By: John Wood Jr. | Aero Magazine
It would be wonderful to live in a world without labels or stereotypes. But it is impossible to analyse complex widescale social trends without thinking in terms of broad categories like race and class. Many people believe that those two concepts are in tension with one another, that one of the dyad has far more explanatory power than the other and that to focus on the wrong one will bring about moral and political confusion.
I have recently argued in USA Today that class is a more important factor than race in the challenges facing black Americans today. My article received a lot of criticism, especially from academics who believe that by emphasising the importance of class, I am undermining efforts to achieve greater equity for black Americans. I disagree with these critics—but I understand their viewpoint, since, for black Americans, race and class are intricately interconnected. That has certainly been the case in my own life.
I am 36 years old, the son of an African American mother and a white father. I have lived in inner-city Los Angeles for almost the whole of my adult life, in what you might consider the outskirts of the hood, where South L.A. extends into Los Angeles County, bordering on Inglewood to the west and Hawthorne to the south. The area is currently being aggressively gentrified. The restoration of old and construction of new sporting and performance venues has brought an enormous influx of new investment to the city of Inglewood. The return of the NFL team the Rams; the building of a new stadium for the basketball team, the L.A. Clippers; and the appearances of everyone from John Mayer to Jordan Peterson at the new Forum and YouTube theatres have together led to the appearance of freshly paved roads, bike lanes and the previously unfamiliar sight of young white women jogging down my street in yoga pants in the early morning hours.
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