Can We Have A Toughtful/Respectful Discussion Of Civil Rights Versus Income Inequality ???

[JDPriestly]

125. For a number of years, I worked for a homeless project that mostly helped

African-American males.

Their economic distress and racial discrimination and oppression were so closely tied as to be inextricable.

I do not know how discrimination affects wealthy African-Americans. I do know that economic discrimination and racial discrimination are so closely linked that it is hard to say which causes more pain to the very poorest African-Americans who face constantly the assumption that they are criminals when in fact that assumption is more often wrong than right and certainly always wrong when no crime is being committed.

Somehow, no matter the discrimination issue, the problems that are not linked to economic issues are easier to deal with, less centrally destructive to one's life.

If I as a woman am not invited to some event because I am a woman, I miss the event and sometimes that means missing the opportunity to connect with people I work with or people who hold my economic fate in their hands. But more often, I will be excluded because of my economic status and not because I am a woman.

I think that African-Americans in particular sometimes assume that they are excluded because of their color when in fact, they are being excluded because due to their color they are perceived as being poor and maybe worth less than a white person. The color sets off a false perception of poverty. That is not always the case, but it may be. On the other hand, for example, being an African-American male may be an advantage when it comes to being invited to a sports event. Being a woman will more likely get you excluded from that one. There is the false perception that African-American males are interested in or good at sports. Sometimes true. Sometimes not. Similarly, there is a perception that women are probably not interested in sports.

One of the behaviors that is common and that is used to sort of make a friend or get a social advantage is talking about sports. Guys do this all the time. What is this team or that team doing. In general, most women (and I realize it is not fair to generalize but the social norm is to generalize in this respect) will be excluded from a conversation about sports. So the boss goes up to your male co-worker regardless of race and has a cozy, friendly chat about sports. Meanwhile you, the woman are excluded.

That kind of discrimination can really cost you money. And that is the problem with it. I don't particularly want to be involved in discussions about sports, but I would like to have the same kind of relaxed conversation with my boss that the male who is perceived as a sports fan has.

So under many discrimination issues are issues of economic importance. Many discrimination issues are important only because they cost the one suffering from discrimination money.

Of course, my examples are petty. But I think they make my point.