Years of potential life lost (YPLL) is an estimate of the amount of time a person would have lived had they not died prematurely. Instead of mortality, could this concept be applied to potential achievement lost?
Greenwood is a neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. During the 1920s, it was the wealthiest black community in America. On May 31, 1921, in what can only be described as an act of domestic terrorism, it was burned to the ground by a group of white rioters. Imagine if the most prosperous black community in America was allowed to flourish uninhibited by the threat of violence? What kinds of opportunities might have been created and passed on to successive generations?
On April 4, 1968, America witnessed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a central figure in the Civil Rights Movement. Consider what King may have accomplished if, rather than striving for fundamental rights for blacks, he had the freedom to commit his energy entirely to a career in politics or entrepreneurial pursuits?
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These are just two examples. There are countless more. All of them have consequences that do not disappear over time. They only deepen. In the above cases, what are the years of potential achievement lost? I would argue that it is incalculable. Ironically, I cannot imagine many ways of addressing some of the cumulative effects of racial discrimination against blacks outside of implementing policies that some may denounce as “reverse racism.”
The black community has largely been deprived of the opportunity to explore their interests, learn, and progress in a just and equitable society for four-fifths of America’s existence. The land of opportunity routinely failed to honor and reward the hard work and talent of black Americans for the overwhelming majority of its lifetime. The years of potential achievement lost can never be reclaimed.
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