Since 1965: Winning the Identity Wars, Losing the Class War

“With everything going on, where do you think we are now? Are you still thinking 1950s? I’m thinking 1880s.” —Isabel Wilkerson, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

“I was at a conference a number of years ago at Harvard Law School when Derrick Bell was still on the faculty there. Bell was on a panel at this conference, and he insisted that nothing really had changed for black Americans since 1865. And I’m looking at this — here he was, a full professor at Harvard Law School, making the assertion that nothing had changed. Well, obviously something had changed, because he was in Harvard Law School without a broom in his hand.” —Adolph Reed

Identitarians love claiming things are no better than they were in 1965 or 1880 or 1865, but anyone with a sense of history knows the identity wars are being won. For example:

• In 1958, only 67% of Americans would vote for a Catholic President. Today, 95% would.
• In 1958, only 4% of Americans approved of marriage between blacks and whites. Today, 94% of Americans do.
• In 1967, only 53% of Americans would vote for a black President. Today, 96% of Americans would.
• In 1967, only 57% of Americans would vote for a female President. Today, 93% of Americans would.