In his text entitled The end of “positive discrimination” published in The Press, Yves Boisvert described as “sad” the decision of the American Supreme Court to put an end to the policies favoring the access of minorities to major universities. As someone directly targeted by this type of program, I rejoice – like many “Black” Americans – in this further step towards equality.
According to Mr. Boisvert, this decision “represents what some Americans want to hear: this race story, that we don’t talk about it anymore, is ancient history, even ‘anti-white racism’. “. He is right.
But it is important to emphasize here that this part of Americans includes a good number of “black” people. Like economist Glenn Loury, author of the best-selling book The Anatomy of Racial Inequality (2002), and well aware of the difficulties faced by his people. Opposing the victimization of “black people” as well as the “anti-white” drift in universities, he said during a 2019 lecture at a university in Massachusetts: “Affirmative action is [une pratique] dishonest. It’s not about equality, it’s about watching your back. »
Far from being convinced of the effectiveness of race-based equality measures, John McWhorter, a linguistics professor at Columbia University, made these comments in an article he published last week. last in the New York Times : ” This practice [la discrimination positive] was understandable and even necessary 60 years ago. The question I have been asking myself for some time is precisely how long it will have to continue. Personally, I’ve come to believe that measures that focus on socioeconomic factors—wealth, income, even one’s neighborhood—would be more beneficial while being less unfair. »
For her part, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a human rights activist who hosts her own podcast, indicates in an article published at the end of last month on the site UnHerd that she compared the situation of “Black” Americans who succeeded with that of those who struggle to do so.
“In addition to strong families that cultivate the habits associated with stability and success in life – literacy, curiosity, work ethic – access to good schools from an early age is key to addressing economic disparities. »
She therefore hypothesizes that the environment in which a person is born – whether good or bad – has a considerable impact on a life course. “Accepting this fact is the first step in addressing the disparities faced not only by ‘Black’ Americans, but also by other disadvantaged groups in the United States. This is the fundamental flaw of affirmative action: the fate of poor American “blacks” has little to do with race. »
If these voices seem to be in the minority in the traditional media, they have nevertheless multiplied in recent years to distance themselves from the dominant anti-racist discourse and offer new avenues for reflection.
It is in this context that the American non-profit organization Free Black Thought was born, whose mission is to highlight the non-conformist “black” voices that are hardly heard in the public space, but which are increasingly sought after today.
One of the organization’s founders, Erec Smith, a teacher at York College in Pennsylvania, released a manifesto in May 2021 in which he wrote: “To build a truly anti-racist society, we must listen to all ‘black’ voices. and not just those that are considered “authentic”. »
So, for all those “Black” Americans who have taken to less traditional media and social networks to make their voices heard on the racial question, there is nothing “sad” about this decision by the American Supreme Court. Rather, it reflects what they themselves observe in their society, namely that race is a limited analytical tool when it comes to disparities.
And if this is true in a country where racial segregation and discriminatory practices were regulated by law, one wonders how relevant this tool is in a society as egalitarian and concerned about human rights as Quebec.