"Covering"

I am intrigued by a new book called “Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights” by Kenji Yoshino, a Yale law professor.

The premise is that prejudice has evolved beyond the pressure to convert – as for gays to try to be straight, for example – through the pressure to pass – like the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy – to a new place where those who don’t share the majority culture are expected to “tone it down” or downplay their differences.

I think it’s probably true.

One thing that’s been bugging me for the last few years is the notion that white America is no longer prejudiced against blacks per se – and in fact embraces those blacks who choose to embrace a suburban lifestyle – but still looks down on urban blacks who make different lifestyle choices. A black man in a polo shirt & khakis is welcomed just about anywhere, but a black man wearing headgear and a baggy T-shirt is not.

According to Yoshino, today’s civil rights laws protect people based only on what they are, not on what they do. So a woman can’t be fired for being black, but she can be fired for wearing her hair in cornrows. (True story.) She can’t be fired for being gay, but she can be fired after having a public commitment ceremony with her partner. (Another true story.)

How far have we really come, baby?