Our discussion in class made it clear that different realms of American discourse evaluate racial discrimination by remarkably disparate standards. While social theorists such as Reskin point to a complex set of systems responsible for producing and reinforcing discrimination and inequalities, the rule-makers of these systems – and those who must adhere to their rules – apply standards with little or no critical analysis of systemic racism.

Economists primarily conceive of “statistical discrimination”: they claim that employers use race as a proxy for likely schooling and other predictors of productivity. They rarely present concerns about combating disparities such as the achievement gap, and they offer little criticism of the resulting “statistical discrimination” except to say that it is unlikely to last. The textbook I have been assigned for my introductory economics course, for instance, notes that discrimination will probably not persist in the labor market. It suggests that undervaluing workers of color will lead competitors to hire these workers more cheaply, ultimately pushing up demand for workers of color until they are hired as readily and paid as well as white workers.

Similarly, as Avni mentions in her post, the Supreme Court demands that claims of discrimination be bolstered by proof of intent. This standard disregards the extreme difficulty of proving intent. It also fails to acknowledge that intent is not necessarily important to prove, given that disparities themselves are evidence of discriminatory systems.

These limited understandings of discrimination dominate the economy and the courts –sites where many people of color confront and combat racism. A push for racial equality, economically and legally, therefore requires a transformation in how discrimination is interpreted in these domains. Perspectives like the one Reskin offers in her race discrimination system could prove crucial to this effort, but we must first render these views accessible. In short, we must demand a nuanced, systemic understanding of racism and discrimination from other academic fields, and also from popular discourse.