This is in line with the US' long history of denying "benefits" and "entitlements" of any kind to black people. Way back in 1935 when Social Security was first implemented, black people were specifically denied benefits. "Domestic" workers (maids, butlers, and people who worked primarily in "service" industries were denied. Guess what kind of work most black people did back then).

When the G.I. Bill was passed after World War II, black soldiers were denied benefits. My own father, an army veteran who served in both Germany and Italy, never got a dime from the G.I. Bill. He finally gave up trying in the late '60s.

Black people were also denied FHA loans during the '50s and '60s, while white folks were practically given money without even asking for it. That's how the "suburbs" got their start. That's why today the suburbs look like they look (clean, prosperous, safe) and the cities have become virtual war zones. White people took that money and ran. (That’s where the term "white flight" comes from and what it meant originally).

Your essay is spot-on and oh so timely. It's a reminder that everything (and I mean everything) in this country is structurally and institutionally meant to keep black people down.

Well done, as per usual.