Somewhere the “Dream” was derailed

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

In American History there are many great examples of powerful rhetoric…The Declaration of Independence, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, FDR’s “Day of Infamy” speech to name some of the obvious.  Martin Luther King Jr.’s ”I Have A Dream” speech will always make the short list.  And while we should be proud of our nation’s progress in egalitarianism, it has become obvious that we have allowed the pendulum to swing too far.  Where once it was necessary to stand for integration, now, in the name of some twisted idea of diversity, we promote segregation.  Instead of becoming color-blind we have become overly color conscience. Denzel Washington recognized this when the media wanted to hype his Best Actor Oscar as being given to an “African-American Actor”.  His request was that he be commended simply as an “actor”.  Which is a higher acclamation as it puts him on equal footing with every actor instead of implying that he was simply the best of his race.

Thomas Sowell  has frequently addressed the negative effects of “diversity programs” such as Affirmative Action. In His book Inside American Education he also reveals the adverse results of ethnic studies and values programs.  Now, he addresses the foolishness of having “African-American Authors” as a designated section of a bookstore.  As always Dr. Sowell, looks beyond the rubric to the results, ignoring conventionality and focusing on consequences.

Bookstore Ghettoes
By Thomas Sowell