Alexis de Tocqueville's analysis is especially important because even in the 19th century he warned that America could not forget the problems caused by slavery and eradicate them from its borders. Creating a new nation like Liberia in which one could ship 'Negros' away is no longer seriously suggested, but some Americans do seriously suggest that because there is no more Jim Crow, because Barak Obama can run for president, racism is no longer present within American ideology and culture. This is trying to ignore, to sweep away the 'problem' of racism as well.
Every time someone looks away and says 'he is not one of us,' every time a job is denied, a hand is withdrawn from a shake of friendship, or an individual is criticized for something that would go unnoticed were he or she white, America's true and complex history of 'colors' are revealed that go beyond the hues of the stars and stripes. This is why history must be read, the history of King, Douglass, and de Tocqueville, not simply to remember the past but also not to forget the needs of the present.
Part 2
Given the persistence of racism in American society, it is essential that affirmative action play some part in redressing social inequities caused by slavery. A society does not become a level playing field simply by victims taking responsibility for their own social mobility, no matter what Shelby Steele might say. Racism's subtle effects in the
Board of Education decision. Racism does not excuse any lack of responsibility but striving to create a more socially diverse society is part of the mission of most major educational institutions of learning, and without taking race into a factor diverse networks of mentorship and images of moral leadership can never be established within the American institutional structure of corporate and civic society. It is neither racist nor patronizing to say that discrimination has a material and psychological effect upon the individual, even though many people have overcome this legacy, and should be respected for their achievements. Just because Frederick Douglass taught himself to read as an adult by candlelight in secret does not mean that it was not necessary to take extra steps to educate African-Americans that had been denied literacy as a result of slavery, or to acknowledge former slaves faced additional obstacles through no fault of their own.
Milton and Rose Freidman stress the need for creating equality of opportunities, not outcomes. But by changing outcomes, one can create greater opportunities. An individual from a poor home does not have the same opportunity as someone from a wealthy background, who suffers no historical legacy of oppression. Demonstrating the possibility of a positive outcome through affirmative action acts as an inspiration to those despairing in impoverished conditions, and creates a truly level playing field.
