Racism in the 1990s: Race-ing to the Year 2000.

Abstract

ordon and Meroe (1991) reviewed Jaynes and Williams's (1989) G book titled A Common Destiny: Blacks and American Society. Although the reviewers lavished praise on this book, they were critical of the authors' objective, sterile treatment of the United States's "most recalcitrant problem," racism (p. 25). Gordon and Meroe (1991) asserted that it is unconscionable to treat racism without passion and any sense of urgency" (p. 25) and that "objectivity can be a disservice to truth" (p. 28).The present discussion of racism in the 1990s is consistent with Gordon and Meroe's (1991) position. There are no pretenses of sterile objectivity, denial of passion, or denial of a sense of urgency or subtleties relevant to the issue of racism. As Gordon and Meroe (1991) concluded, "an invitation to debate is not sufficient while black babies die of malnutrition and drug and alcohol poisoning, while black children do not have the opportunity to receive the quality of education from which we have benefited, and while black adults are overtaken by the suicidal behavior of substance abuse, black on black violence, ill health, unemployment, crime, despair and defeat" (p. 25).Racism for the past 400 years in America has been driven by a supre-399