Numbers show structural racism alive in America

So I’m at the gas station the other day and this guy was going on and on about how there is no structural racism in America. Apparently it’s just a myth perpetuated by those sinister proponents of critical race theory.

Anyway, I decided to do a little research to see if there was any merit to what he was saying.

Turns out, the median net worth of Black households, according to the Federal Reserve, is less than 15% that of White families. Interesting, since there is no structural racism in America.

Moreover, the median income for Black households is about 60% of the median income for White families. Again, somewhat perplexing since there is no structural racism in America.

When I looked at unemployment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the unemployment rate for Blacks is 9.7%, compared to 5.3% for Whites. Puzzling, since there is no structural racism in America.

Then there’s data from the U.S. Census Bureau showing that the poverty rate for Blacks is around 18.8%, which more than double the 7.3% it is for Whites. Baffling, since there is no structural racism in America.

When it comes to the pandemic, the Economic Policy Institute found that 28% of Black-owned businesses were in industries with the largest total job losses, compared to just 20% of White-owned businesses. Bewildering, since there is no structural racism in America.

Finally, Fast Company noted that job applicants with White-sounding names get around 50% more callbacks than those with Black-sounding names. How can this be since there is no structural racism in America?

Back to the gas station. The guy had a point. When you’re untethered from reality, I guess you can disregard any evidence that doesn’t support what you already believe.

Aaron W. Hughey

Bowling Green