Self-proclaimed "Anti-Racism" Billboards in Duluth

[Oleg Bach]

Originally Posted by hamlin6969

How is African-american racist? Thats like saying Italian-american, Hispanic-american etc is racist. A black person from Africa living in the united states is a "African-american". An Italian person living in america, is yep you guessed it, Italian-American.

Most if not all "Afro-Americans...have no connection with Africa..It is not a term of respect...it simply means black...the term is racist and stupid and overly politically correct...It has to go.

[Oleg Bach]

African America is a term of division...they may as well say black or negro or colored. These terms are right up there with the politically correct stupid term Afro-AMERICAN...Here is a perfect example of this stupidity.

A while back there were riots in Europe. CNN reported that AFRICAN AMERICANS were on a rampage. Firstly the rioters had never been to AMERICA, so that did not make sense...but yes they were from AFRICA ...the continent...Most Americans think that Africa is a country...it has many nations and they are not united..The talking head at CNN should have been accurate and said that the rioters were immigrants from different nations in Africa...not African AMERICANS...there is no such thing..In Europe of America.

I don't know why Americans who had long distant ancestors from different parts of AFRICA are so proud to identify themselves as a mix of Americans and Africans....it's been three hundred years since the dispersion through slavery..

If a person who is white and who's family lineage was from England...They do not use the term British AMERICAN... or Brito-AMERICAN.....so to center out only blacks with such a title...is another form of institutionalized racism...

.Black people are dupes to this title...and should dump it just like the people who's ancestors came on the May Flower...dumped their British roots and started anew.....Black Americans should forget the past and start fresh and NOT cling to roots that do not exist...it hampers their progress in society....It's like blacks that convert to Islam...It is done -not in good faith but in spite - revenge and hate...this is not good.

[roneb]

Yes, the CNN reporter that describes blacks rioting in Europe as "African Americans" would be an idiot. And yes, most of my older "African American" friends and acquaintances would be just as comfortable with the term black to describe their race...

But it seems a bit of a jump to A) characterize all blacks/African Americans as 300 years removed from Africa (pretty sure quite a few a few slave ships made it over after 1712), B) Characterize an entire group of people as "dupes", and C) claim to have complete understanding of the motivations of all blacks that convert to Islam.

Once you get past the second paragraph, you post smacks of an "I know better than you" arrogance that itself comes across as racist (to me anyway). After all, you claim to better understand what would help blacks progress in society; and you are ascribing characteristics, motivations, etc, to an entire group of people without, it would appear, looking at INDIVIDUALS.

[Lizita]

I'm pleasantly surprised that I'm not the only one who views the term "African-American" racist and seperatist. To me the term says that black Americans are not fully American. The only people in this country who are fully American, if you're to trust our terminology, is white Americans. Everyone else is something else. We have Asian-Americans, Mexican-Americans, African-Americans and Native-Americans. Oddly enough white Americans are not called European-Americans though. If black Americans should be called African-Americans white Americans should be called European-Americans but that's not the case and that, imo, is the problem, that we make a distinction between "real", "true" Americans and those who are just half American and half something else. The only ones that really should be able to call themselves Americans only are those we now call "Native Americans".

But to be truthful, this country is now what it was 500 years ago. Things have changed and we're all here now and for most of us our families have been here for generations. We know nothing but America and most speak no other language but English. We are ALL Americans by now. No more, no less. And to signify that we should ALL be called Americans. I actually don't really see a big need to mention people's appearance unless you need to know what someone looks like such as, for example, if someone has gone missing or there is a criminal on the loose. All these "ethnic" groups really have in common is appearance so there is generally no need to put people in categories. We don't put all brown haired people or all short people in one category. I'm white and it would be preposterous to believe that I'm like all other white people or even have anything in common with them, just like it's ridiculous to think that all blacks are alike and fit into one category to the point where they should have a special name.

We are all Americans and we should all be called American. Integration and acceptance of one another will never truly happen until we start viewing each other as peers and labels doesn't promote that at all.

[N8ivGoddess]

I agree that we are all Americans, if we are here legally, that is. This is our country, our home, our neighborhoods. It doesn't matter to me if you are black, native or white, we all have to get along and help each other out, so our community can be livable for our children and grandchildren. If we start separating ourselves, or putting other people in neat little boxes, where is the sense of community? We would all be separate and would accomplish nothing for the greater good. Sure, the Europeans came and stole the land from natives, kidnapped their children and whipped them for speaking their native language, but they cannot all be classified as "bad". Just like the black people can't be classified as being all "bad" when the newspaper headlines scream about one black person killing another. Or when the headlines scream out that a Native man was arrested downtown for being drunk and disorderly. Does this make all natives "bad"? No. I say that we all get along as best as we can because we live in the same city, breathe the same air and drink the same water. One person CAN make a difference, but imagine what an entire group can do for the good of all!

[Toronto416]

Having worked for the YWCA for a long time, this is clearly a 'YWCA publicity stunt'. The anti-racism stuff is part of their mission statement, but this is an issue that, by itself, is reminiscent of a public service ad from 1972 or 1982. In 2012, our society has evolved into something much more complex and the Y really blew it on this one. Racism still does exist. But what about the violent anti-gay attitudes among young black men who murder gay men who aren't black? What about the extremely uncomfortable tension between American born blacks and African immigrants? These are just a couple examples of how this project needed to really speak more toward our motivation towards judgement (and hate) based on peer pressure and unfounded fears?

