Tally's Corner Summary

Tally’s Corner is the sociological interpretation of the culture of Negro streetcorner men. Elliot Liebow sets out to show the hypocrisies that lead black men to this circumstance. The study is carried out in Washington D.C. The key argument posed by Liebow is that black males are incapable of attaining jobs because they lack education. He also argues that this is a cycle that inevitably results in a trans-generational marginalization of the black race. On top of this, he argues that the white middle class are unrelenting with their methods of depriving black advancement in American society. Knowledge of this incites many blacks to take dead-end jobs, or to settle for mediocrity in the face of adversity. A large number of black males

in America find themselves forced to take jobs that offer no security, or socioeconomic growth. He also argues that many blacks are not very literate and therefore left behind in cultural revolutions like the information age. For twelve months in 1962 and 1963, Liebow and a group of researchers studied the behavior of a group of young black men who lived near and frequently hung around a street corner in a poor black neighborhood in downtown Washington, D.C. Liebow’s participant observation revealed the numerous obstacles facing black men on a day-to-day basis, including the structural and individual levels of racial discrimination propagated by whites in society.
An American urban anthropologist and ethnographer.

Dr. Liebow, born in Washington, dropped out of high school to join the Marine Corps in 1942 and saw action in the South Pacific during World War II, He earned an English literature degree on the GI Bill. He received a bachelor's degree in English literature from George Washington University in 1949 and pursued graduate studies in ancient history at the University of Maryland before turning to anthropology. Liebow sets out to show the hypocrisies that lead black men to this circumstance. The study is carried out in Washington D.C. The key argument posed by Liebow is that black males are incapable of attaining jobs because they lack education. He also argues that this is a cycle that inevitably results in a trans-generational marginalization of the black race. On top of this, he argues that the white middle class are unrelenting with their methods of depriving black advancement in American society. Liebow picked a location that would be easy to get to from his office and his home in Brookland: 11th and M streets NW in Shaw, a corner that had a carryout, liquor store, dry cleaner and shoe-repair shop. He went to 11th and M nearly every day for 18 months. He accompanied the men to bars and parties. He went to court appearances and visited them in

jail.
A liberal perspective of this study might reveal that due to prevalent racism in the past, minorities were deprived of the same educational and employment opportunities as whites.

The government must work to make up for that. America is still a racist society, therefore a federal affirmative action law is necessary. Due to unequal opportunity, minorities still lag behind whites in all statistical measurements of success. For example, someone that supports welfare, including long-term welfare. And believe welfare is a safety net which provides for the needs of the poor. Welfare is necessary to bring fairness to American economic life. It is a device for protecting the poor. As a liberal, one is appalled by the lack of government as outreach in these areas. It is not the fault of these men that are basically newly freed slaves trying to figure out a living in this new economy. An economy not easily accepting of a new demographic of worker. One that is not designed for a mass influx of non-white skilled labor. In an act of desperation, wanting to keep out any non-white future employs to this newly created market, labor unions were established to maintain the proper boundaries that may not have been so visibly to the non-whites of that time. Liebow gives us an example, he talks about the work experience of some of these underprivileged black men in remedial jobs. He points out “that many of their employers anticipate that they will steal from the company and in

response to this they decrease their wages to the predicted amount that they think will be stolen (Liebow, pg25)”. When Liebow mentions this, he presents very little evidence to prove its validity, and he even hypothetically theorizes why the method inevitably won’t work. He argues that the relationship between the employer and the employee whom he knowingly allows to steal from him can only last for as long as the employer can tolerate being stole from. He says “that since this is something that isn’t easily tolerable, even if it is accounted for in the company budget, the employer will only allow himself to be taken advantage of for so long (Liebow, pg25)”.
A conservative may attest to the idea that individuals should be admitted to schools and hired for jobs based on their ability. It is unfair to use race as a factor in the selection process. Reverse-discrimination is not a solution for racism. Some individuals in society are racist, but American society as a whole is not. Preferential treatment of certain races through affirmative action is wrong. Oppose long-term welfare. Opportunities should be provided to make it possible for those in need to become self-reliant. It is far more compassionate and effective to encourage people to become self-reliant, rather than allowing them to remain dependent on the government for provisions.
The question is; what role should government play in the assistance of its people’s education and day-to-day living? Surveying family members from a variety of professional backgrounds. One cannot help but notice that a family from the Lower east side of Manhattan and The upper east side of Spanish Harlem have a very mix emotions when it comes to the roles that government plays and has played in their lives in regards to Education and public assistance, respectfully. So who is at fault, the pathological behavior of underprivileged men or the systematic structural failures of the systems that are in place to assist these men or lack thereof? To see that now what remains of this infamous corner is a Wine Bar. Is a testament to the systematic gentrification that is plaguing our society from entire cities in California to local neighborhoods in Downtown Brooklyn.