Racial integration, given impetus by the 1954 Supreme Court decision that separate educational facilities were inherently unequal, has long been a prime yardstick by which African-American progress is measured in America. But Sheryll Cashin's provocative book, "The Failures of Integration: How Race and Class are Undermining the American Dream," is causing many to revisit that indicator.
Cashin, though an ardent integrationist, admits that 50 years after that momentous decision, segregation thrives, and she believes it is getting worse.
"Racial segregation is still pervasive, and class segregation seems to be the accepted norm," she writes. For many, if not most, whites, the issues of segregation, inequality and affirmative action are finished or beside the point, while most blacks support integration, but do not crave it. "What seems to matter most to us is not living in a well integrated neighborhood, but having the same access to the good things in life as everyone else." Cashin sees an emerging "post-civil rights" attitude that is simply ambivalent about integration -- and she feels it's a dangerous thing. [...]
| Continue the rest of Philip Rutledge's Indianapolis Star op-ed essay "Taking a new look at indicators of racial progress"
posted in articles on February 26, 2005 6:35 AM | t (0)
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I am not to interested in integrating cause I am an equal opportunity discriminator, I don't like alot of people. That said classism is the prominent of the two issues in my mind. If you have the money you can go just about any place. Look at Nelly..Do your thing. Money gets access these days. Alot of doors are open that 5-10 yrs. ago would not have been.I think racism still exsists, I think it always will to one degree or another. To me thats why folks are not as feverent about integratng as some would like. There are black folk who will not mix with other blacks. Some whites who will not mix with some whites. Its human nature in part. ALOT of what political correctness is trying to control is just plain human nature. Don't like it get off the planet. You see in my thinking there is to much money in pointing out & stressing these subtle intricacies ie... divisions... All the books & broadcast & punditry jobs involved in this industry.... Divisionism pays point blank... Black-white, DEM-GOP.Hence becoming self fulling prophecies. Ultimately the human animal most probably will pay the ultimate price, extinction.....
Ps... Cashin has the right name as in, Cashin in...Please add to my post...Thank you.
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