Wow. Some of the responses to your article are stone deaf. Yes, had it been your intention to write a book you could have taken each of your six indicators and walked back through history to show how that particular outcome was shaped by the dynamics of race in America.

Instead, you sought to write a short article painting a picture with six examples of how the Black community is faring in comparison to the majority race. This endeavor may not offer any definitive answers but should prompt perceptive readers to think a bit as the nation wrestles with the idea if systemic racism.

Instead, you are attacked for not proving any connection between the nature of our society and its outcomes. So let me suggest one for your critics: federal sentencing guidelines. Powder cocaine and crack cocaine are exactly the same drug, but crack has been diluted, allowing it to be smoked. As a result it is cheaper and hence more popular in low income communities.

As you demonstrated, the Black community overall has significantly less wealth than Whites. Consequently, powder cocaine became popular in Hollywood and among the White college-age set, while the Black community gravitated toward crack. And prior to reforms in the Obama era, federal sentencing guidelines were ONE HUNDRED times more severe for crack than for powder cocaine. BTW, I voted for Barack twice but I am not giving him a complete pass either: his reforms reduced the sentencing discrepancy between powder and crack from 100:1 to 18:1 … but still, for the same damned drug.

That’s progress I guess … and a pretty good metaphor for the struggle to give all babies born in this country a level playing field, whether black, brown or white. Progress, yes—but not nearly enough. Unfortunately, as some of your responses show, a large number of Americans aren’t even willing to look at the issue.