It sounds like this is arguing against reparations without actually coming out and saying it.
I think the prospect of colour blindness allowing us to ‘wipe the slate clean’ and basically put the past behind us and just be non-racist starting now is what’s alluring.
It sounds great to just say “we should help people based on class, rather than race,” but I think that’s because it sidesteps the issue of reparation. People have been wronged in more ways than just economic status. We do absolutely need to make aggressive progress toward reducing the class divide and wealth disparity, of course we do. But does that actually heal the harm that’s been done in the past? Does it prevent the harm that will be done in the future?
Reparations for racism and reducing poverty are both noble goals, but they’re not interchangeable, you can’t fix one by fixing the other. They both need to be worked on.
I think the prospect of colour blindness allowing us to ‘wipe the slate clean’ and basically put the past behind us and just be non-racist starting now is what’s alluring.
It sounds great to just say “we should help people based on class, rather than race,” but I think that’s because it sidesteps the issue of reparation. People have been wronged in more ways than just economic status. We do absolutely need to make aggressive progress toward reducing the class divide and wealth disparity, of course we do. But does that actually heal the harm that’s been done in the past? Does it prevent the harm that will be done in the future?
Reparations for racism and reducing poverty are both noble goals, but they’re not interchangeable, you can’t fix one by fixing the other. They both need to be worked on.