A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste.
By Karen and Erica
Those of us who have been around a while remember this brilliant slogan, created in 1972 to promote the United Negro College Fund. We were especially moved by this Spike Lee interpretation.
We haven’t seen this phrase in a while, but we are reminded of its resonance by the Black Lives Matter protests. We agree with David Brooks that education is only one part of the solution to the second class citizenship of Black people in the United States, but to us the resonance of the slogan now rings more broadly. Our minds are us, and if our minds are wasted we are wasted.
Aside from its obvious inequity and unfairness, the waste of a mind is a tragic waste of resources. The waste of Black minds has, among other disastrous repercussions, a direct economic impact:
Other than its obvious negative impact on human development for black individuals and communities, the racial wealth gap also constrains the US economy as a whole. It is estimated that its dampening effect on consumption and investment will cost the US economy between $1 trillion and $1.5 trillion between 2019 and 2028—4 to 6 percent of the projected GDP in 2028.
What can we do, other than try to overcome our own innate biases and advocate for policies that support equality? Something that might work even faster is to support Black-owned businesses. Need to redo your home? Refer to this list, highlighting Black-owned home decor. Maybe you want a new dress? Have a look at this, for clothing? Of course you need jewels. Check out these jewelers. Being intentional about shopping is a fine use of economic power.
And of course the waste of other minds through policies that discriminate and keep people in poverty impose huge costs on our economy. Right now, the urgent need to address racism and racial inequality must take precedence. We take nothing away from the urgency of that priority by reflecting on the fact that it is not only Black minds that are wasted.
It is almost 50 years since we were exhorted that a mind is a terrible thing to waste. Let those of us with the perspective of those years use this moment to help eliminate the waste of precious resources. We can’t afford not to.