"Still Two Nations?"

A conference today, March 20, at Duke University entitled "Still Two Nations?" is underway to discuss whether or not America is still divided by issues of race today.

Duke Professors Paula McClain, William Darity, and University of Maryland Professor Bonnie Thornton Dill conducted the conference.

NPR's radio program "Tell Me More" covered the event.

Paula McClain gave evidence of racism when she was closing on a home loan with her husband. She stated that her loan form was pre-filled with white under ethnicity because the loaners assumed that because of their great credit that they must have been white.

The overall consensus among the professors was that although race relations have improved, that race is still very present in American society today.

Professor Darity stated that even today whites "still have the highest status and the greatest amount of resources both economically and politically."