Black History Month- a positive thread (Spanish, origin, years, attack)

[HIF]

What has the civil rights movement meant to you? We were discussing this where I work and I thought it would be an interesting topic to discuss.

For example, as a white child (I'm still white, by the way ), my mom and I went to the side of the Dairy Cream to get a drink from the water fountain. Seeing that one fountain read "colored" above it, I raced past the first, wanting, instead, to drink the colored water. Upon turning the fountain's handle, I burst out crying when I saw that it was the same. I was expecting rainbow water!

Now I know that those fountains meant much more to those forced to use them. I have much heavier anecdotes. But there are many, many ways that we have been impacted- big and small. Let's hear them all!

[english_teacher]

Originally Posted by hereinfla

What has the civil rights movement meant to you?

The civil rights movement has meant overt racism against me, my family, and many of my friends. The politics of identity have led to racial profiling for job selection inasmuch as those people labeled as minority (whether or not they are actually a minority demographic in the area), are hired more often than higher-qualified whites. My friend, who has a very distinctive ethnic last name, was asked to a job interview; after she arrived and they saw she was white though (her surname was acquired through marriage), she was told the job was filled. Unfortunately, the government still supports a racist policy for job selection, and university placement, called affirmative action. When will we be judged by the content of our character and not the color of our skin?

The Civil Rights Movement has also caused isolation and segregation in the workplace. At one campus, email messages had been intercepted which showed a large clique of black-only teachers who were sending racial messages lauding their own ethnicity whilst denegrating whites. Each February, Black History month celebrated in the public schools is painful. White and Asian children feel displaced and under-valued. Teachers are required to decorate their classroom doors in honor of black heritage--if they don't, they're viewed as racists. Days of instruction are lost due to performances glorifying one particular race over others. When will racist celebrations cease?

The civil rights movement has also led to a censorship of free speech amongst everyone I know. Even the term racism is now viewed as an offense against blacks exclusively. Very similar is the term bilingual, which has come to mean only the languages of English/Spanish. Black comics can say certain words that a white entertainer will be censored (or sent to rehab) for using. The power of one group to demand that others submit to their views or be labeled racist diminishes communication. When will we stop celebrating diversity and start embracing unity?

[madicarus2000]

Originally Posted by english_teacher

The civil rights movement has meant overt racism against me, my family, and many of my friends.

How has it lead to overt racism against you? In another post (We’ve made a mistake allowing anyone to vote; 1/25/07) you identified yourself as a black athiest. So are you a black athiest fighting against the civil rights movement? Are you a black athiest fighting against black history month?

[english_teacher]

Originally Posted by madicarus2000

How has it lead to overt racism against you? In another post (We’ve made a mistake allowing anyone to vote; 1/25/07) you identified yourself as a black athiest. So are you a black athiest fighting against the civil rights movement? Are you a black athiest fighting against black history month?

Simply explaining that the civil rights movement has had negative consequences me, my family, and some of my friends.

[Amavel]

If not for the civil rights movement, I wouldn't have received the great primary/secondary education that I did. Instead, I would have been housed with many non-English speaking, possibly illegal alien students despite being an English speaking citizen.

[HIF]

Originally Posted by english_teacher

The civil rights movement has meant overt racism against me, my family, and many of my friends. When will we stop celebrating diversity and start embracing unity?

Please reread the topic of this thread and take this elsewhere.

[ontheroad]

I am coming to love ya, hereinfla, I was just about to post that I can't share my experiences when others contribute their negative views and don't respect the intention of this thread.

You might want to ask to have it deleted.

Originally Posted by hereinfla

Please reread the topic of this thread and take this elsewhere.

[HIF]

Originally Posted by ontheroad

I am coming to love ya, hereinfla, I was just about to post that I can't share my experiences when others contribute their negative views and don't respect the intention of this thread.

You might want to ask to have it deleted.

No- I thought about asking that it be deleted, but then I thought- heck no-we shall overcome- hahaha! I think that the vast majority of folks on this site will get it and either ignore the thread or respond with positive stuff....

But thank you for the support I really got mad at those folks for a bit- but now, back to the show:

The civil rights movement made it possible for me to meet my friend from high school ('73) who was my rock when my brother died of cancer in the '90s. She's the kind of friend that, when we don't see eachother for a while, the minute we do it's as though no time has passed.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by english_teacher

The civil rights movement has meant overt racism against me, my family, and many of my friends..... {yadda, yadda}

I do believe the original poster intended for this to be a POSITIVE thread... please take your diatribe to one of the "hate threads".

To answer the original question, I was not alive during the Civil Rights movement, but have heard many stories from my parents. To me it stands for freedom, and the end of a horrible piece of our nation's history. My late Rabbi marched beside Dr. King in the Selma, AL. March, and once showed us pictures from that day... it was a beautiful example of different people working together, for a peaceful and FAIR solution. Anyway, I hope everyone reflects on good memories & people this month.

[ontheroad]

The movement contributed lots to my life but most of all it provided a freedom for my friends, acquaintances and colleagues.

I remember back in '63, we couldn't rent an apartment anywhere in NYC, except restricted black only communities like Harlem or bohemian places like Greenwich Village. After searching for a bigger and better place for weeks, my friend and I were finally able to get an apartment on the upper West Side because the owner was blind!

At this same time, my black friends or at least some of them, were literally afraid to come Downtown below 125 Street for fear they'd be attacked.

Now, 40-plus years after the movement, nearly all NYC neighbourhoods are integrated; my colleagues are all colours; and my friends can come Downtown on any given day without extraordinary fear (some fear, still, unfortunately).