The Racist, Exploitative History of ‘Laziness’

Historically, the people who are most oppressed are also the most likely to be branded ‘lazy’

“The Rewarding of Work and the Punishment of Laziness,” an engraving by Robert Boissard. Image: Wikimedia Commons

The hatred of laziness is deeply embedded in the history of the United States. The value of hard work and the evils of sloth are baked into our national myths and our shared value system. Thanks to the legacies of imperialism and…