Time To Say Goodbye - ‘Racial disparity’ and ‘race vs. class’ debates: historian Merlin Chowkwanyun

Hi everyone:

Today we’re presenting a conversation between myself (Andy) and my college friend Merlin Chowkwanyun, assistant professor of sociomedical sciences at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. 

For years I’ve peppered Merlin with questions about how to understand the never-ending debate over “race versus class” in the US -- for instance, this New York Times piece from two weeks ago -- a subject that he’s studied for years.

We focus on a critique of “racial disparity” discourse that he has written about several times, co-authored with the political theorist Adolph Reed Jr. (University of Pennsylvania). Across discussions of public health, economics, and policing (for instance, their NEJM paper on Covid-19 disparities this spring), they argue that we too often view “race” as a natural and absolute trait, and “racism” as a question of primordial individual prejudice. Racial thinking, they argue, is in fact inseparable from an analysis of the dynamics of economics and class. “Race” as ideology is certainly real, but we should not mistake it as natural. 

2:34 -- How did Merlin, a Thai-Chinese-American from the Asian SoCal suburbs find himself studying a primarily “black-white” story of race and racism in US history? Why not Asian American studies? How do his students make sense of the “black-white binary”? 

Mentioned: the work of Claire Kim, “Are Asians the New Blacks?: Affirmative Action, Anti-Blackness, and the ‘Sociometry’ of Race

18:20 -- We’ve all memorized the mantra “race is a social construct,” but Merlin argues that many old-fashioned nineteenth-century beliefs in the biological reality of race remain in circulation today, even among good liberals (think about the craze for 23andMe). 

22:15 -- We touch on a recent New York Times article on the “race versus class” debate within the US left. Merlin has collaborated with Adolph Reed Jr. on several articles, but rather than take sides, we discuss their basic criticism of mainstream social science and its simplistic presentation of “racial disparities,” which often wind up stuck in individualized, psychologized notions of prejudice divorced from broader dynamics. Nate Silver-style quantitative regression analysis has helped reify “race” and “class” as static and natural variables of human existence.

30:40 -- Merlin and Reed’s co-authored articles on racial disparity reporting, both for Covid-19 and more generally. How did they come together to co-author these articles? Why is it dangerous to harp on “racial disparity” in a vacuum? 

48:20 -- Missing from most discussions of “racial disparity” are the specific political-economic dynamics of capitalism. Specifically, modern “race” ideology originated in efforts to legitimize, justify, and naturalize slavery and Jim Crow in US history.

(In short: it’s not that white planters, because they were motivated by the racist ideas in their heads, therefore set up the slavery system; rather, because they profited off slavery and sought to defend it, planters then naturalized “race” as a scientific ideology.)

At stake today is this: a primordial account of racism (viz., “everyone’s just born a little racist”) is one that does not challenge the inequities of capitalism and is thus easily embraced by ultra-rich institutions and corporations. 

Mentioned: 

The classic historical account from Barbara Fields

Also Reed’s own interpretation of this history and its implications (how many pop culture podcasts are giving you a discussion of commodity fetishism?)

57:20 -- Merlin warns (Andy) against going too far with “the Marxism” and reducing everything to capitalism. But also a warning against “white fragility”-style characterizations of 400 years of continuous white supremacy. 

1:01:20 -- Is this historical and economic account of “racism” useful for comparative thinking, both with and beyond the black-white binary? For instance, understanding ethnic and racialized hatred between Dominicans and Haitians, or, further away, can “racial capitalism” be applied to understand China today? Asian American history? What about anti-Semitism?



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe

CBS News Roundup - World News Roundup: 08/28

A massive cleanup after Hurricane Laura ripped through Louisiana. President Trump accepts the nomination for a second term. More players walk off the field. CBS News Correspondent Steve Kathan has today's World News Roundup.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NBN Book of the Day - Paul Moyer, “Detestable and Wicked Arts: New England and Witchcraft in the Early Modern Atlantic World” (Cornell UP, 2020)

“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble.” These famous lines from Shakespeare’s Macbeth elicit popular images of sinister witches over their cauldrons, boiling evil potions. Today on New Books in History we’re talking with Paul Moyer, author of Detestable and Wicked Arts: New England and Witchcraft in the Early Modern Atlantic World (Cornell University Press), which places New England’s battle against black magic in a transatlantic perspective.

In this accessible and comprehensive study of witch prosecutions in the Puritan colonies, Moyer explores how English colonists understood the crime of witchcraft, why some people ran a greater risk of being accused of occult misdeeds, and how gender intersected with witch-hunting.

Paul Moyer received a BA from Bowdoin College in 1992 and earned his PhD in History from the College of William and Mary in 1999. He has taught at the University of Central Arkansas and the College of William and Mary as a Visiting Assistant Professor and is currently a Professor of History at SUNY Brockport. He is the author of several books including Wild Yankees: The Struggle for Independence along Pennsylvania's Revolutionary Frontier (2007) and The Public Universal Friend: Jemima Wilkinson and Religious Enthusiasm in Revolutionary America (2015) both by Cornell University Press.

