A British friend told me, "It's bizarre that 'black' and 'poor' are seen as synonymous in the US." [View all]

To which I replied, essentially, "Well, it makes sense in the US considering our history - and how that history has fed into common American prejudices."

No one wants to be poor, obviously - absurd Republican "welfare queen" rhetoric notwithstanding. Thus, the more that the influential members and institutions of American culture shame the poor, and the more that poverty is associated with black and brown people, the more that white supremacy takes hold over white America - regardless of economic level or social class. And forgive me if I'm being presumptuous, but isn't the shame and hatred of the ideology of white supremacy all too often internalized by persons of color as well?

Pretty damn horrible, but that goes without saying.