As life progressed and I entered college, I found the same lack of racial consideration in any aspect of my life. I just had to study and work to earn money for my family; race never was part of any calculus. Finally, I graduated and was offered my first professional position with significantly more in salary than one of my tenured professors who had been on faculty at my alma mater for decades; no discrimination so far. And my experience throughout my approximately forty-one years of industry experience only revealed positive affirmative action for minorities and women. I never once observed any racism or negative discrimination in the workforce. I did see minority and women employees advance before and beyond their White male peers many, many times at quite a few corporations.
Thus, I posit, according to my experience, institutional racism in America, for all practical extents and purposes, died out in the early-to-mid 1970s. Personal racism still exists, but it is powerless to affect discriminatory outcomes. Further, I believe the transformation of America from a substantially segregated and racially hostile society prior to the 1964 Civil Rights Act to a society devoid of institutional racism represents one of humankind’s most profound achievements. While the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s was a catalyst for positive change, disenfranchised second-class citizens were powerless to effect change, especially change of this magnitude; thus, White, empowered America should be recognized for admitting the problem and instituting meaningful and drastic changes to implement solutions. This was not compulsory, this was voluntary. America, through the marvel of TV, saw the ugliness of racism and said, “No! No more, we’re better than this.” And America fixed institutional racism. It does not exist in America and hasn’t for quite a few decades.
Reparations are an abject disgrace; extracting remuneration from those that committed no harm for those that suffered no damage. Our spineless politicians and leaders supporting this atrocity should be tried and jailed for criminal-scale stupidity. If you want it, earn it.
