There has been a shift in the attitudes of black masses about the extent to which systematic discrimination and prejudice are the primary reasons blacks continue to lag behind whites.You have to wonder how Thomas Edsall sneaked a column including these optimistic findings into his paper. It seems to run counter to the NYT 1619 obsession. His editor was likely asleep at the switch, and may now be in trouble.
African Americans’ attention has increasingly shifted from structural reasons of black disadvantage (e.g., systematic discrimination in the job or housing markets) to individual-based explanations (e.g., lack of individual motivation; oppositional attitudes to school and learning) of these disparities, especially in the post - civil rights era.
The shift Smith observes is a hopeful one. Hat tip to Paul Mirengoff at Power Line for the link.
