Author Ibram X. Kendi, in his book How to be an Antiracist proposed that “[o]ne either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an antiracist.” His words took hold of the minds of many Americans sensitive to the racial tensions that seem to have grown stronger in recent years. Kendi claims that one cannot simply be non-racist, but one must also promote the rights of minorities (discriminated against) over the rights of the majority (discriminators).
Kendi’s ideas are being put to the test as the Biden Administration announced plans to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in every area of government. In an executive order, President Biden promised action from 140 different government agencies to achieve racial equity. Although this may seem like a step forward, the Administration’s proposed solution would only fight inequality with inequality.
Views on inequality run the gamut, with some conservatives denying that any racial injustice exists. However, we can plainly see how racial discrimination did exist in obvious ways that still affect people today. Take the idea of redlining, one important example that was practiced here in Minnesota, not just in southern states. After President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal was signed, companies and city planners outlined areas with large minority populations and labeled them as potentially “hazardous.”
As a result, these inked-in neighborhoods saw a drastic loss in investment, and a huge spike in mortgage rates. How did this effect the minority residents? As it became more difficult to buy a house, residents were forced to rent. Without ownership of a house, or the ability to benefit from the increased value of their home, black residents suffered from poverty as some white counterparts enjoyed increased home equity. Sadly, these problems did not just end in our grandparents’ generation. (Of course, white people in other areas with low property values, such as Appalachia, also dealt with this problem).
Sadly, these problems did not just end in our grandparents’ generation. Home equity is generational, and because of this, the discrimination of the past makes itself felt in present gaps in homeownership and net worth across racial groups. This is racial discrimination at its most obvious, and it has ramifications for many people. Minneapolis has one of the largest homeownership gaps with only 24.8% of black Minnesotans owning a home as of 2018, while 74.8% of white residents do so. This type of discrimination was mostly over 50 years ago, but still has effects in the present. So what, If anything, can we do about it?
There are three main responses to inequality. The first is to ignore it. The second option is to use state power to remedy past discrimination with some form of current discrimination. This strategy has been adopted by people like Ibram X. Kendi and put into action by the Biden Administration. While it may seem to be the fairest option, the truth is that it only causes more inequality, as well as resentment. This fact is evident in affirmative action, which allows discrimination in favor of racial minorities in college admissions. Affirmative action flipped the script on discrimination by allowing more minority students into schools at the expense of rejecting the applications of some low-income, high-testing White and Asian students. Fixing injustice with injustice is not a workable solution.
The third option is to support equality however we can while never supporting policies that in fact increase inequality. It is recognizing that discrimination in the past still hurts people in the present, and extending compassion to those people, while remembering that we live in a fallen world. In this sort of world, we must recognize that nothing can be perfect, but as Christians we must lift up others and promote equality—without measures like reparations or false guilt for the sins of previous generations which would extend the cycle of discrimination and resentment.
For many kids of all races, growing up without a father can have devastating effects. To combat this, we need more legislation like Florida’s Fatherhood Bill which aims to keep in the home, leading to better educational outcomes and a decrease in criminality. We should support school choice so that parents in failing school districts (often minorities) can choose how their kids are educated. We should even support more funding for police to help fight crime in poor neighborhoods, since poor minority residents suffer the most from the crime epidemic. Our response should not be self-guilt or reverse discrimination, but love and care for every person we encounter.
