Was Social Security racist?

The Washington Post’s Wonkblog has a nice discussion of whether agricultural and household workers were originally excluded from Social Security by Southern Senators because these groups are predominantly black. SSA historian Larry DeWitt thinks not, but it’s an interesting story.

Racist or not, the original restrictions on Social Security coverage did mean that many low-wage workers were excluded from what was an incredible financial deal, with most participants receiving far more in benefits than they ever paid in taxes.