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There do exist some successful and also wealthy black Americans who perpetuate a victim mentality. This suggests wealth is not sufficient to remove it.
The most notable difference between Africans and black Americans is the mindset. In general, Africans value education more. Even Oprah cited this as her reason for building a school in Africa vs. the US. When a black american makes good grades, he may be accused of acting white. It's the crabs in a basket mentality.
Money may over the long-term correct some of the victim mentality, but not as long as those who have found that promoting victimhood is lucrative. These are both private individuals and politicians...they have found it in their best interests to perpetuate group victimhood for money and power.
You're looking at an individual. I'm look at groups. For these issues, you can't take one person and say "see, he exhibits xyz, thus all people do".
I'm an half African immigrant. It's not that we value education any more or less, we simply have more opportunities. Most people think I'm Black American. Nobody has ever accused me for acting white when I got good grades (I graduated at the top 1% of my high school class). In fact, my Black American friends and I would study together (along with our White, Asian, Hispanic, etc. friends).
However, if you looked at our group...you'd notice that the middle and upper middle class kids had more choices of where to go college.That usually fell along racial lines. My White friends and I (my dad is White and comes from a well entrenched upper middle class family...to the point where we MADE money during the Great Depression) had more choices than my Black friends who were the first in their family to go to college. They had less money since their family had accumulated less wealth due to past racist policies.
So it's not claiming to be a victim, but rather stating that there are differences due to a racist past that must still be addressed.
Trinity promotes black nationalism, and Wright appears to be trying to make a "scientific" case for it, to try to "legitimize" it...just as some white nationalists do.
Trinity UCC promotes and practices Afrocentrism. They do so as the largest congregation within a predominately (94%+) white or Euro-American denomination. The studies that are supportive of Rev. Wright's views/beliefs were not created or researched be either black or white nationalists. Those studies also don't claim that blacks are separate species or inferior or superior to any other group of people.
You are comparing the top 1-3% of Africans with average African-Americans. I'm no statistician, but you cannot cherry pick a sample pool like that. Compare those immigrants with the top 1-3% of African-Americans and they (the immigrants) would be blown away in virtually all aspects. Secondly, there are tensions amongst all races (Koreans vs Japanese, French vs English, Somalians vs Ethiopians), so I don't see how this is relevant to the OP's sentiments.
Other than that, I agree with you (see last sentence).
bold - it isn't relevant. Someone else is trying to make it relevant.
You're looking at an individual. I'm look at groups. For these issues, you can't take one person and say "see, he exhibits xyz, thus all people do".
No, I am not talking about an individual. I am talking about group think and prominent people who help to perpetuate group think.
Quote:
Originally Posted by calibro1
I'm an half African immigrant. It's not that we value education any more or less, we simply have more opportunities. Most people think I'm Black American. Nobody has ever accused me for acting white when I got good grades (I graduated at the top 1% of my high school class). In fact, my Black American friends and I would study together (along with our White, Asian, Hispanic, etc. friends).
However, if you looked at our group...you'd notice that the middle and upper middle class kids had more choices of where to go college.That usually fell along racial lines. My White friends and I (my dad is White and comes from a well entrenched upper middle class family...to the point where we MADE money during the Great Depression) had more choices than my Black friends who were the first in their family to go to college. They had less money since their family had accumulated less wealth due to past racist policies.
So it's not claiming to be a victim, but rather stating that there are differences due to a racist past that must still be addressed.
Your entire post is about an individual - you. Then you projected your personal experiences onto an entire group. Many people have been accused of acting white, and many simply avoid good grades out of fear of being accused of it.
No, I am not talking about an individual. I am talking about group think and prominent people who help to perpetuate group think.
Your entire post is about an individual - you. Then you projected your personal experiences onto an entire group. Many people have been accused of acting white, and many simply avoid good grades out of fear of being accused of it.
You are talking about individuals. You aren't looking at the larger construct. I cited myself as showing two things, 1) stereotypes do not hold. 2) this is reflective of the group.
If it were highly pervasive that getting good grades is somehow White, then logic would dictate that Blacks would not value a college education. However, the Public Policy Institute showed that larger percentage of Blacks value a college education.
Many people have been accused of acting white, and many simply avoid good grades out of fear of being accused of it.
Another case in which something is said enough times that everyone starts to take it as gospel.
Yes, some blacks have been accused of acting white. Big deal. Many white children have been accused of acting black. And most of these black and white children don't make a big deal about it...they just continue on acting the same way they always have....and end up as normal, well adjusted people.
I'm black (and you're not), so i can tell you definitively that you don't know what you're talking about. My son, who is also black by the way, has always received excellent grades. He graduated from college last month and has only received a B twice in his entire life. He's been teased for being an egghead before, many times by black children (jokingly...BTW). Never did he avoid good grades because of it. That's absurd. And he was never accused of acting white BTW.
There is an education problem in the black community at large. I'll most definitely acknowledge that. But those things have far more to do with the breakdown of the black family (self perpetuated, i might add) than any accusations of acting white.
Besides, why would you assume that Black people would associate academic achievement or being smart with being WHITE? I know that i never have.
The tensions between African immigrants and black Americans are pretty well-known and documented. Most people with a working and/or social knowledge are fully aware of this. Look it up sometime. It is also right in line with what I have personally witnessed and experienced over many years. YMMV.
African immigrants generally have difficulty understanding and vice versa because the histories and experiences differ significantly. Africans have a general view that black Americans fail to take advantage of opportunities they (Africans) take advantage of. Africans work with the system, not against it...and some black Americans resent that too. The majority of African immigrants arrived after these advantages became available, and American failure to take advantage of that is viewed negatively.
In other words, Africans, and others, come to the US with a somewhat fresher view of the opportunities, not mired with the difficulties of the past, neither ours nor theirs. One thing is certain...people from all over the world of all skin colors and ethnicities continue to recognize and come for those opportunities which are overlooked by so many. As I said, perpetual group victimhood and dependence only serve those who wish to maintain power over that group.
This post has my fiance' cracking up. This is the biggest crock of bull, he said someone forgot to pass this info to the Africans in NJ, Chicago and Ghana.
This post has my fiance' cracking up. This is the biggest crock of bull, he said someone forgot to pass this info to the Africans in NJ, Chicago and Ghana.
Yes, I know several African Americans who have been honored by Ghanaian groups in the USA and Ghana, even some who have been given honorary royalty titles. I have also heard that Ghana offers citizenship to any African American or other dispora African who wants it, is this true?
Yes, I know several African Americans who have been honored by Ghanaian groups in the USA and Ghana, even some who have been given honorary royalty titles. I have also heard that Ghana offers citizenship to any African American or other dispora African who wants it, is this true?
I know that Ghana used to do this, but i'm not sure if they still do. There is a very large African-American community there.
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, has always received excellent grades. He graduated from college last month and has only received a B twice in his entire life. He's been teased for being an egghead before, many times by black children (jokingly...BTW). Never did he avoid good grades because of it. That's absurd. And he was never accused of acting white BTW.
