On 2013-07-11, at 2:17 PM, Wojtek S wrote:
> This discussion had
> relevance some 70 to 50 years ago, but it is becoming irrelevant today.
> The reason is that mechanisms by which this happens have changed. In the
> past - it was barriers to employment, housing, etc defined by race and thus
> uniquely pertaining to Blacks. Today, it is credentialism that applies not
> just to Blacks but to any other group - Whites, Latinos, Asians and so on.
> The fact that Blacks are not moving to professional ranks fast enough is
> not because of their race - as it was the case some 50 or 70 years ago -
> but because of the system of credentials.
When have "credentials", ie. higher education, not been a requirement to move into the professional ranks?
Prior to the 20th century, access to higher education and the professions belonged exclusively to a narrow propertied elite. The advent of mass education in response to the needs of increasingly complex economies and bureaucratized welfare states created opportunities for the mainly white sons and daughters of working class families to acquire post-graduate credentials and become professionals.
The civil rights movement won gains for blacks in employment, housing, and education, but they are still disproportionately underrepresented in all of these areas in relation to whites, and until this condition changes, the surprising appearance on this list of the Racism Is Retro school is unwarranted.