The soundbite sparked outrage in liberal circles, owing to the dubious suggestion that Jim Crow had conferred some advantages on its victims, and became a flashpoint in the debate about Kirk’s legacy. First things first: The claim that Black America is poorer today than it was during Jim Crow is simply preposterous. Kirk’s claim that Black Americans are more violent now than during the Jim Crow era is also incorrect. Misleading narratives about Black Americans have a long history, and they survived the Jim Crow era. Black Americans are not “poorer, more murderous, and more dangerous” today than in the Jim Crow era.