Eduardo Porter’s New Book Explains How Racism Poisons America’s Economy For Everyone

As the United States grapples with civil unrest, many people are
questioning how we arrived in this situation and how the nation can
change for the better. In his new book, “American Poison: How
Racial Hostility Destroyed Our Promise,” New York times economics
reporter Eduardo Porter presents a comprehensive examination of how
discrimination based on race has hurt not just members of
marginalized groups, but the nation as a whole. While the U.S. has
gutted education systems, healthcare programs, and assistance for
the poor, he writes, the nation instead diverted resources to
incarcerating people. Porter, who has previously served as
economics columnist and editorial writer for the New York Times,
joins us to discuss his new book and how it relates to current
debate over dismantling systemic racism.