“Why a Public Conversation about Race is Nearly Impossible,” by Dr. Robert Benne
Though many call for a national conversation on race, it has been and is nearly impossible because of the implicit ground rules that make any attempted conversation into a monologue. Here are the ground rules: whites are the oppressor and blacks are the oppressed; therefore, whites do not understand and must be quiet and listen to what blacks have to say; then the whites must do the things they must to overcome the oppressive system they have constructed.
Sound familiar? Those underlying rules nullified the famous study of 1965 by Daniel Patrick Moynihan that presciently sounded the alarm about the deterioration of the black family and what it meant for race relations. He pointed out then that the rate of illegitimate births among blacks was 20%. He warned that such rates would lead to impoverished female-headed families and diminished prospects for their kids. He worried that the children would not do as well in school, not be as employable, would get into trouble with the law, and reduplicate the pattern that had brought them forth. There would be an increasing divide between the races which would bring forth more animosity.
Dr. Robert Benne, Retired Professor of Religion, Roanoke College, Salem, Va. This article was previously published in The Roanoke Times, August 11, 2016.
