The killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin has spawned soul searching as well as a quest for solutions to avoid such crimes in the future. Chief among the recommendations for the latter is a call to end the “systemic racism” within the United States. Both secular and sectarian voices have heralded the need to eradicate racism not only from the policies employed by public institutions but also from the mindset and actions of the Caucasian majority. Citizens of the United States, the claim goes, must address the legacy of slavery and its effect upon the Black community.
One example from a Christian perspective is an article written by Michael Rhodes titled “Should We Repent of Our Grandparents’ Racism? Scripture on Intergenerational Sin.” Mr. Rhodes prescribes a what he calls a “bitter pill” and asserts that we Christians in the U.S. must repent of our “inter-generational sin” which have created an oppressive ideology. This “racist ideology … has seeped into our individual psyches, as well as our culture, systems, and institutions. It’s an ideology responsible for much of the very real harm we’re witnessing on our television screens, in our social media feeds, and on our streets. It’s an ideology commonly referred to as white supremacy.” But before we sell the farm to buy Mr. Rhodes prescription, perhaps we should ask two questions: 1) Has the good doctor accurately diagnosed the malady plaguing our country; and 2) Is his prescription the right one?
Mr. Rhodes’ arguments intrigues me, because they touch on the intersection of theology, economics and public policy. Since my graduate school days, I have attempt to synthesize these topics in my teaching and research as well as, more recently, in my preaching. Mr. Rhodes hermeneutics are of questionable merit, which is bad news. The good news is his hermeneutics are at least better than his economics. Further, Mr. Rhodes appears willing to paint with a broad brush and label all manner of incidents as evidence of racism.
Let us evaluate Mr. Rhodes’ assertion that racism in general and the residual effects of slavery in particular are responsible for the killing of George Floyd and for the many economic and sociological problems facing the black community. What evidence does he cite? Go ahead, check; I’ll wait. If you came back scratching your head, it is because he offers none. He takes it as a truism.
I had wondered what evidence indicated the George Floyd killing was racially motivated. Others wondered the same. Jason Riley, a member of the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board, wrote, “So far, we haven’t seen a shred of evidence that George Floyd’s death in police custody last month was racially motivated.”[1] Racism may explain the episode, but Mr. Chauvin may simply be a sadistic bully who routinely exploited his position as a means to inflict harm on others. Until Mr. Rhodes can delve in to Chauvin’s mind and assess his motives, we might avoid policy changes aimed at ameliorating racism when other policies are more needed and promise greater effect.
Mr. Rhodes does cite psychological experiments and research which, he claims, demonstrate the prevalence of racist attitudes among Americans. In asserting this, Mr. Rhodes assumes all stereotypes are racist. Stereotypes may reveal bigoted attitudes but such is not a given. Let us take an example that I hope is less emotionally charged. A number of my students at Liberty University were Christian Palestinians from Bethlehem. One guy complained that his Minnesotan girlfriend whisked right through Israeli airport security while he had been detained for two hours. I pointed out that lily white co-eds from the upper Midwest were perceived as less of a threat than Palestinians precisely because the former had no reputation for strapping bombs to their bodies and blowing up Israelis. Humans with limited time and limited cognitive resources naturally use stereotypes to improve their efficiency. Readers, if honest, can no doubt think of instances in which they do so themselves.
Stereotypes may be accurate or inaccurate. Jesse Jackson’s infamous statement, “There is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery. Then look around and see someone white and feel relieved,”[2] is an example of a stereotype. It is surely not racist. Nor should we consider Apostle Paul racist when he says, “One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.’ This testimony is true.”[3] Jackson’s attitudes were based upon the fact that blacks commit a disproportionate number of crimes in inner cities. Paul’s statement was based on the fact that Cretans were… well, Cretans.
So before Mr. Rhodes can assume the stereotypes of Americans are racist he would need more information. How accurate are those stereotypes? What reason are they held? And most importantly, is a person willing to relinquish those stereotypes on a case-by-case basis?
But even if Mr. Floyd’s killing was not racially motivated, it could be true that systemic racism and the legacy of slavery impose significant suffering upon blacks. Indeed, Mr. Rhodes asserts that these are responsible for oppressing blacks today. Is this assertion supported by the evidence? No.
