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not only do i doubt that you're from brazil, i also highly doubt that you have any black friends. You appear to base all of your experience with blacks from observations made at a busy transit station (five points).
This is one of the funniest topics I have read on here.
You people (I mean everyone) do not pay attention to a lot of details. The gal from minnesota had the best post on here, about the Poverty thing. Most, if not ALL black posters on here (myself included) or either Middle Class or Upper Middle class. There is no ghetto black people on this forum from Atlanta, those individuals are not interested in this sort of site. We all know what the OP is. The OP has good points but at the same time is hiding behind a different screen name to irritate us quality blacks. Cmon people we know that the low class blacks make the rest of us look bad, but ain't nothing none of us can do about it. When trolls like this pop up, just enjoy them, stop getting all offended yall. It is actually a mod...... Ghetto blacks have no interest in a site like city-data.com. We discuss too many important, interesting topics for that demographic to be remotely interested. So if you are a black person on this site, just know you are being heckled. Notice no MOD has dropped an opinion on this topic? Notice most controversy is started by new posters? Notice that these suspect OPs NEVER post in other topics but the one they started? "I HATE Five Points!" " I hate Underground Atlanta!" "I hate Marta"....have we not heard any of this before from certain regular posters?
This is one of the funniest topics I have read on here.
You people (I mean everyone) do not pay attention to a lot of details. The gal from minnesota had the best post on here, about the Poverty thing. Most, if not ALL black posters on here (myself included) or either Middle Class or Upper Middle class. There is no ghetto black people on this forum from Atlanta, those individuals are not interested in this sort of site. We all know what the OP is. The OP has good points but at the same time is hiding behind a different screen name to irritate us quality blacks. Cmon people we know that the low class blacks make the rest of us look bad, but ain't nothing none of us can do about it. When trolls like this pop up, just enjoy them, stop getting all offended yall. It is actually a mod...... Ghetto blacks have no interest in a site like city-data.com. We discuss too many important, interesting topics for that demographic to be remotely interested. So if you are a black person on this site, just know you are being heckled. Notice no MOD has dropped an opinion on this topic? Notice most controversy is started by new posters? Notice that these suspect OPs NEVER post in other topics but the one they started? "I HATE Five Points!" " I hate Underground Atlanta!" "I hate Marta"....have we not heard any of this before from certain regular posters?
Think people.
Great analysis, but still a topic that demanded replies. Remember, as Aries mentioned, not everyone replying here is AA. Some are, some aren't.
I like the way you think though. . There will always be trolls, but the mods have not replied because it did not turn into an all out, gun blazing, battle.
People replied with their opinion and information to open the OP's mind, (I doubt it helped...), but he wanted to have a dialogue, he got it.
I won't even indulge this silly topic but im guessing you never run into the white homeless people begging at 5 points either. I get so sick of people talking about people holding on to the past. What would you rather us do, forget it ever happened? HBCU' are irrelevant huh? So I guess we should have just closed them down once great ol massa allowed us to attend their school.
Im sure my sarcasm is duly noted here so ill leave it at that.
Ripped from the work of Dr. Ruby Payne, here is a little bit of education on the differences between generational poverty, middle class and wealthy class:
Generational vs. Situational Poverty
There are generally five reasons for poverty
Educational attainment of adult
The structure of the family
Immigration
Language issues
Addiction issues of adults
Dr. Payne makes a clear distinction between Generational and Situational Poverty. Generational poverty is defined as two or more generations living in poverty. People in generational poverty exhibit certain ingrained patterns of behavior. These patterns are the result of having experienced the effects of poverty over time. The behaviors are part of their culture. For this reason, even though these individuals tend to have a much lower level of educational attainment, they do tend to have better coping and life skills than those in situational poverty.
"Life is lived in common,
but not in community."
