Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Yes, Virginia, there is a black working class

I find it truly abominable that mainstream media pretend there isn't and never was a black working class. Stories about the travails of the white working class such as the one at CNN referred to in the previous post ignore the black working class altogether. In CNN's world, blacks are either social activists, entertainment industry bigs, welfare layabouts, gangstas, or in prison.

Here's a story from Al Jazeera back in February that you may find a little discombobulating if you're accustomed to reading the piffle on view at CNN. You get background, context, depth... all those things J-schools supposedly teach but which their few graduates who find paid employment in America's mainstream media seem totally unaware of.

Who knew that sixty years ago the very county that CNN focused on to explain and exploit the demise of the white working class had a population that was one quarter black? Nobody who gets their news from CNN, that's for sure.

It's an excellent read. You'll meet black folks, men and women, who are to this day employed in the West Virginia coal industry. You'll meet black folks who counted white co-workers among their best friends (class solidarity forever!) You'll even meet employed blacks who are contemplating, God forbid, a vote for the uber-racist Donald J. Trump!

Highly recommended.

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