How to plant trees. Or, Is Discrimination Always Wrong?

Roderick Graham
5 min readSep 8, 2024

I have a deep appreciation for open-air markets — whether they’re flea markets, farmer’s markets, or street markets. I think every town and neighborhood should have one.

At these markets, you find interesting people selling interesting things. When I purchase something unique from one of these vendors, I like to think that I, too, become a bit more interesting.

Maybe it’s a used paperback about Palestine from a stall called ‘Liberation is Lit,’ or a mouthwatering brownie from ‘Burrell and Flynn’s Upper Crust.’ Perhaps it’s a vanilla caramel soy candle crafted by January Remingtonn (yes, with two n’s) that somehow smells even better than that brownie.

I found these treasures at the Soda City Market in Columbia, SC.

But my visit to the Soda City Market wasn’t just about shopping. I also planted a few trees while I was there.

Let me explain.

The Soda City Market in Columbia, SC
The Soda City Market in Columbia, SC

Planting Trees

Suppose someone shows you evidence that women entrepreneurs face an uphill task compared to their male counterparts. You are shown, for example, a study showing that women…

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Roderick Graham
Roderick Graham

Written by Roderick Graham

Gadfly | Professor of Sociology at Old Dominion University | I post about social science, culture, and progressive politics | Views are my own

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