Big Media has drilled into our heads that employers are racist. One way we “know” this to be true is by reviewing studies that send out resumes with distinctive black names, together with identical resumes with white-sounding names. The resumes with distinctive black names get fewer callbacks.

Totally proves racism, right?

Wrong. That is what today’s newsletter is about.

There is good reason to question whether race is really the dominant factor at issue in these studies. The more likely culprit is socio-economic status.

. . . .

The implicit assumption here is that potential employees who have recognizably black names are likely to possess the same characteristics as those who have names thought to be “white-sounding.” The only difference between the two groups, so the argument goes, is race. Therefore, if you, as a potential employer, are more queasy about hiring a Lakisha than an Emily, the reason is obvious: you are a racist.

The problem here is that the underlying assumption is false. In fact, Roland Fryer and Steven Levitt did a study in 2004, which I bet you never heard about, which found that distinctively black names “provide a strong signal of socioeconomic status” and tend to be characteristic of the subset of black folks “living in racially isolated neighborhoods.”

The newsletter gives you all the links and data you need to refute this common leftist talking point.

Today’s newsletter is for paying subscribers only. The number is growing all the time. You have no excuse not to join up, really. I feel like I should provide the subscription link in the same format you see from those annoying pop-ups:

Yes, I want to subscribe and learn things Big Media won’t tell me!

No thanks, I hate having the data needed to win arguments with dopey leftists

It is the second Sunday after Pentecost. Today’s Bach cantata is Part 2 of “Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes” (The heavens are telling the glory of God).

Today’s Gospel reading is Mark 3:20-35.

Jesus Accused by His Family and by Teachers of the Law

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

The text of today’s piece is available here.

Love, Christians, through your deeds!
Jesus died for his brothers,
and they die again for each other,
since He has bound them together.

Happy listening! Soli Deo gloria.