Introduction
The Sum of Us examines how and where racism has gotten American citizens: divided and self-destructive, financially wealthy but spiritually starved, and significantly unequal. The economic analysis and sociological findings in America have drawn a detailed picture of the cost of racism in America and how to overcome it together (Mcghee, 2021). The modest accounts of people longing to be a part of a better America are at its heart, including white collateral victims and white people collectively (Mcghee, 2021). The Sum of Us is a heartfelt message from a black woman to the multi-racial United States. The Sum of Us leaves a vision for a better future desired by all Americans.
Chapters 8: The Same Sky
The argument is that all are not in the same league and that growth for one group must unavoidably come at the expense of stifling American progress. In this chapter, there is a candid expression of the author’s thoughts on racial zero-sum and the solidarity dividend (Mcghee, 2021). The racial zero-sum paradigm has been promoted by a group of like-minded political and business elites who profit from racial differences that hinder the people from cohesively meditating about how many fiscal plans and social behaviors underserve the majority of American citizens.
Chapters 10: The Solidarity Divided
The primary participants in the fight against pollution prevention were all white men, from business executives to legislators to media pundits. People of color’s passivity is a significant reason the planet has continued to overheat (Mcghee, 2021). White people are less inclined than people of color to prioritize environmental issues, and they are also the most reluctant to accept science. Resistance by American Conservative Political Movement is why the United States has not adopted strict legislation to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
Meaning of Climate Change and Climate Catastrophe for Everyone
Environmental racism is equally detrimental to white people as well. The cost of enhancing the condition of the environment for the good of everyone is affordable and rationally noticeable. The leaders’ ignorance perpetuates pollution at a high level for everyone. People with an oppressive social attitude want to protect the current system to preserve the existing hierarchy they profit from (Mcghee, 2021). As racism threatens to increase the likelihood of opposing climate change, conservative white males are more inclined to support preserving the existing industrial capitalism, which has traditionally benefited them well.
How We Can Prosper Together
Group heterogeneity is what fosters creativity and innovative thinking. As a result, people rely on one another to thrive. Human diversity has always had the potential to make people stronger, wiser, more inventive, and more equitable. Upon forsaking the erroneous notion of zero-sum competitiveness, the advantages of diversification become will eventually become clear. Whether Americans rival each other, they must recognize the humanity in one another. Consequently, they must challenge themselves to try living in unity regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Americans must advocate for legal changes to the system to dismantle the perception that individuals with more wealth are much more valuable than others in society and the economy.
Conclusion
Racism and the bogus zero-sum paradigm have collectively dragged down humanity. Segregation has a significant downside in America that affects all citizens. White supremacists thought of employing the zero-sum fallacy to maintain the current status and exploit communities of color as a scapegoat. Diversification and more interactions across groups will gradually undermine the zero-sum assumption and keep improving everyone’s well-being. Essentially, the zero-sum illusion divides people against one another, mainly because black citizens are constantly being exploited and used as scapegoats, rather than white males in authority genuinely tackling problems that affect everyone.
Reference
Mcghee, H. C. (2021). The sum of us: What racism costs everyone and how we can prosper together. One World.