Events

In American Poison, Eduardo Porter argues that the racial animus that has persisted across American history has stunted the development of nearly every institution crucial for a healthy society, including organized labor, public education, and the social safety net. The consequences are profound. Racial hostility largely explains the United States' weak social cohesion, as well as the dismal health and lagging wellbeing of its citizens, compared to those of other wealthy nations. It has shaped a nation that fails not only its minority citizens but white Americans as well. The United States urgently needs a more inclusive understanding of what it means to be an American. But the jury is still out on whether Americans might overcome the ethnic walls that divide them. Trends such as declining residential segregation and increasing intermarriage offer some reasons for hope. But Donald Trump's rise to the presidency, largely powered by white voters's fear of ethnic change, suggests racial harmony is not around the corner.