Myth Buster #6: “Racism exists, but I’ve proven it’s a barrier you can get over”

On the first payday of Black History Month 2025, Amber and Erika find themselves yet again debunking John Hope Bryant’s foolish, false assertion that “racism is a barrier that Black people can get over.” The second Trump presidency has people questioning that contention, but this episode demonstrates that racism has been entrenched in every aspect of American life - politically, economically, socially, and culturally - since its inception. Through discussion of three key eras in history, we demonstrate that racism was literally designed to be insurmountably imbued into every system and institution such that it would restrain Black people in every way. We first discuss Reconstruction, and this country’s deliberate abandonment of efforts to create racial equity. Next, we look at Woodrow Wilson and the racial regress back to de jure segregation in the Progressive era as racism cemented itself as a core tenant of mainstream southern, Democratic politics. And finally, the Reagan era reveals racism’s insidious makeover to become palatable to White evangelical Christians. Resentment over desegregation was tucked into pro-life politics and repackaged as family values and concern for the unborn. This historical conversation proves that racism is present at every turn and nothing - not even financial literacy - can save Black people from its impact. Tune in to get the lesson!