This is an insight written by Meredith Friedland on the recent Bahá’í Chair for World Peace Lecture on Confederate Streets and Black-White Labor Market Differentials given by Dr. Jhacova Williams and co-sponsored by the Critical Race Initiative and the Department of African American Studies on November 16, 2021.
Many people think slavery was left in the past. That racism is a thing of our ancestors and no longer affects our country today. However, in our everyday life slavery is still celebrated by the racist symbols that are in our own neighborhoods. Statues, school names, and street names still honor confederate generals and help perpetuate the myths of the ‘lost cause’.
There are around 700 Confederate monuments in the United States. Most of these were not built right after the Civil War but during the time of Jim Crow Segregation. The argument of whether or not to take down these statues has two sides. Many people in the south believe that these tributes celebrate southern history and pride in the south. Whereas others see these monuments as symbols of white supremacy and racism that continue to affect minority communities today.
Dr. Williams combats these emotional dataless arguments with facts and research that demonstrates the racism behind these dedications. She shows the correlation between racist attitudes, confederate street names, and labor market differentials. She found evidence that black people living in areas with confederate street names are less likely to be employed, have a lower status occupation, and are paid lower wages. The data shows that racism still exists in these areas and it is negatively impacting minority groups.
It is frustrating that when presented with facts and figures people still choose ignorance over data. The continued refusal to recognize the harmful message promoted through honoring the confederacy. I appreciated Dr. Williams walking us through her research methods and the process she used to come to these findings. She compared black and white people of the same age, marital status, geographic area, etc. She knew people would try to poke holes in her research and therefore made sure she covered all bases. It is upsetting that even when shown the numbers and graphs that support the argument of confederate streets and its relationship to labor market differentials people remain tied to their anchoring bias.
The inherent risk in the perpetuation of the myths of the ‘lost cause’ and the arguments that the civil war was about states’ rights and not slavery is clear to see. Dr. Williams shared that when a mayor made a decision to take down a racist monument, the contractor scheduled to remove the statue had their car bombed. Extremists are willing to resort to violence to protect their racist ideals and ignorance for change. They try to scare individuals away from standing up for what’s right and if you don’t listen are willing to enact force.
People like Dr. Williams who are using economics to shed light on racism and use research to combat false ideas are so important. Instead of relying on violence to fight back, we have history, data, and evidence that can not be disputed. This might not stop the violence but can make changes in legislation and in the workplace. These research findings can be used to change street names and tear down confederate monuments. Companies in geographic areas with confederate streets can fight to combat these biases and implement further diversity and inclusion efforts. While this won’t undo history, it would make a step towards a future that does not condone its racist past.
About the Author:
Meredith is a junior at the University of Maryland majoring in Marketing and minoring in Technology Entrepreneurship. After college, she hopes to travel the world and learn more about different countries and cultures. Meredith wants to combine her interest in business with her passion for helping others.