Glenn Loury is an American economist, academic, and author. In 1982, at the age of 33, he became the first African American tenured professor of economics in the history of Harvard University.
In a short promo clip for his show, Mr. Loury destroyed the illogic of systemic racism in America — all by brilliantly asking simple, logical questions. All Columbia University linguist John McWhorter could offer in response was resting his face on his hand and grudgingly nodding in seeming agreement.
If “structural racism” is so bad in America, why do nonwhites from all over the planet risk so much to come here?
Conversely, if nonwhite immigrants succeed so admirably here, what’s keeping native-born blacks from doing the same?
See what I mean?
“It’s said to be a microaggression to observe,” Loury said, “but this is the place that people want to actually come.” Facts are stubborn, troublesome things on the left, America.
If the American dream is a fraud then how come so many people are seeing their lives made so much better and the lives of their children made so much better by being able to participate in this society?
And again the arrow points backwards; how come black people themselves are not seizing these opportunities? Very difficult question. A lot that can be said about it.
And then the hammer:
But white supremacy? That’s a childish, foolish, intellectually infantile — but politically convenient — response to the question.
Why are black people not availing ourselves [sic] of the same opportunities that people from every corner of this world who are not European seem to able to make the best of?
Ouch. Clean-up in aisle 6. Say goodnight, John.
A difficult question, Loury said, made even more difficult by the fact that people who speak the truth — regardless of ethnicity — are called racist and worse. Glenn Loury is one of those people and he knows it.
Even better, so does John McWhorter.