Research Document
The New Segregation
In this powerful essay, Shelby Steele examines how a new form of racial segregation has emerged in America—not enforced by law, but driven by the politics of race and victimhood.
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▸ Overview
Steele argues that the civil rights vision of integration and individual dignity has been undermined by a culture that rewards grievance and identity politics. He critiques affirmative action, racial preferences, and the tendency to define Black identity through perpetual victim status, calling instead for a return to color-blind principles and personal responsibility. A landmark contribution to understanding post-civil rights race relations.