Notes of a Racial Caste Baby. Color Blindness and the End of Affirmative Action. Critical America Series

The Constitution of the United States, writes Bryan Fair, was a series of compromises between white male propertyholders: Southern planters and Northern merchants. At the heart of their deals was a clear race-conscious intent to place the interests of whites above those of blacks. In this provocative and important book, Fair, the eighth of ten children born to a single mother on public assistance in an Ohio ghetto, combines two histories--America's and his own- -to offer a compelling defense of affirmative action. How can it be, Fair asks, that, after hundreds of years of racial apartheid during which whites were granted 100% quotas to almost all professions, we have now convinced ourselves that, after a few decades of remedial affirmative action, the playing field is now level? Centuries of racial caste, he argues, cannot be swept aside in a few short years. Fair ambitiously surveys the most common arguments for and against affirmative action. He argues that we must distinguish between America in the pre-Civil Rights Movement era--when the law of the land was explicitly anti-black--and today's affirmative action policies--which are decidedly not anti- white. He concludes that the only just and effective way in which to account for America's racial past and to negotiate current racial quagmires is to embrace a remedial affirmative action that relies neither on quotas nor fiery rhetoric, but one which takes race into account alongside other pertinent factors. Championing the model of diversity on which the United States was purportedly founded, Fair serves up a personal and persuasive account of why race-conscious policies are the most effective way to end de facto segregation and eliminate racial caste. Table of Contents A Note to the Reader Acknowledgments Preface: Telling Stories Recasting Remedies as Diseases Color-Blind Justice The Design of This Book Pt. 1. A Personal Narrative Not White Enough Dee Black Columbus Racial Poverty Man-Child Colored Matters Coded Schools Busing Going Home Equal Opportunity The Character of Color Diversity as One Factor The Deception of Color Blindness Pt. 2. White Privilege and Black Despair: The Origins of Racial Caste in America The Declaration of Inferiority Marginal Americans Inventing American Slavery The Road to Constitutional Caste Losing Second-Class Citizenship Reconstruction and Sacrifice Separate and Unequal The Color Line Critiquing Color Blindness Pt. 3. The Constitutionality of Remedial Affirmative Action The Origins of Remedial Affirmative Action The Court of Last Resort The Invention of Reverse Discrimination The Politics of Affirmative Action: Myth or Reality? Racial Realism Eliminating Caste Afterword Notes Index In This Provocative And Important Book, Bryan K. Fair, The Eighth Of Ten Children Born To A Single Mother On Public Assistance In An Ohio Ghetto, Combines Two Histories - America's And His Own - To Offer A Compelling Defense Of Affirmative Action. How Can It Be, Fair Asks, That, After Hundreds Of Years Of Racial Apartheid During Which Whites Were Granted 100 Percent Quotas To Almost All Professions, We Have Convinced Ourselves That, After A Few Decades Of Remedial. Affirmative Action, The Playing Field Is Now Level? Fair Ambitiously Surveys The Most Common Arguments For And Against Affirmative Action. He Argues That We Must Distinguish Between America In The Pre-civil Rights Movement Era - When The Law Of The Land Was Explicitly Anti-black - And Today's Affirmative Action Policies - Which Are Decidedly Not Anti-white. He Concludes That The Only Just And Effective Way Both To Account For America's Racial Past And To Negotiate. Current Racial Quagmires Is To Embrace A Remedial Affirmative Action That Does Not Rely On Quotas Or Fiery Rhetoric But Takes Race Into Account Alongside Other Pertinent Factors. Championing The Model Of Diversity On Which The United States Was Purportedly Founded, Fair Serves Up A Most Personal And Persuasive Account Of Why Race-conscious Policies Are The Most Effective Way To End De Facto Segregation And Eliminate Racial Caste. Preface: Telling Stories -- Recasting Remedies As Diseases -- Color-blind Justice -- Pt. 1. A Personal Narrative. Not White Enough. Dee. Black Columbus. Racial Poverty. Man-child. Colored Matters. Coded Schools. Busing. Going Home. Equal Opportunity. The Character Of Color. Diversity As One Factor. The Deception Of Color Blindness -- Pt. 2. White Privilege And Black Despair: The Origins Of Racial Caste In America. The Declaration Of Inferiority. Marginal Americans. Inventing American Slavery. The Road To Constitutional Caste. Losing Second-class Citizenship. Reconstruction And Sacrifice. Separate And Unequal. The Color Line. Critiquing Color Blindness -- Pt. 3. The Constitutionality Of Remedial Affirmative Action. The Origins Of Remedial Affirmative Action. The Court Of Last Resort. The Invention Of Reverse Discrimination. The Politics Of Affirmative Action: Myth Or Reality? Racial Realism. Eliminating Caste. Bryan K. Fair. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 185-208) And Index. This book is a defense of remedial affirmative action and an assertion that it is a policy that is a fair and workable solution to the chronic problem of racial caste in the United States. The personal narrative of the author, eighth of 10 children born to a single mother on public assistance, is combined with the discussion of American history and legal precedent to support affirmative action. The significance of race and racial caste in the life of the author, who became a professor of constitutional law, and the historical and constitutional legitimacy of remedial affirmative action are explored. Race-based remedial affirmative action promotes racial opportunity and inclusion, both of which are still lacking in the United States. Affirmative action helped the author move out of the ghetto of his childhood through the educational opportunities it provided. It is asserted that it took black people more than three centuries to persuade white Americans to eliminate official white supremacy, but it has only taken a few whites two decades to recast history and convince the Supreme Court that race-based remedial affirmative action must be eliminated. Policies that are color blind will extend white privilege into the next century. (SLD)