-- Michael Harrington
Situational poverty is the result of a change in circumstances – loss of a job, divorce, death of a spouse, etc. With situational poverty, the individual keeps the values and behaviors of the socioeconomic class from which they have come. These individuals often have more resources and are better connected with individuals who can provide assistance. They often have a higher level of education and therefore are more employable than those in generational poverty. But one of the greatest advantages is that these individuals know and understand the hidden rules of the middle class.
What Are Hidden Rules?
Hidden rules are the unspoken cues that dictate behavior. But these hidden rules apply to much more than just behaviors and actions. They are part of the culture of each socioeconomic class. These hidden rules are the basis for how individuals make decisions. For example, in the middle class, the driving forces for decision-making are work and achievement. In the wealthy class, decisions are based upon social, financial, and political connections. In generational poverty, survival, relationships, and entertainment are the forces that determine decisions. Below are some of the more common hidden rules. Once again, these hidden rules are based upon patterns of behaviors. There are exceptions to every pattern.
"Through thick and thin,
boom and bust, we tenaciously
hold on to the belief that we
are fundamentally a classless society.”
-- Ellen Goodman
Food – Quantity vs. quality
Wealthy – The presentation of the food, making it aesthetically appealing, is what is important
Middle Class – The quality of the food is what is important
Generational Poverty – It is about quantity; having enough is what matters Fighting – How conflicts are resolved
Wealthy – Done through social exclusion and lawyers
Middle Class – Done verbally; issues are discussed
Generational Poverty – Done physically with fists
and bodies The World – How individuals see themselves in the world
Wealthy – Part of the international / global world
Middle Class – National; staying within the continent
Generational Poverty – Local; rarely leaving the state or even the county Time – How it is viewed and perceived
Wealthy – Traditions and past history are what is important
Middle Class – The future is what matters; planning and preparing
Generational Poverty – It is about the present – living in the moment and meeting immediate needs Destiny – Fate vs. choices
Wealthy – “Noblesse oblige”; the wealthy are bound by obligations that determine their destiny
Middle Class – Believe in choices; can change the future with well-made decisions
Generational Poverty – Believe in fate; not much can be done to mitigate chance Possessions – What is important to own
Wealthy – One-of-a-kind objects, legacies, and pedigrees
Middle Class – Material items (cars, electronic gadgets, clothes, etc.)
Generational Poverty – People and relationships Love and Acceptance – What determines love and acceptance
Wealthy – Whether the individual is connected and has social standing
Middle Class –Achievements and success
Generational Poverty –Whether the individual is liked
So Now What?
Because most of society is based upon the values of middle class (i.e., business transactions, school environments, public policies, etc.), it is not enough to simply be aware of the hidden rules. Awareness alone will not positively affect programming. To improve the efforts of serving under served populations, the hidden rules must be taught directly to those individuals who are attempting to leave poverty. For example, if an individual in generational poverty does not know that middle class individuals place high priority on work and achievement, this must be taught. What may be an appropriate reaction at home or in their community (like fighting) may not be appropriate at school or 4-H camp. If an individual is trying to move out of poverty, it is imperative for him or her to have a clear understanding of the middle class hidden rules in order to make a successful transition.
References
Payne, Ruby K. (1998). A Framework for Understanding Poverty. Highlands, TX: RFT Publishing Company.
Payne, Ruby K. (1999). Bridges Out of Poverty: Strategies for Professionals and Communities. Highlands, TX: RFT Publishing Company.
The most informative post. Read everything that has to do with Generational Poverty....those type of people are not active on this forum. It actually makes a lot of sense. See its easy to see some ghetto thugs at 5 points doing/saying something real ignorant, not say anything to them, but when around middle class blacks, you ask.."why do black people wear their pants hanging under their underwear?" or "why do black people talk loud and cuss so much?" What do the middle class blacks do? They discuss it. They reply to your questions with out violence or threats. People like the OP know they can't ask the black ghetto trash why they do what they do, so they ask us, like we actually know. Truth is middle class blacks have nothing to do with that mess. Some try to act like they do, but actually they do not. That is why middle class blacks get offended when grouped with the trash of our race. Middle Class Blacks are no different from the rest of middle class america.
