3 chapters across the catalog
Bob Woodson of the Woodson Center discusses how the "grievance-oriented" black middle class benefits from government programs intended for the poor. He notes that 70 cents of every dollar spent on poverty programs goes to service providers rather than the impoverished. The hosts link this to Malcolm X's warnings about "uppity" blacks who use the suffering of the lower class for personal and political gain.
Michael Bloomberg is characterized as the "OG" of institutional racism due to his deep ties to Wall Street and his defense of redlining. The hosts argue that while Trump's rhetoric is often criticized, Bloomberg's policies were sanctioned by the government and financial institutions to manage "risk" at the expense of minority communities. They conclude that the combination of redlining and stop and frisk created a comprehensive system of containment and control.
In addition to the paper bag test in America, South Africa utilized the "pencil test" to determine racial classification based on hair texture. If a pencil stayed in a person's hair, they failed the test for whiteness. These practices are cited as examples of institutional racism that occurred even within all-black spaces, such as Fisk University in 1972, where wealth could sometimes bypass color requirements.
