Women of color, and especially black women, were systematically excluded from welfare all the way through the period of the rise of the American middle class in the middle of the last century. One of the clearest indications of the fact that women of color have always worked outside the home is the history of welfare in the U.S., and especially in Southern states like Mississippi.

Either that or Governor Bryant is winking at reactionaries in his base who believe that communities of color set the standard for mediocrity. The notion that American mediocrity is the result of women entering the workplace and leaving behind their traditional roles as stay-at-home mothers ignores the fact that women of color have always been workers in the U.S., and especially in states like Mississippi. A more complex picture of the present politics of the right wing comes to fore if we cut through all of the colorblind racism by holding up the lens of race. Put those three things together and, well, you get the picture.īut there’s more to this story. The GOP is, after all, the party of the legitimate rape guys and crusaders, Governor Bryant included, against contraception and abortion. And since political polarization is good for business, liberal pundits were quick to suggest an association between the statement and Governor Bryant’s party affiliation. Governor Bryant has since been lambasted, as well he should, as a male chauvinist pig. I’m going to get in trouble - do you want me to tell the truth?…I think both parents started working. When asked why America is so “mediocre” in terms of educational achievement, here’s what he said. At a Washington Post Live event concerning children’s literacy on Tuesday, Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant opened his mouth and dropped a bomb.

Two Struck Images by Phillip Bryant