In this world, there's an unspoken order, a way things "have" to go. In being Black and a woman, there are things that I have experienced that are unique to people who look like me. These experiences have pushed my mind to create a theory, something that explains what this order does and who it does it too. I call this The Three Fold System of Oppression. It is what I believe drives Black people, and especially Black men, to poverty.
The first pillar of this theory is education. Public schools are funded largely by property taxes from local homeowners. In inner cities, however, people may not own homes or be able to afford these taxes. As a result, schools that minorities attend in large numbers in the inner cities are underfunded. This prevents our children from learning at levels of others and being prepared to head into middle school, high school, and eventually college. The underfunding of schools is largely responsible for graduation rates among minorities and the rate of college attendance. Education is used as a tool to prevent minorities from reaching economic growth and success. This is the first pillar minorities experience as children, and can only be uprooted when we invest in the education of Black and Brown kids.
The second pillar is opportunity. Even after Black people graduate from college and enter the workforce, it is hard to find a job. According to The Atlantic, the unemployment rate among Black people around 9%, compared to 4.5% among White people (I remind you that the unemployment rate only includes people seeking work, not those who aren't). The third and final pillar is included in this one as well, which is economy.
Money makes the world go 'round, and while the love of it can be the root of evil, it is the cornerstone of American life. Economic disparity is the last pillar. Without money, one is unable to financially, physically, and mentally support oneself. This pillar is included because not only does American business receive the most support from Black and brown people, but American business locks minorities from experiencing economic growth due to capitalism.
These three pillars are complex and intense, but they plague minorities more than anyone else. These pillars prevent us from reaching success in its true form. Fixing these issues will be the same way: complex and intense. There is no one solution, but I will offer one. Invest in minority education, invest in creating jobs and invest in minority business. The more we invest, the larger the return. That is the only way we can even begin to reach equality.