I'm not sure if you are a troll, but this board is full of race debate topics that are sure to be rehashed over time. I also find it strange that you would pose this question on a message board, when you had the opportunity to discuss openly when you conducted your research. You questions are typical simplistic when regarding the AA's.
So I will give you a simplistic answer. What part of history have a mass groups been transported thousands of miles away from home, enslaved for 300 years, segregated and humilated for 70 years, and turned all of this around in a matter of 45 years?
Wow!! It’s hard for me to imagine anyone from Brazil being anything but impressed by the black population in Atlanta. I don’t understand what their point of reference would be considering Brazil has one of the largest populations of Blacks in the world, which is also one of the most uneducated, underemployed and poverty stricken. Worse, that country has a majority Black population but Blacks hold no significant positions of authority in any fields; not in politics, not in education, not in media, not in business, etc.
This is one of the funniest topics I have read on here.
You people (I mean everyone) do not pay attention to a lot of details. The gal from minnesota had the best post on here, about the Poverty thing. Most, if not ALL black posters on here (myself included) or either Middle Class or Upper Middle class. There is no ghetto black people on this forum from Atlanta, those individuals are not interested in this sort of site. We all know what the OP is. The OP has good points but at the same time is hiding behind a different screen name to irritate us quality blacks. Cmon people we know that the low class blacks make the rest of us look bad, but ain't nothing none of us can do about it. When trolls like this pop up, just enjoy them, stop getting all offended yall. It is actually a mod...... Ghetto blacks have no interest in a site like city-data.com. We discuss too many important, interesting topics for that demographic to be remotely interested. So if you are a black person on this site, just know you are being heckled. Notice no MOD has dropped an opinion on this topic? Notice most controversy is started by new posters? Notice that these suspect OPs NEVER post in other topics but the one they started? "I HATE Five Points!" " I hate Underground Atlanta!" "I hate Marta"....have we not heard any of this before from certain regular posters?
Think people.
A few points to make:
The IP address for the poster (I checked) does not belong to any moderator. Believe me, if any of the moderators wanted to comment on the topic, they would (we are all pretty much opinionated), so please, don't assume that moderators are generating controversial postings in order to get things going. If there is an outbreak of people breaking the terms of service agreement with their comments, or, people report posts as problematic, then we will investigate.
If another poster has created a duplicate screen name in order to post, then it's against the terms of service agreement and we will deal with it if it comes to our attention. So far, nothing sounds "similar" to any regular trolls that at least I'm aware of. If for some reason someone is sure it's a certain person who causes trouble, then direct mail a moderator and we can compare IP addresses, investigate, etc.
Yes, people do come into the room and occasionally "troll post" in order to stir things up. Likewise, sometimes people really do have what some of us would consider touchy or taboo questions and they want to see what folks think about it. So long as things don't get out of hand and the TOS isn't violated, it's allowed. For the record, I spent some time once with a younger black woman who was born and raised in England who came here via business, and she asked me some questions that folks on here might well raise an eyebrow over, as the American black culture as she called it, was vastly different than that she was raised in. So, yeah, there are trolls here (lots of 'em sometimes), but people from other countries and even other regions of the U.S. really do see things completely different than what those of us who have been exposed to it for years do, and have questions that make us sometimes raise an eyebrow. I get that.
ttefylooc... thank you for taking the time to read my prior, long, post... I am beginning to doubt the OP's sincerity, or at least whether or not he is taking what is written here to heart, that's why I was going to bow out of this conversation... but looking over my prior post, I realized it was a lot of information to take in, so I decided to add just a synopsis of what is needed by those who are stuck in the trap of "generational poverty" to free themselves from the "trap"... as I eluded to earlier, the solutions are complex. I will also offer specific examples of how someone, who feels so led, can "make a difference"... so here it goes...
Quote:
About the Needs of People in Generational Poverty:
Sociologists have determined that people need resources in nine areas to function successfully in today’s world.
Deficiencies in more than four of these areas will doom a person to a life of poverty and dependence.