Two conservative economists, Walter “EEEEEE.” Williams and Thomas Sowell, who also happen to be black and grew up during the Jim Crow era, repeatedly point out that by nearly every measure blacks were better off in the decade before the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 than they are today. Take out-of-wedlock births for example. Williams claims that only 14% of births by black women were out of wedlock in 1940’s.[4] By 1965, Daniel P. Moynihan reported the rate at 25%.[5] Today, it is estimated at 75%. One can also look at marriage. In 1960, 51% of black women of childbearing age were living with their husbands, while 28% had never married. In 1994, the percentages were nearly reversed: only 25% were living with their husband and 56 had never married. [6]
Now Mr. Rhodes claims the stubborn gap between black and white earnings and wealth are attributable to the economic exploitation associated with slavery. However, the disintegration of family structure and all the accompanying social pathologies are a more contemporaneous explanation. The relationship between family and economic stability has been consistently demonstrated. [7] Furthermore, the significant economic gains made by black families when states legislated discrimination, indicate that neither slavery nor discrimination are to blame.
None of this is a claim that there are no bigoted people or that discrimination does not impose unfair and very grating costs upon blacks. Rather it is to point out that the primary problem facing the black community is identical to that facing the upper class liberals – and a few conservatives – in Boulder, Colorado where I attended graduate school. Namely, the problem is a spiritual one. Most reject the truth that mankind is sinful and needs the Lord Jesus. Once folks come to grips with that reality, a whole host of self-destructive pathologies begin falling away.
There are, of course, policies which could be implemented which would help the black community even if large numbers did not turn to Christ. Unfortunately, none of these bear any resemblance to Mr. Rhodes’ “costly social and economic action” which is apparently warmed over Neo-Marxism. The Federal government has spent more than $20 trillion – yes, that’s the “t” word! – on Great Society programs over the past 50 years. [8] That qualifies as costly. And still economic disparities between blacks and whites persist. So what works?
Mr. Rhodes cites several dubious economic statistics, chief among these is this one from William Darity and Kirsten Mullen: Inheritances account for “between 26% and 50%” of American adults’ wealth.[9] Given data limitations on Americans’ asset holdings, this statement simply cannot be verified. However, what we do observe is the greatest wealth producing asset parents leave children. This asset is what economists call human capital, that combination of character, skills and education which enable a person to be a productive member of society.
Practical steps could be implemented to enhance parents’ efforts to improve their children’s socioeconomic prospects. School choice is one. Charter schools have proven a boon for poor, inner-city kids and are widely supported by parents in those poor neighborhoods. Also, eliminating the Obama Administration’s policies which prevent public schools from expelling troublesome students would benefit poor kids. This strikes some as harsh, but “students” who refuse to learn and who disrupt classrooms make learning herculean. This robs inner-city kids of their best opportunity to move up the economic ladder.
Another benefit we can bestow upon minorities is by enforcing laws in poor neighborhoods. Mr. Rhodes laments the lack of wealth accumulation among blacks but fails to understand that wealth is accumulated over time in stable environments. When rioters burn down entire business districts in Ferguson, Missouri or Minneapolis while police stand idly by, the investment of decades – what Mr. Rhodes might call wealth – literally goes up in smoke. Whom does Mr. Rhodes supposes is harmed most by this lawlessness?
Yes, there are problems stemming from prejudice in our country. However, the evidence indicates it is not the most serious problem. Yes, Derek Chauvin acted criminally in killing George Floyd, and should be punished. But data on police use of force indicate this incident was an aberration, and it pales in comparison to the black-on-black crime now rampant in Chicago. If we want to help the black community advance economically and more importantly spiritually, we must honestly and accurately identify the problems which they can address. Engaging in cost-free repentance, as Mr. Rhodes does, appeals to our egos and makes a person appear compassionate but accomplishes nothing for the black community.
[1] WSJ, June 23, 2020 https://www.wsj.com/articles/no-police-racism-isnt-an-epidemic-11592952420
[2] Mike Royko, Jesse Jackson’s Message is Too Advanced for Most, The Baltimore Sun, December 3, 1993. https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-12-03-1993337169-story.html
[3] Titus 1:12 – 13 (NASV)
[4] Walter E. Williams, The True Black Tragedy, May 29, 2016. https://www.theburningplatform.com/2016/05/29/the-true-black-tragedy-illegitimacy-rate-of-nearly-75/
[5] Daniel P. Moynihan, The Negro Family: The Case for National Action, https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/history/webid-moynihan/moynchapter2
[6] Thomas Sowell, Black Rednecks and White Liberals, 1997. p 34.
[7] The Census Bureau’s vaunted HINC-01 analysis which segments households by income is revealing in this matter. The latest data I have on my computer is for 2013, and in that year female headed households accounted for 57% of those households in the lowest quintile for earnings. If you want practice in using Excel you can update my results using this data: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/tables/hinc-01/2019/hinc01_1.xls.
[8] Edwin J. Fuelner, Assessing the Great Society, The Heritage Foundation. https://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/commentary/assessing-the-great-society
[9] William Darity and Kirsten Mullen, Here to Equality, p 36, quoted in Rhodes.