Is Classism the New Blackism.......

Is classism the New Black, and is black still the old black? It matters not whether class is the more predominant structural feature in which oppression and inequality are reflected in contemporary American society. And so it is ---- that they (race and class) are in fact the alternating arm of the same beast. A Term that I feel explains this conceptual thinking is according to Bell Hooks, Author of the Book "Aint I A Woman: Black Women and Fenminism is defined as: "White-supremacist—capitalist—patriarchy":  White Supremacy Meaning: a society that is ideologically structured with a preferential belief in the superiority of white Americans. Capitalist: Meaning the economic system in which the society produces its wealth, goods, products and services. Patriarchal: Meaning, the domination of men over women. While Patriarchy defines the superiority or rule of men over women, it is more the case that in America this term is most often used to refer to white men.

Questions of the significance of race in a society that is becoming more and more delineated along the lines of class and economic advantages and disparities ( not just income inequality, there are two different things) are becoming more commonplace beliefs held by more and more Americans, and increasingly more and more---Black Americans. It is widely accepted that education functions as the mediator (control mechanism) of race, class and economic inequality in a system that believes and practices upward social mobility. However, where you have poverty, under-employment and crime, the quality of schools, teachers--the educational philosophies and the output of those schools will be severely handicapped. Education then---- cynically becomes an obsolete institution that reinforces inequality.

William Julius Wilson put forth a framework for understanding this “New Black” reality that was materializing out of the post Jim Crow and segregationist era: Which was Class --and the language of its attitude: Classism. In Wilson's book: The Declining Significance of Race: He argues that in post segregation-- class is more significant than race in determining ones life chances and life choices.

Wilson’s explanation of Social Dislocation said--- as a result of desegregation and integration, large numbers of educated and professional African Americans with sufficient income left the impoverished neighborhoods in search of a more mainstream accessible American lifestyle. As a result of this massive migration-- children were left without enough positive role models in their communities, decreases in black marriage numbers rose, as did increases among single-mother headed households This was compounded with the disappearance of factory jobs and other blue-collar employment opportunities. As John Iceland discusses in his book Poverty in America--- referencing Wilsons work Iceland states: “As a consequence the neighborhoods they left became even poorer when their economic vitality was drained. The result was neighborhoods whose people were increasingly socially isolated and faced a shrinking job market, hence-- an increase in concentrated poverty."

Now remember--- that this book was published in 1980, and although the work is 30 years old next year, in this time, in this hour, in this country those conditions mentioned above from 30 years ago still persists today. With the sustained momentum of poverty, and the legalized aspects of racial discrimination that was outlawed in the Civil Rights Act of 1964/65--- class disparities have become the manner in which we define the "New Black"

I disagree with this ---It is not a matter of ----is it Race or is it Class. The question is misleading and this is why.

(1)     Class does not decrease or supersede the significance of race, especially for those that have used race systematically in this country to kill, oppress, enslave and subjugate Native Americans and Blacks. For them  whether intended or not---race becomes---the unconscious way in which they (the ruling class) evaluate, compare and measure their implicit belief and explicit behaviors of their superiority over others. So race lays the foundation upon which all other forms of social exclusion, oppression and inequality are modeled, executed and understood. This includes class

(2) Class does not decrease the significance of race in the self-concept and self-understanding of Black people. BUT….classism does serve as a "stop-loss" or "insurance policy" for the continuance of in-group / out-group and race based discrimination. Classism-- by default is a contingency, a back-up plan if you will. We know very intimately and understand very well, that for us as African Americans, many of us are gifted the Happy Hour 2-for-1 special. And yet a 3-for-1 manager's special for Black women: We women get race, class and sexism...ooohhhh I cant wait!

Rather these facts are just a coincidence or more likely--- by design is ultimately inconsequential. The absolute value remains the same    = Power, denial, disenfranchisement, and exploitation...whether of the poor whites or of poor blacks and other minorities ----this is still creating and reaking havoc! Many will get through the maze, however in porportion to our 37 million population size--- you get something that does not in reality reflect the truth of America being as African American U.S Congresswoman from Texas-- Barabra Jordan said, "as good as it promise." Compare the numbers of our successes to ALL Black people in the world, and the numbers become even more distressing.

(3) Class does not have to remain stable over time. A class based system is portable for the people in it, granted if they are able to fully mobilize and actualize the education, tools, resources and skills to compete, produce and build. So, the degree to which a poor white person may not receive an adequate education or access to resources (family wealth, valuable connections), is completely dependent on his class, not his race. He will never have to compete against his own humanity or his own identity. An African American with a high class status, who makes lots of money and lives in an upper-class neighborhood---may still find it difficult to hail a cab, not be followed around a store, or not be stopped by the police because of his or her racial caste   (social group). Blackness can not be transcended, economic status and class levels can be.

(4) Class mobility allows Blacks to pursue individual achievement, compete in the marketplace of ideas and work to cultivate their material world ---which is the seduction of the American dream. Therefore, we are valued as individuals in terms of what we can produce for the capitalist economy, in which we earn money and begin to experiment---- in time and space in the gravity-less environment of mobility---- this = the Class factor. However, socially we remain eternally locked in our Blackness where we are subjected to unacknowledged, unknown or unenlightened prejudicial attitudes which may directly affect our ability to experience class flexibility. Being denied a promotion, a scholarship, or a small business loan based on prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory practices effects ones chances for economic prosperity and thus limits the full benefit that can be afforded to an individual based on class status or class aspirations. This = the Race factor.

Lastly, the idea of a missing middle class community in black neighborhoods is an important observation--- and the implication and impact from this lack of presence in poor neighborhoods does affect how we imagine the possibilities for our futures and what we use as reference groups or models. However, Blacks have found it increasingly difficult to open businesses in their communities, as a result of the middleman or model minority (example: Asian owned businesse) monopoly on goods and services that are important to and within the black community, like Korean owned Black Hair Care stores, and discount clothing outlets. Redlining which denies services, resources, jobs and economic development opportunities to potential Black entreprenuers, business innovators and residential and commercial property ownership opportunities--- are imposed on black communities---- as well as the abuse of predatory lending and banking strategies. This in effect sections off areas and deems them univestable, or undevelopable. This gives rise to crime, poverty and communitiy wastelands. These practices severely undermine black communities. Gentrification, is where wealthy people (usually non-black) come into poor neighborhoods and are given preference over other qualified people in those communities--to own the properties, homes and businesses in those communities--- these opportunities are typically denied to Black people in favor of White or other immigrant minority groups. They then are able to buy up the property cheap, renovate, sell the property at a higher value and turn significant profits.

Yea, I know some you just said, well what’s the big deal, isn’t that called flipping property? Yes it is. However, the problem comes from the fact that when wealthy buyers are able to come in with lending preferences from banks and are allowed to purchase property, and repurpose them to fit their agenda's, they deprive the communities of services, and ideas that are important to those communities. They destroy the collective, shared and historical identity of those communities--- that have been central to the neighborhood, their cultural traditions and their sense of plurality and connectedness----in much the same way Little Italy in New York and Chinatown in San Francisco maintain tightly-knit cultural enclaves. These "business people"--- fail to provide affordable housing, healthy places to eat, and safe places for children to play and so on. It’s called --Business Social Responsibility. So it’s a lot more detrimental then just flipping property. The decisions have implications for the families that make up the communities, the economies that could potentially grow up around vibrant urban areas, and the environmental impact that corporate, commercial and private development has on these communities.

Is Classism the New Blackism? Do You See A Difference?
Justice Speaks