Dems and long term mistakes.

[stonedape]

In this country minimum wage was an effective weapon to shut blacks out of the labor market. Before minimum wage laws...black unemployment was equal to or lower than white unemployment.

That's a Milton Freidman myth.
The truth is much more humiliating than that. During segregation black communities had self sustaining economies. Even with minimum wage. There were lots of black owned businesses. Back in Malcolm X's day black communities were developing a strong middle class. Blacks were indeed paid less than whites, but still well above minimum wage.
Sadly enough forced integration lead to straight discrimination. Black became a legal liability. Mixing the black and white work force wasn't the Jackie Robinson fantasy everybody had in mind.
You see the problem isn't minimum wage. It's that they are treated as subhuman. The insinuation that blacks are unworthy of minimum wage is pretty insulting.