Rampant Class-based Discrimination Shapes American Life

I have long contended that much of the presumed racial discrimination that exists in this post-1960's time is really class discrimination. In fact, the race-based discrimination in this country was originally based in class; color and ethnicity were/are often just markers for (perceived) class. That should come as no surprise for a society that is so focused on money and financial status. But how does class affect our society? How does class affect our relationships? Our perceptions of ourselves and others? Today's challenge: consider class.

* The New York Times is doing a series of articles on class. They focus on interaction of class with health, marriage, religion, education, and immigration. "This series does not purport to be the last word on class. It offers no nifty formulas for pigeonholing people. Instead, it represents an inquiry into class as Americans encounter it." (Note that free registration may be required to read the articles online.)

* Think honestly, carefully, and critically about what you believe in. Think about what is right. And make sure your words and actions reflect your beliefs. We may demonstrate class or other biases without being conscious of it. And when we are conscious of inappropriate unjust behavior, we often do nothing to stop it.

* Consider how tolerant you are of people that are different from (or the same as!) you. Tolerance.org, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, has a number of essays, tools and tests to help you identify biases, fight hate, promote equity, and teach tolerance.

* Insist on economic justice and take steps to end poverty in your community and in our world.

Unfortunately the gap between the financially rich and the financially poor is growing. Capitalism (and that is what our global economy practices) necessitates a lower class, but the gap doesn't have to be this wide.

The wage gap shows what I mean. A study of 292 large US corporations showed that in 1973 the average CEO made 41 times more than the average worker. That gap widened to 145 to one in 1992; 170 to one in 1993; and 187 to one in 1994. By 1999, the average CEO made 419 times the average wage of the average worker. By 2000, CEO compensation was 531 times higher that of the average worker. Why are CEO salaries rising so much faster than worker salaries? How do these differences impact our society? These unnecessarily exaggerated and increasing differences can't help but contribute to the situations discussed in the New York Times articles.

These are complicated problems, compounded by issues of geography, color, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, physical and mental abilities, and other factors. We're not going to rid ourselves of class bias overnight. But each of us can move in that direction by considering economic class.