"Black people have always been used as a buffer in this country between powers to prevent class war"

Toni Morrison's quote, "Black people have always been used as a buffer in this country between powers to prevent class war", offers a poignant critique of social and economic characteristics in the United States. Morrison is highlighting the historical and systemic exploitation of Black communities as a way to stabilize and preserve existing class structure, especially around class divisions.

Making use of Black individuals as a "buffer" recommends the deliberate positioning of African Americans in a social stratum that soaks up or diverts the disappointments and disputes that might otherwise intensify into a class war-- conflicts between the rich elite and the working or lower classes. By relegating Black individuals to oppressed and marginalized positions, the dominant powers successfully avoid a merged uprising versus systemic injustice. This positions racial variation as a tool for preserving wider social control.

Historically, this has actually been evident in various ways, such as throughout the post-Civil War Reconstruction period, where alliances between bad whites and freed servants threatened the elite's hang on power. Divisive laws, such as Jim Crow and numerous prejudiced practices, were instituted to avoid any union that might challenge the status quo. By promoting racial animosity, the gentility detracted focus from economic injustices shared across racial lines.

Morrison's reflection compels us to take a look at the intersectionality of race and class, comprehending that racial barriers are typically manipulated to obscure much deeper class divides. This adjustment serves to postpone or discourage cumulative action that might lead to considerable socio-economic reform. Her statement likewise motivates contemporary discourse on how socio-political systems might continue these oppressive practices, advising an acknowledgment of these characteristics in continuous struggles for equity and justice.

In essence, Morrison's insight welcomes a much deeper investigation into how racial and class dynamics are intertwined and perpetuated, calling for awareness and action to dismantle these systemic barriers that hinder real equality and solidarity.