Last week, in my Race and Ethnicity class, I was talking about how race was used by white elites in early American history to divide and conquer the poor who, black or white, had a joint interest in undermining the class structure from which those elites benefited. I then show them this video by Tim Wise making this same argument and suggesting that using race to divide and conquer is still ongoing. One student said: “No offense, but Tim Wise said it better than you.” It’s true.
Anyway, I bring up this argument–that race is used to divide and conquer the poor and working class for the benefit of economic elites–because of a recent speech made by AFL-CIO Secretary/Treasurer Richard Trumka. In this speech, below, Trumka argues in favor of bridging racial (and gender) divides in the labor movement specifically because of the phenomena that Wise describes. In other words, Trumka calls for a join and resist strategy. I think the two speeches nicely illustrate two sides of one conflict coin.
Don’t miss Tim Wise.
And here’s Richard Trumka:
You might also see this post on the way in which lefty movements and companies tend to focus only on one axis of inequality at a time, such that they are all undermining each other and, thus, the entire left agenda.
Hat tip to Peter D.
Comments 7
pj — October 7, 2008
Awesome speech. Thanks for posting it.
Navidson — October 7, 2008
Man, I took your race and ethnicity class when you were at Madison right after Katrina happened, and I thought that was a good backdrop to discuss sociology.
I have to say that I am jealous to have been graduated and not in a sociology course this fall, this election has to be starting some very interesting discussions in your classes!
Just look at this:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/06/AR2008100602935.html
macon d — October 7, 2008
Yes, right said. I made the same connection, in my head anyway, when I first saw Trumka's speech, the connection between Trumka's and Wise's elaborations of the roots of separation in our race-addled nation (it's SUCH an abomination).
OP Minded — October 8, 2008
That is the main problem with Affirmative Action. Middle class African Americans can get benefits at the expensive of poor whites. The divide and conquer strategy is made easier when such a blatant discriminatory policy exists as evidence and ammunition.
Lisa Wade, PhD — October 22, 2008
Navidson,
Thanks for commenting! It's super neat to hear that an old student is reading!
Sociological Images » ADMIRAL ADAMA ON RACE — March 21, 2009
[...] invention of the white race here. And here’s the Secretary/Treasurer of the AFL-CIO saying it’s time to quit it already. tags: media, race/ethnicity, tv/movies| Permalink| THE ORPHAN TRAIN CHRIS ROCK ON [...]
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