Would Milton want his shoes shined?

Previously, I discussed how individual interactions could be seemingly racist when the reality was that the circumstances in which those particular instances arose were the real undercurrent of racism in a society. My conclusion was that no one would be offended if a black man willingly chose to be a shoe shiner given that his choice was made in an environment that allowed him every possibility to pursue any occupation.

Coincidentally, after my conversation with my co-workers, I read a chapter in Capitalism and Freedom that was eerily related to my post. In that chapter, Friedman argued that free markets were the best solution to solving discriminatory practices in an economy. Although my last argument might lead you to believe that I agree with Friedman, you would be wrong. Friedman's argument is based on the idea that if an employer is prejudice, he will impose a cost on himself that will, over time, put him at a competitive disadvantage to those that are not prejudice. While I believe that Friedman is correct in his assertion (for more, refer to Gary Becker's Economics of Discrimination), I do not believe that free markets are the correct path for alleviating discrimination within a society. Allowing them to do so is painfully slow for those groups that are the victims of the discrimination. It is in these instances that government intervention becomes necessary to speed up that process. And not just government; individuals must also work for progress. It is through these works that prejudice and discrimination can be overcome and effectively wiped out.