Progressive Racism

Sometimes I think it's a sin
When I feel like I'm winning
When I'm losing again
--Gordon Lightfoot

In a timely follow-up to Prof Williams' data-driven challenge of the Progressive racism narrative, Prof Anderson presents a case that it has been Progressive policies that have increased socioeconomic disparity among blacks. Economic regulation imposed by Progressives created monopolies where none existed and Progressive polices created new and harmful barriers to entry that blocked groups from climbing the economic ladder.

Some of these policies were intentionally racist, as demonstrated by quotes from Progressive icons such as Margaret Sanger. Similar to Lincoln, many Progressives saw the black population as negative influences on American society and sought to eliminate blacks thru both overt and covert policies. The history of Progressive labor laws, including minimum wage laws, can be viewed as a blatant attempt by powerful white coalitions to protect their franchises from competitive black labor.

Like Williams, Anderson notes that the real spread between black and white unemployment rates became more noticeable in the 1950s--after Progressive policies had a generation or so to take hold.

The irony of it all is that many blacks and well meaning Progressives embrace the very political philosophies that have widened the socioeconomic inequality that they purport to oppose.