The answer, even in Duluth, where many folks have never been anywhere, is that they're not falling for this, and resent that this campaign is trying to insult their intelligence by baiting them into some dialogue that is from 40 years ago.

Everyone has their anger, resentment and faced unfair or unthinkable circumstances in life, but you'd never know it by looking at them. The lesson here is not to judge someone's pain or suffering based on group characteristics. It's an easy thing to do, but UNFAIR.

[Oleg Bach]

Let's be honest here...I remember when the term and title became popular...It was a few decades ago...where black activists were searching for an identity..their "roots". It was the "black is beautiful" era...it was a nice idea at first and it did increase black pride..but - times have change and the original idea and purpose has disappeared.

When the media use the term AFRO-AMERICANS - supposedly out of a belated respect...what do people think NOW?

In total honesty - and I hope the people with darker skin than mine realize what the sub-text of the title means.


EVERY time it is used it means---------------------------------SECOND CLASS CITIZEN. There is no valid or constructive reason to use the term anymore............. The title seeks to degrade... If you want to get rid of racism...get rid of race!


The few black people that I know personally...and there are not many....I don't look at them as black...nor do they view me as white. We both know what is going on...we both know that persecution and injustice - does not discriminate- we both know we are in the same boat...and that evil stupid people will just as likely attack me as well as a so-called "black"...Intelligence will prevail....Those who insist on being white or black are fools.


A long time ago I was this naive blonde haired hippy musician who by chance found myself living in the toughest black part of Oakland California....I was Canadian and was not programmed to hate...I sat in a black bar...in my hood...a stern old black gentleman leaned over and looked me in the eye - wondering what the hell I was doing there? He asked me a simple question...."Are YOU black?"


All my life I was an outsider- the son of a Russian immigrant..that arrived in 1950....People hated us- white trash would beat us- they threw rocks through our windows..we were constantly called names ...we were persecuted..by ignorant anglos..by red neck white trash -


I looked at the old black man and gave him a serious answer...I said "Yes- I am black" - from that day on..we did well in Oakland...we did business with the locals..we made friends..we helped each other...not once was I threatened or abused..not once did I feel unsafe..because I was there in good faith...and yes- I am still black- on the inside.

[Big George]

Originally Posted by Oleg Bach

The more people talk about racism - the more it will flourish. We have been going on for decades about it - enough is enough - we have made the adjustment and should drop the subject - like we should drop the term African American - which is a racist term.

Exactly. When we obsessively focus on something, it grows.

I don't know that I've ever seen non-whites in Duluth, unless they're tourists. But I guess I've never really paid a lot of attention. I see people of all colors, where I live, all the time.

Frankly, the only thing that's going to chip away at racism and prejudice is familiarity. I am now perfectly comfortable around black people, because I have black neighbors. I've gotten to know them, found them to be stellar people, and grown very comfortable with them. No billboards, no anti-racism campaigns. Just familiarity.

I cannot see these billboards accomplishing much of anything that's positive.

[Musikälskaren]

I've not seen these billboards so I cannot speak about them specifically but I do know that not all white people are racist just like not all blacks, Asians, Latinio/Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Native Americans or any other group of people are racist. There are good and bad in all races, colours, nationalities, religions, ethnicities, ancestries and any other group of people. I know that there is still racism in the world today but not everyone is racist and I'm not even saying that we CANNOT or SHOULD NOT ever talk about it BUT people should not be talked to like they're stupid and if these billboards are anything like I've heard thus far then they are definitely talking down to Duluthians and to ME THAT is PREJUDICE as well as WRONG! I, like some of the posters above, grew up round different kinds of people from different walks of like so I didn't really think any thing of it and didn't know of racism until I got older, which makes me no better or worse than anyone else. And I must stress that I am in no way denying racism/prejudice/discrimination and I do acknowledge that if I were of a different colour or ethnicity I may have experienced it more but I do want to share something that I've thought back to many times. It's nothing major or profound by any means but I remember when I was colouring in school we were learning about people from different countries and colouring on the paper lesson with crayons. I don't really remember any differences other than hair colour being mentioned. We didn't actually talk about race or colour but I think that the countries that we learned most about were France, China and Iran (where one of my teachers lived for a few years and it was cool looking at her pictures from her time there). I remember asking my other teacher (we had two) how to colour the one picture of people and I cannot remember which country they were supposed to be from but I remember her saying that they'd look like us, they look like us or something similar. She wasn't racist so I know that she didn't mean it in any sinister way and I think that she were probably only trying to simplify it for me but my immediate thought when she said like us was diverse and not really having one distinct look. I hope that this doesn't sound cliche or anything but I remember I just thought at the time that she probably meant that they come in all different colours, looks and didn't really have one single look. But as I've gotten older I've wondered if she actually meant white/caucasian or brown haired. It's just something that I've found interesting when I think back to it. Sorry for the long post and I hope that my post isn't too long and lame! I hope that everyone is doing well and has a great day!