Understanding our History
The experience of many people of any race growing up in under-resourced communities is very different from those growing up in safe stable communities. When combined with the historic racial prejudice toward Blacks our society has placed significant barriers to success.
Phil Vischer gives us a crisp, quick historical survey of racism in the US.
A brief description of the history of Jim Crow from Hip Hughes
Lynching in America: A map to explore where the reported cases of lynching took place
Economic History
The greatest means of wealth creation in the US has historically been home ownership. In 1934 with the establishment of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) the FHA recommended that deeds to properties for which it issued mortgage insurance should include an explicit prohibition of resale to African Americans. It wasn’t until 1962 that the FHA ceased financing subdivisions where builders refused to sell to black buyers, source CitiGroup and US Census
The average black household has 60% of the income but only 10% of the wealth as an average white household. (Holy Post: Race in America, Rothstein, The Color of Law, 184-85; Wilkerson, Caste: the Origins of our Discontents, 185)
Try to understand men. If you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and almost always leads to love.
John Steinbeck
We are all so desperate to be understood, we forget to be understanding.
Beau Taplin
Sometimes being understanding is more important than being right. Sometimes we need not a brilliant mind that speaks but a patient heart that listens. Not a keen eye that always sees faults but open arms that accept. Not a finger that points out mistakes but gentle hands that lead. Pavithra Ram
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