2 ms·
Your definition of racism is incorrect. Racism is a hierarchical caste system based on a pseudo-scientific classification of people into races. The dominant fo
by zapita 6y ago
Your definition of racism is incorrect.
Racism is a hierarchical caste system based on a pseudo-scientific classification of people into races. The dominant form of racism, invented in Europe and exported all over the world via colonization and slavery, is built on the concept of a biologically superior "white" race. This form of racism, also known as white supremacy, is deeply embedded in the societies and institutions of European countries and their former colonies. The United States are no different.
In the United States specifically, Black people are in a special position, because their very existence as a group is the result of colonization and slavery. Their existence is a physical reminder of the racist origins of the US. And the injustice they continue to endure in the United States today - including of course police violence, but also housing discrimination, discrimination in the workplace, excessive incarceration, restricted voting rights, restricted access to healthcare and education, etc. - are a reminder of the fact that racism is still, today, deeply embedded in US institutions.
One consequence of this, in the US, is that there are few Black-owned businesses relative to the population, and as a result, Black people have less access to equity. Because equity is the primary mechanism for wealth increase in the US, and is taxed very favorably compared to wages, this means that Black people are not able to benefit from economic growth at the same rate as the rest of population. This is a self-reinforcing problem because a Black entrepreneur is much less likely to receive an investment from a bank or VC than a white entrepreneur of similar experience and risk profile.
This is a widely known problem, and one commonly proposed solution, if the US finance system won't invest in Black businesses, is for Black people to "invest in themselves", so to speak, by choosing to buy from Back-owned businesses whenever possible. So this is primarily about helping Black people support each other, in the absence of US institutions not supporting them appropriately.
- brandmeyer 6y agoInstitutional racism flows from individual acts of racism. Individual acts like this serve only to create a new institution of racism.
- Proven 6y ago> And the injustice they continue to endure in the United States today It appears that despite institutionalized injustice towards African Americans they manage to be better off than Black people anywhere else. How does that happen? > In the United States specifically, Black people are in a special position, because their very existence as a group is the result of colonization and slavery. How's that different from Brazil, Haiti or other countries outside of Africa, and what have they done better than the white supremacist US of A? > if the US finance system won't invest in Black businesses, is for Black people to "invest in themselves", so to speak, by choosing to buy from Back-owned businesses whenever possible That doesn't make any sense. Prices are the same for everyone, but if Black businesses are underinvested equity-wise (I don't believe that, but let's assume your claim is correct) and African Americans have any money to spare, it makes more sense to buy shares in Black-owned businesses than for example FAANGs, because that's where you can get extra profit. It also doesn't make sense for Black consumers to buy from Black businesses just because they're Black-owned. The same logic applies to "Buy Local". You won't be better off economically if you decide based on personal politics (as we know from Free Market economists, free market makes the consumer pay for racist preferences, whether affirmative or negative.) > So this is primarily about helping Black people support each other, in the absence of US institutions not supporting them appropriately. The government isn't supposed to support anyone, whether it's Blacks or Wall Street banks. Its role is to protect citizens' constitutional rights.