Noah Smith, Columnist

‘Atlanta’ Shows Why the Black Working Class Is in Trouble

Brains and talent are no match for the demise of factory work, and racism makes it worse.

June 5, 2018 at 2:00 PM UTC

Noah Smith is a former Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He was an assistant professor of finance at Stony Brook University, and he blogs at Noahpinion.

Old story in the New South.
Photographer: Marcus Ingram/WireImage/Getty Images

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In my opinion, the best TV show so far in 2018 is “Atlanta.” Created by multimedia star Donald Glover, who also acts as the show’s protagonist, “Atlanta” defies genre categorization, seamlessly blending comedy, drama, social commentary and even horror. The directing, acting and writing are all as good as any show I’ve ever seen.

But if you’re an economics nerd, there’s another reason to watch “Atlanta,” because the show is all about economics. The plot centers around Earn, a young college dropout trying to manage the budding rap career of his cousin Alfred. In almost every episode, Earn, Alfred and their friends are confronted with the economic challenges facing poor black Americans.