I read the AgFunds story the week after you mentioned it in class and then reread parts of it today. The whole subject is an uncomfortable one without a doubt. The delay in response is due primarily to two reasons. First of all, I didn't want to insult your intelligence with a reply that was simply meant to infer that I read the article. Secondly and probably most importantly, I didn't want to insult my intelligence in the eyes of any potential readers of this reply. I also felt that my attitude may change a bit after the first few chapters of this book and a few weeks of class time. Up to this point in time, I still view the article in the same light as when I originally read it.
The article you authored, Ag Funds, troubled me on several levels. The article, in my opinion, highlighted the issue of structured racism that still bears down on African Americans, American women, and Hispanics in this country today. Major corporations such as Coca-Cola, Albertsons and Wal-Mart have faced class action lawsuits due to this particular type of racism and sexism. These types of class action suits have dominated the 90's and will continue to find their way into the courts during the next 20 years. .
The American business culture perpetuated discrimination against blacks rather than attempt to desegregate as a whole. Rather then take this socio-cultural issue into its own hands, white male dominated businesses simply swept it aside and continued to do business as usual. Not only did this attitude lead to a continued economic oppression of the ethnic groups mentioned, it stymied a potential new source of revenue and taxes within this country (middle and upper class minorities), was extremely inefficient, and delayed the inevitable. The inevitable being self-integration of corporate America and/or affirmative action imposed by the US government to facilitate integration. .
If Steve Ripley was in a perfect world, African Americans would be on the other side of the AgFund desk borrowing money for their farms as well.
