and often by law, has disadvantaged the whole population of POC vis-a-vis white citizens. Seeing how their entire demographic is disadvantaged by systemic racism is clear and apparent.
But how do you get people to see that, to NOT embrace it and allow it, to NOT feel personally guilty for it but still feel personally responsible to help end it … ?
Education. That’s how.
And the racists are attacking education right where it could take hold — little by little, kid by kid, in schools where we SHOULD be telling our kids the truth, so they don’t need a long discussion or lecture when they get older — they’ve already learned our real history and understand it.
A Solution: The lessons on inequity we have all heard and been taught, those same historical lessons which are now being attacked by the mainstream right, no longer far right, must be continually taught. But what is truly missing is the lessons of inequality are the lessons of equality. Equality 101. Has anyone every had a class on the unity or Oneness of us or everything. Some might think it Eastern philosophy or mistic, but sadly therein lies the flaw in us all. We are taught to measure and divide everything rather than being taught the opposite, the true equitable nature of all things.
We are what we are taught. If we are taught to measure and divide everything, then that is what we are. On the other hand, if we were taught the truth, our universe including ourselves would be seen as One, and those false divisions would desolve into simply the truth. "Free at last".
It is that simple. Equality not inequity is the lesson we need most. =
Horrific and residual, yes. But, professor, I think that the use of the word "shameful" plays into the hands of those who would use your language to accuse you of heaping shame upon the living, especially poor innocent school children, for the sins of the dead. I know you understand propaganda tactics. Your voice is a megaphone for truth. Thank you.
The shameful legacy of systemic racism and inequality — Class 9
It's a bit surreal to see this class on systematic racism, especially considering just last week, Texas lawmakers passed a series of bills that basically amount to further voter suppression. One of the bills allows the secretary of state, who Abbott appoints, to remove any local election officials for "good cause." These bills combined target "large urban areas," which mainly are intended for Harris county that has a large non-white population and has turned blue in recent years. I think it's sad that when a number of amendments to the Constitution entitle ALL of us to vote, we're still fighting to make that a reality. And when the voices of some of its citizens are so easily silenced, it's no wonder we have inequality and resulting racism.
It's evident society can't deal with everyone being equal, for some reason it seems people need a teared social system in order to feel good about themselves, one in which there exists a level beneath the one they occupy. I call it the blame level, a group that catches all the flack for the negatives experiences by the more fortunate groups. Its a shameful trait that has existed since the beginning of time, and we seem to revel in it.
Our government continues to promote systemic racism in our country. The laws which are enacted are to protect the upper echelon of our society. In the past, the United States condemned apartheid laws in other countries. Even though the U.S. condemned these laws, apartheid was happening right here in the U.S. I believe one of the reasons is we as a country have never come to grips with our racist past. One way the U.S. became an economic power was through the use of slave labor. In fact, slavery as we now realize was legitimized by the Constitution and the Supreme Court. Texas which someone wrote about has never abolished slavery in the state. Now, as we look at the lecture being given in one of the most elite schools in the country. In a sense, isn't Berkeley part of the racist system. What is ironic is it took a president from the South, Texas even, to promote civil rights in our country. We need to leave the theoretical or abstract and create concrete laws to destroy racism in our country once and for all. As with the Germans who confronted their Nazi past, we need to confront our past of immorality as well. How can we ignore a past in which over four million people were enslaved and were treated worse than the animals on the Southern plantations.
I wonder if all the energy we waste thinking some are better than others were put to helping and acknowledging others, how great the world would be
It is denied by the cult who practices it daily but systematic racism is with us and is alive and well . It must be confronted in all aspects but as long as the republican cult survives they will practice it. We will suffer.
This class as it did on the first time I saw it a few years ago always made me feel uncomfortable. And as Robert Reich has said it is better to be challenged than to talk with people who always agree with you. We can't have a discussion about wealth and inequality without talking about systemic racism and how it stays entrenched in society. When there are macro aggressions (no health care, forced to work benefits, anti abortion, mortgage discrimination, tax discriminafion, school funding discrimination) against black and brown people going on it allows the little microagressions (anti union/pro child labor, no time off) against individuals to flourish. I see quantifying and dealing with systemic racism will benefit all people. If we dont stand up to the big bully we will have no chance against the small ones. Thank you for bringing this speaker on.
Robert, I haven’t had a chance to see the last few classes due to my schedule. Thank-you, thank-you for giving us all the links. I’ve learned things from your classes and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate being a virtual UC Berkeley student! This is information I now get to pass on to friends and even to my co-workers as I volunteer in an alderman’s office in Chicago.
