NBMBAA 2023 Conference Guide - 78

Unraveling the Threads Continued
parents or grandparents graduated from the institution and/
or donated money, these white students enjoy a significant
advantage they did not earn. In addition, many of the sports
at Ivy League schools are country club sports, such as fencing
and crew. These sports require expensive equipment and elite
training. As such, the majority of Ivy League athletes are,
again, upper-class and white. Even so, the popular narrative
remains that affirmative action allows unqualified African
American students to be admitted to these elite schools.
Another source of misinformation is the concept that white
people are experiencing " reverse racism. " But when one looks
at the data, white people still have advantages over African
Americans. Despite the racial progress since 1965, such as
decreasing poverty rates and increasing college graduate rates,
African Americans continue to encounter institutional
racism. Indeed, Martin Luther King, Jr's description in Chaos
or Community Where Do We Go from Here is still accurate:
Of the good things in life, he has approximately one-half
those of whites; of the bad, he has twice those of whites.
Thus, half of all Negroes have half the income of whites.
When we turn to the negative experiences of life, the Negro
has a double share. There are twice as many unemployed.
The rate of infant mortality among Negroes is double that
of whites.1
In 2023, White homeownership is 75%, while Black
homeownership is 43%. The Black unemployment rate is
twice the white rate. The Black infant mortality rate is twice
the White rate, and this includes middle-class Black women.
King published his book in 1967, and 56 years later, African
Americans continue to have a " double share' in the " negative
experiences of life. " In housing, income, wealth, health, and
educational resources, there are still persistent gaps between
African Americans and whites. I like to refer to these as
the " gap stats, " where one finds an impenetrable gap that
continues to keep America as stated in 1968 by the Kerner
Commission: " two societies, one black, one white - separate
and unequal. " There is racial progress, yes, but the numbers
undeniably demonstrate that racism still exists.
Conservatives argue that racism is based on an individual act,
not systemic, and they contend that African Americans act as
victims when they call out institutional racism. They also point
to the 2008 election of Barack Obama as a sign that racism
is over, and America is a colorblind society. In other words,
the gap stats between Whites and Blacks are not caused by
institutional racism but are the result of Black culture: singlemother
homes, the devaluing of education, and hip-hop music.
But such thinking ignores the simple fact that racial progress
78
FORWARD 2023
NBMBAA ®
and institutional racism
can and does exist
simultaneously in
American
history. And
when one looks at the data, a different narrative emerges.
Since the birth of hip hop in 1973, due to affirmative action,
the Black middle class has expanded. Black income and wealth
have increased, and Black mortality rates have improved.
These gains were made because of a single policy designed to
counteract racism and inequality.
In order to ensure that students receive a critical and not a
sanitized African American history course, one should attend
or join your local Board of Education. A Board of Education
is an elected body. During the anti-Critical Race Theory
(CRT) debate, one saw the power of school boards, as white
parents protested CRT and complained that it is designed
to make their children feel guilty for slavery and racism. If
you cannot run for office, please attend your school board
meetings. Be cognizant of the issues. Make connections
with university faculty who may attend these meetings or
at the very least, provide pertinent information. An African
American history course must accentuate racial progress
and the continuing impact of institutional racism. A course
that only concentrates on one is not history. At best, it's
incomplete. At worst, it's propaganda.
1
Martin Luther King, Jr., Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or
Community (New York: Random House), 1967; 6-7.
Pick up your copy of Dr. Canton's book now!
Available on
45th Annual Conference & Expo
NBMBAA 2023 Conference Guide

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