That is why philanthropists who believe the lack of financial and material resources is the only element that traps people in poverty are so frustrated with their results. They are dealing with only one part of a complicated whole.
We believe that people trapped in generational poverty must be viewed wholistically — body, soul and spirit.
If we truly care, we will seek to empower people in as many of these areas as possible:
Physical health and mobility.
Mental abilities and (applied) education to deal with life’s demands.
Emotional resources to avoid self-destructive behaviors and pursue choices and opportunities.
Financial resources to acquire needed goods and services.
Spiritual resources to give strength and purpose.
Support network of friends and family for times of crisis.
Role models who do not engage in self-destructive behaviors.
Positive self-image and sense of hope for the future.
If the OP, or anyone else reading this, truly wants to make a difference, Here's Life Inner City, is just one, of many, urban ministries and non-profit organizations which are trying to make a difference.
Note: You can find a non-faith based organization to work through, if that's your preference... try "Hands On Atlanta" to find a group.
An organization within the FCS Ministries called Sub-Urban Group (http://sub-urban.org/get-involved/ - broken link) is seeking volunteers in the following areas:
Quote:
Calling all local and distant artists, poets, storytellers, writers, photographers, videographers, philosophers, gardeners, collaborators, educators, pastors, civic leaders, librarians, landlords, laborers, businesses, landowners, donors, entrepreneurs, not-for-profits, professionals, visionaries, and neighbors.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED:
South Atlanta Prayer Guides
For those who live in South Atlanta, consider becoming a prayer guide for one hour a week every Friday night to pray alongside neighbors.
Also, consider volunteering to plan our weekly Prayer Vigils.
Party Planners Volunteer to plan a BBQ every 2nd Saturday of each month.
Photographers + Videographers
We need someone with an artistic eye to capture the beauty and culture of our South Atlanta neighborhood while honoring the dignity of our neighbors. Write us.
Become a Strategic Neighbor (http://sub-urban.org/what-were-doing/work/?show=all - broken link). Relocate. [edit: What they are sayin' here is "move to da hood" ]
Learn more by writing to info@sub-urban.org
Become a Vocational Neighbor (http://sub-urban.org/what-were-doing/work/?show=all - broken link)
by leveraging your professional skills and connections for the benefit of less-resourced neighbors. Listen to the voice of local residents. Invest with us. Learn more by writing to info@sub-urban.org
Sign up for our newsletter, “Awaken-Neighbor (http://sub-urban.org/subscribe/ - broken link).”
Check out our growing “library” of short talks: RSS and Podcast
If you live outside South Atlanta, feel free to attend our Prayer Vigils or BBQ’s. We would be honored to host you.
Sub-Urban Leadership Team
We are eager to find gifted, self-starting people who are experiencing a sense of calling to use their abilities to serve among those in need in the city. Staff are responsible to raise their own support.
Contact us to discuss how Sub-Urban can help you engage in leading edge urban work.
Let’s do breakfast. Let’s do coffee. Everything rests on relationship.
From: Get Involved | Sub-Urban Group (http://sub-urban.org/get-involved/ - broken link)
Please read that last sentence again... "everything rests of relationship"
If you want to see change, be the change!
In doing so, you may be surprised. Initially you may think you are there to help others, in truth, you are there helping yourself to learn to be a better person.
Last edited by StPaulEastSider; 05-16-2009 at 09:42 PM..
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. Ghetto blacks have no interest in a site like city-data.com. We discuss too many important, interesting topics for that demographic to be remotely interested. So if you are a black person on this site, just know you are being heckled. Notice no MOD has dropped an opinion on this topic? Notice most controversy is started by new posters? Notice that these suspect OPs NEVER post in other topics but the one they started? "I HATE Five Points!" " I hate Underground Atlanta!" "I hate Marta"....have we not heard any of this before from certain regular posters? 
. There will always be trolls, but the mods have not replied because it did not turn into an all out, gun blazing, battle.
), but he wanted to have a dialogue, he got it. 
]
