December 15, 2006

A Misdiagnosis of the Problem

By TOMMIE SHELBY

Michaels's target can't really be African-American studies. Scholars disagree about the relative importance of racism and economic inequality, but there's a consensus that both are significant and worthy of study. And much work is devoted to the question of when race matters and when it doesn't.

Nor could the point of his article be to lament the underrepresentation of the poor at elite colleges. Michaels recognizes that most poor kids, given their lack of resources, are not adequately

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