The book ban will fail, we are getting the information we need thanks to you and so many others. Hugs to you!
Thank you, dnkarr. I do not suggest that words be banned. I do not suggest that much of anything be banned. My point was about marketing and messenging. In my experience, Mr. Reich does not speak simply to speak, but his goal is to be heard, to make a difference. Preaching to the choir isn't going to move the needle. Make sense?
I become enraged at people who claim that to recognize systemic racism in our culture, we have to make all POC “victims” and devalue them as persons. That is a nuanced bit of illogic that is hard to refute in just a few words [but most people don’t want a lecture, so they won’t listen to a discussion], and it resonates with too many people who WANT to keep their racism alive and kicking.
But that attitude turns reality on its head — It’s not pointing out racism that devalues people; it is denying it while practicing it that devalues people.
To point to one successful POC, or several, or even a great many, and say they disprove that systemic racism exists is so flawed an argument, but people who don’t analyze reality are prey to that illogic.
They see it as like a single horse in a race that can, by it’s own effort, run to the head of the field and win, so there’s nothing keeping all the rest from winning except their own unwillingness or inability to get the job done.
But the problem with systemic racism is not about any single member of the group. It’s not a statistic that applies to any ONE individual at all, because that is not how statistics and averages and demographic patterns work. It’s about hobbling an entire group, historically, systemically, and continuously, over many generations. DENYING THEM A CHANCE TO EVEN COMPETE. And it is measured by how well that group is now doing, and what patterns {individual and systemic} of behavior are at work still. And don’t kid yourselves — POC feeling like they are stuck and don’t have choices is not just because, today, they are being called victims and told that racism holds them back.
They too often feel stuck because they have gotten the systemic message for generations that their people are second rate and deficient. And they’ve been de facto and de jure excluded from many benefits of being US citizens. They don’t always buy into the myth of inferiority, and I applaud that, but it’s still hard to shake off the feeling of not measuring up when you are out and about and trying to live your life, and all around, you are devalued and disrespected and left out. And it’s tougher when your entire demographic has been economically sidelined, so some are successful, sure, but, more struggle day to day on a smaller slice of the national pie.
Don’t tell me it’s up to individuals to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. It’s up to all of us to stop standing on other people’s bootstraps.
You can SEE the racism in regard to individuals. Even Nikki Haley and Tim Scott talk about their experiences of it, and tout their ability to rise above it. And you can try to deny it is systemic because they succeeded. But that does not disprove SYSTEMIC racism. It just proves that resilient and talented POC can still make it, even though they are swimming up-river in our system.
Looking at the demographic is where one sees the SYSTEMIC racism — seeing how our culture in practice, and often by law, has disadvantaged the whole population of POC vis-a-vis white citizens. Seeing how their entire demographic is disadvantaged by systemic racism is clear and apparent.
But how do you get people to see that, to NOT embrace it and allow it, to NOT feel personally guilty for it but still feel personally responsible to help end it … ?
Education. That’s how.
And the racists are attacking education right where it could take hold — little by little, kid by kid, in schools where we SHOULD be telling our kids the truth, so they don’t need a long discussion or lecture when they get older — they’ve already learned our real history and understand it.
Egad. Oy, vey.
A Solution: The lessons on inequity we have all heard and been taught, those same historical lessons which are now being attacked by the mainstream right, no longer far right, must be continually taught. But what is truly missing is the lessons of inequality are the lessons of equality. Equality 101. Has anyone every had a class on the unity or Oneness of us or everything. Some might think it Eastern philosophy or mistic, but sadly therein lies the flaw in us all. We are taught to measure and divide everything rather than being taught the opposite, the true equitable nature of all things.
We are what we are taught. If we are taught to measure and divide everything, then that is what we are. On the other hand, if we were taught the truth, our universe including ourselves would be seen as One, and those false divisions would desolve into simply the truth. "Free at last".
It is that simple. Equality not inequity is the lesson we need most. =
Also Get rid of Elon Musk! He's a racist too!
I think racism is the second main reason there is economic inequality. It's the old South and the Right wanting to bring back slavery.
Horrific and residual, yes. But, professor, I think that the use of the word "shameful" plays into the hands of those who would use your language to accuse you of heaping shame upon the living, especially poor innocent school children, for the sins of the dead. I know you understand propaganda tactics. Your voice is a megaphone for truth. Thank you.
I’m so glad I found you. I have understood a lot more at 71 than I did at 20. Thank you for your lessons. I’ve shared two with family.
Interesting and informative And thoughtful Opinions based on carefully researched material.
Very enlightening. I'm happy to have embraced Liberal Progressiveness my entire life. This class reinforced my personal beliefs