This morning my local radio station interviewed some of the people attending and organizing the Bench2Business conference, which is aimed at “aspiring and established scientists and entrepreneurs of color”.

Everyone they interviewed was really positive. No-one wasted time complaining about the inequities of the past or present, but instead talked about creating opportunities and role models.

Even more tellingly, one of the organizers sidestepped the moral issues altogether and pressed on to economics, saying,

You just cannot leave 30% of your society sitting on a side line and think you’re going to drive an economy in this country.
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See? That’s a message people can rally around, because it promises something for everyone. He’s saying, “no matter what your position on race or equality or affirmative action, or politics or economic theory, you will be richer if you espouse my cause.”

If you want to persuade people to agree with you, buy your product, espouse your ideas, let them see what’s in it for them.