by Eddie Pipkin
Image by congerdesign from Pixabay
When reading an article this week that contemplated which kinds of institutions do the best job of bringing rich Americans and poor Americans together in the same shared space, I thoroughly anticipated a shout-out to churches as a place to be celebrated for their egalitarianism. I regularly make the argument that churches are one of the last places that folks from all walks of life and all sorts of backgrounds hang out together and develop relationships. It turns out, however, that a recent study undercuts my argument. Churches aren’t necessarily bringing people together in the ways I thought they were. But guess who is? The Olive Garden.
The article I referenced is by Bloomberg opinion writer, Tyler Cowen: “What Harvard Can Learn from Olive Garden.â€