It's Never Been a Level Playing Field offers a deep dive into the historical and contemporary dynamics of race and racism in America, particularly through the lens of White privilege and supremacy. The book confronts uncomfortable truths and dismantles pervasive myths that have perpetuated racial inequalities throughout American history.
The book is structured around eight interlocking myths that have contributed to the perpetuation of racial inequalities in America. Each myth is examined in detail, revealing how they continue to influence various aspects of society:
- The Overarching Myth: America provides an equal playing field for all.The Where We Live Myth I: Housing. Any segregation in housing and neighborhoods Blacks may experience is now strictly a result of individual choice.The Where We Live Myth II: Health Outcomes. If Blacks have worse health outcomes than Whites, it's because of their own poor choices.The Access to Economic Opportunity Myth: Belief in meritocracy & the idea that hard work alone leads to success.The Access to Educational Opportunity Myth: Assumptions about equal access to quality education for all.The Access to Genuine Justice Myth: Perceptions of fairness within the criminal justice system.The Embracing Blacks' Access to Rights, Progress, and Power Myth: The belief that racial progress has been achieved &that discrimination is a thing of the past.The Concluding Myth: Denial of systemic racism.
The second section of the book offers proposals and recommendations for addressing systemic racism and redressing past injustices. The specific recommendations to level the playing field including:
- Make transformative investments in early childhood education and reverse funding disparities in K-12 schools.Implement housing policies that advance genuine residential integration and fundamentally undo the dynamics of historical segregation.Create economic policies that demonstrably bridge the racial wealth gap and support enormous scaling up of Black entrepreneurship.Reform the criminal justice system to reduce mass incarceration and reverse racial disparities in policing and sentencing.
By dismantling myths and offering concrete solutions, the book provides a roadmap for addressing systemic racism and building a more just future.