You've probably already seen Adam's Bloggingheads with Amy Wax, a law professor from the University of Pennsylvania, arguing over whether the focus on the struggles African Americans face is misplaced. As Jamelle already pointed out, she conveniently ignores the impact that government programs have had on building a middle class among non-blacks. She also misunderstands and discounts the role broader societal forces play in shaping opportunities for people.
But on one point, she's just flat out wrong: She brings up the racial achievement gap between blacks and whites on the SAT and asserts, and I'm paraphrasing here, that that gap has nothing to do with money.
Except that, of course, it does. Income and scores correlate very highly. Some researchers argue that much of the gap between black and white students, though not all of it, is actually captured by the income gap. Wax spends a lot of time talking about prevailing cultural norms, but doesn't seem to understand the role that white, middle-class cultural norms play in blocking social advancement for those who aren't white. She just seems to think it's the responsibility of other cultural groups to overcome barriers. And that's the most troubling thing about her "analysis."
-- Monica Potts
