SCIENCE
Snake oil salesmen are effective at peddling a fake cure, racism
A snake oil salesman refers to someone who sells fake cures to the public. They may claim that their elixir can alleviate pain, enhance appearance, settle an upset stomach, or address a range of medical issues. Those peddling racism are similar. Instead of offering a remedy for physical ailments, they claim they know how to diagnose societal problems, that Black people and other racial minorities are to blame for the rising costs of essential goods and services, scarcity in affordable housing, and violent crime. Those who find this product appealing are more likely to support laws, policies, and practices that harm these groups. In other words, racism is like snake oil. It’s sold under the premise that it will make lives easier, that keeping some groups down is necessary to maintain their own way of life. But, just as many consumers who bought into Clark Stanley’s snake oil treatment were deceived, as federal investigators found it actually contained “a fatty oil believed to be beef fat, red pepper, and turpentine” — the mythos presented by race science positions itself as accurate despite evidence to the contrary.