Dr. Julia Gossard is Assistant Professor of History at Utah State University.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

What Next | Daily News and Analysis - TBD | QAnon Goes Mainstream

Not long ago, the QAnon conspiracy theory seemed to have lost momentum. Social media mentions had decreased. 8chan had gone offline. But since March, fueled by the pandemic and social media giants, the conspiracy has taken on new life.


What’s responsible for the rapid uptake of the movement? And now that QAnon has spilled over to the mainstream, how far can it go?


Guest:

Ali Breland, reporter at Mother Jones

 

Host

Celeste Headlee

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Intelligence from The Economist - Shot down, in flames: Kenosha, Wisconsin

Another shooting of an unarmed black man by police has reopened wounds still not healed after George Floyd’s killing—and, like all else, the unrest is being politicised. Montenegro’s president is Europe’s longest-serving leader, but anti-government sentiment has mounted ahead of Sunday’s election. And a look back on the life of Julian Bream, who restored the reputation of the classical guitar.

For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer

The Best One Yet - “Apple should buy Warby Parker” — Walmart & Microsoft might adopt TikTok. Warby Parker hits $3B. Amazon’s 1st fitness gadget.

Since every company you know is trying to buy TikTok, an odd couple is trying to make it happen together: Walmart and Microsoft. Amazon is tired of looking at its Apple Watch, so it whipped up its first ever fitness gadget that has eyes and ears. And our “Unicorn of the Day” is Warby Parker, which we think would look really nice on Apple. $WMT $MSFT $AMZN $AAPL Want a shoutout on the pod? We got the form for Snackers to fill out right here: https://forms.gle/KhUAo31xmkSdeynD9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The NewsWorthy - March on Washington, Walmart Wants TikTok & Amazon’s Wellness Wristband- Friday, August 28th, 2020

The news to know for Friday, August 28th, 2020!

We’re covering:

  • President Trump's pitch for a second term
  • why social distancing guidelines are being questioned
  • Japan's prime minister stepping down
  • Walmart joining a bid for TikTok
  • an update on playoff games and protests
  • more pilot cuts coming
  • how Amazon says its new fitness band will be different than other trackers

Those stories and more in less than 10 minutes!

Head to www.theNewsWorthy.com or see sources below to read more about any of the stories mentioned today.

This episode is brought to you by NativeDeo.com/newsworthy Use the code 'newsworthy'

Become a NewsWorthy INSIDER! Learn more at  www.TheNewsWorthy.com/insider

 

 

Sources:

RNC Final Night (Trump Speech): AP, WSJ, Politico, WaPo

Biden, Harris Criticize Trump: AP, NBC News, Axios

2020 Black National Convention Today: AP, Forbes, Black November

March on Washington: Vox, CBS News, WaPo, National Action Network, Watch Live

Hurricane Laura Updates: AP, WaPo, NBC News, CBS News, WSJ

Social Distancing Guidelines Questioned: WaPo, WebMD, Business Insider, Full Study

White House Test-Kit Deal: NYT, Politico 

Japan’s PM Stepping Down: WSJ, The Guardian, Reuters, WaPo

Walmart Joins TikTok Bid, CEO Quits: AP, Reuters, Engadget, Financial Times, Walmart

NBA Players to Continue Season: USA Today, AP, ESPN, CBS Sports, NBA 

NHL, MLB Games Postponed: AP, Axios, NHL, Reuters, ESPN, MLB

United Pilot Cuts: AP, Reuters, Chicago Tribune

Amazon’s New Fresh Supermarket: USA Today, The Verge, TechCrunch, Amazon

Amazon Unveils Wellness Wristband: NBC News, The Verge, WSJ, Amazon

Feel Good Friday - Couple Donates Wedding Catering to Shelter: CBS News, WaPo, Today

Short Wave - The Arecibo Telescope Is Damaged — And That’s A Big Deal

In early August a cable snapped at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, causing substantial damage to one of the largest single dish radio telescopes in the world. Planetary scientist Edgard Rivera-Valentín explains what's at stake until the damage is repaired and the unique role the telescope plays in both scientific research and popular culture.

Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

What A Day - The South Yawn

Trump closed out the RNC last night, with a meandering 70-minute long speech that saw him paint a rosy picture of his administration’s handling of COVID-19 and promise a vaccine before the end of the year. Trump also tried to suggest that Biden would usher in chaos, while tending to ignore or misrepresent the chaos that’s happening under his administration.

Later today thousands of protestors are expected to gather in Washington, DC, bringing the energy of this year’s many racial justice protests to the nation’s capitol. Jacob Blake’s father is set to speak at the event, along with other family members of people who have experienced police brutality.

And in headlines: early impact of Hurricane Laura, an update on coronavirus in Europe, and Bon Appétit hires Dawn Davis as its editor-in-chief.

The Goods from the Woods - “The Corona Diaries #75” with Daniel Magden

Three L.A. comedians are quarantined in a podcast studio during a global pandemic. There is literally nothing to be done EXCEPT make content. These are "The Corona Diaries" and this is Episode #75.  Sitting in with us again today is our hilarious next door neighbor, Daniel Magden! Follow him on Twitter @MagdenDaniel and check out his podcast "Reefer Sadness".  Music at the end is "It's a Wild Life" by J.R. Collins.