Volume 30, Number 3 · March 3, 1983
Discrimination and Thomas Sowell
By Christopher Jencks
Ethnic America
by Thomas Sowell
Basic Books, 353 pp., $9.50 (paper)
Markets and Minorities
by Thomas Sowell
Basic Books, 141 pp., $6.00 (paper)
The 1980 elections marked the end of an era in American race relations. Between 1964 and 1980 federal officials had argued about the moral legitimacy and practical benefits of particular strategies for helping blacks catch up with whites economically, but none had questioned the principle that the government should actively promote this goal. This consensus about long-term goals had led to three kinds of federal activity. First, a lot of money was spent on education and job training, and spent in such a way as to give blacks a substantial fraction of the benefits. Second, the federal government used its power to get private employers to assign blacks to jobs traditionally reserved for whites. Third, the government increased both cash and other benefits for families that were unable to take advantage of the new job opportunities, especially families without a male breadwinner.
Review, 7981 words
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