BrianGarst.com

The National Black Chamber of Commerce is outraged to the point that comparisons to Dred Scott, slavery and apartheid are being thrown about.  What has them so worked up? It seems the stimulus money has not been allocated in an appropriate, racially conscious manner.

The singular piece of evidence to justify NBCC President Harry C. Alford comparison of the government to slavery supporters is the fact that “Black contractors only participate in 1.1% of the total federal dollars allotted through state departments of transportation.”

That figure is certainly problematic, but without context the meaning is unclear.  What if only 1.1% of qualified contractors are black?  That would certainly raise questions as to why such a small percentage of contractors are black, but it would also mean that there is no evidence of any racial bias in the allocation of stimulus funds.  On the other hand, if 10% of contractors are black then racism becomes a greater possibility, though it would still not be conclusive.  The NBCC doesn’t give us that figure in their screaming press release.  It’s far simpler for the practitioners of identity politics to see everything through a lens of racial bias, jumping to conclusions all the while, than to even look for, and much less present honestly to others, the complete picture.

Harry C. Alford National Black Chamber of Commerce race issues