Biblical Anti-Racism, Pt. II
CRT focuses on systemic racism but due to their leftist prejudices miss the social systems that really are fostering failure. This is indeed very counter to what is being argued, but my views are in accord with most black conservatives that write much on this. These views are the opposite of CRT solutions if there are such since there is such vagueness other than reparations, pouring more money into failed schools and redistribution of wealth (neo-Marxist solutions), and quotas in education and hiring. One CRT proponent argued that right answers in math show white supremacy and are racist. Another argues that Medicare for all is anti-racist but rejecting this solution in health care is racist. Now we get the point; not supporting socialist solutions is racist.
The embrace of cultural relativism by CRT is very destructive and will foster systemic disparity. If there is no right answer in math or no objective evaluation of what is culturally healthy or destructive, then there is no path to success.
I am not hopeful that short of a massive religious revival that the policies presented here will prevail. Leftists are seeking to move the society toward leveling, relativism, and mediocracy as the answer to disparities.
It should not be surprising that biblical-based solutions and conservative black ideas on solutions to race disparities are sometimes polls apart from the popularized CRT solutions if they do propose them. This is not an exhaustive list.
- The restoration of the black family is a number one Bible-based anti-racist concern. An intact marriage and family are the greatest predictor of economic success. Therefore, welfare must be reformed to incentivize the father to marry and help raise his children. Financial incentives for vocational training are also important. We should note that violating biblical law will not lead to prosperity. This emphasis on family is rejected by CRT proponents who see it as a white value (note this fits Marxism). As such CRT teaching is part of the systemic disparity problem!
- Public education is one of the most problematic centers of systematic racial disparity. CRT people address education by seeking an end of testing or by more funding of failed schools. Some of the worst examples of failure are in school systems in northern cities who graduate students who are illiterate. Black parents have more clarity. They want vouchers and charters. They want competition in education and a choice. Again, CRT people are leftists and pro-teachers unions. This is a foundational systemic problem. Every once and a while a largely black public school gets a principal who enforces discipline and educational standards. It is amazing the positive change. However, we now have several examples of Christian private schools educating the poorest from the black ghettos with an amazing success rate.
- Some CRT people argue that meritocracy is itself a white supremacist or white privilege idea. It can be if not rightly applied and used as an excuse to not hire and promote qualified blacks. However, it is obvious that people have to qualify or merit positions in society and prove their qualifications. An engineer must prove applied math ability at a high level to be trusted to build buildings, bridges, and roads. A surgeon like Ben Carson had to prove himself to become a top brain surgeon. We cannot just snap our fingers and have equal outcomes without disparity. Rather, only merit rightly applied in disciplined education can bring blacks into higher numbers into valued professions. Even in the Bible, the builders of the Temple were highly qualified. The Chinese and Japanese are very geared to rigorous education and merit. It is how the Japanese built great industry. Now we see such amazing performance among Koreans. CRT people focus on America and ignore the progress of nations and the meritocracy that has been a key to progress in nations. Non-meritocracy societies stagnate and foster poverty.
However, qualifications have to be justly applied. An employer can use it as an excuse to hire a white instead of a black. He or she can also pick the overqualified over against a fully qualified minority person. I believe that hiring blacks who are qualified should be a social priority and unnecessary irrelevant matters of qualification should not be used whereby people are kept back. The standard for a job needs to be reasonable. Meritocracy rightly embraced is the way forward to black advance. Those opposing it are fostering systemic racial disparity. Not requiring performance in black schools is a key issue part of systemic disparity. Replace hard learning in math and science with emotional learning will be devastating to black attainment
- Enterprise Zones, job training and mentoring are another key. Government incentives for businesses to locate in the black underclass neighborhoods are important. For this to happen those neighborhoods must be safe. CRT is not against this but hardly talks about safe neighborhoods.
- Housing affordability and investment corruption is another issue. Investment companies are driving up the cost of housing by buying vast tracts of houses and then making a profit by driving up prices. There must be some regulation against this. A large supply of houses is key to keep prices low both for purchase and renting.
- Massive police presence and the elimination of gang violence and guns and drugs is important. This is the opposite of Black Lives Matter and CRT who only seem concerned about a tiny fraction of police killings of innocent unarmed blacks while many are slaughtered in crime. However, it is in agreement with black residents of poor neighborhoods. There needs to be such massive police presence that gun and drug crime in the black and Hispanic neighborhoods become largely impossible. The police have to be trained for good relationships in those communities. This will take a large investment. It was done in New York under the previous administrations. Only then can investment be made by businesses in these communities.
- Fighting drugs is crucial. Generous but legal immigration is very important as part of this since gangs and drugs like fentanyl are so destructive to those who take it and is a part of the drug wars in the cities. China is a huge offender. Black lives are being destroyed by the drug trade.
- We can face the truth that is objectively proven about past discrimination, but many of the claims for our own day have been disproved. See the work of Voddie Baucham, the black Christian scholar who gives the statistics in Faultlines. If the black community is taught to primarily focus on victimization and grievance it will foster disparity.
- Prison reform is important. Society should return to the biblical norm where those who do none violent crimes are supervised to pay off their debt to society. Prison teaches criminal behavior.
I would have all study the writings and the work of Robert Woodson who has shown effective programs that lift poor blacks into success.