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When I was growing up the old folks never handed out sugar pills when explaining the facts of being black in America. Maybe that's part of the problem now no one is speaking truth to young folks in a forthright manner and I haven't heard anything to the contrary from our young brother. Personally, I think he is man enough to take it.
You know, there was a whole lot of truth when Michael Gerson coined the phrase, "Soft bigotry of low expectations."
Yes, this!
My family always gave it to me, my brother and cousins straight....no chaser. They drilled into us the fact that we must always do twice/thrice as good as a White person to even be considered half as good...no matter what. And when we accomplish things in life, White (or non-Black) people will question the means by which we have accomplished or acquired what we have. I have seen both of these repeated in my life on more than a regular basis.
The worst thing to me is the dropping of the ball by far too many Black folks after "winning" signifigant fights during the Civil Rights movement. Too many people assumed that the struggle was now over but in actuality the fight was just beginning. The things of just basic facts of survival in a predominantly White world that were taught to Black childern pre-Civil Rights are still so very relevant today but are now left unsaid.
Far too many stories of what life was really like for Blacks pre-1968 are being left untold to today's young Black people. The stories of my parents, grandparents and other older members of my family about what they witnessed in their lifetimes (lynchings, the murder of my great great grandfather by the KKK, etc) resonate with me today. Its not ab out breeded hatred towards White people for things in the past but it is about remembering that not too long ago we did not have the freedoms and choices of today.
Young Blood, who the **** told you that being a black man in America was going to easy? Grow the **** up and grow yourself some testicles.
You think life is hard now? Then you need to take a walk back when I was a kid, back when my father was a young man, or better yet when my grandfather and my great great uncle organized one of the first black railroad unions in the South, a time when they were shooting black off the trains they worked on. The MEN in my family spoke well, and dressed even better and they didn't give a damn what white folks said one way or another.
Maybe that is the problem, you young folks are just plain scared of white folks, you are too scared to confront them on their own turf, to show them like Malcolm did, that he could command the King's language better than they could, sending racist to the library looking for the Redneck to English translation. That's what bold brothers like Nat Turner, W.E.B. Dubois Paul Robeson, James Baldwin, Franz Fanon, and Nelson Mandela did, they didn't scared white folks with some bull**** hip-hop swagger, they scared the **** of them with the power of their intellect. White folks couldn't ignore them, white folks had to reckon with with them.
You don't want to be ignored, you don't want to be dismissed, then you don't threaten white folks with street crime, you threaten them with your mind.
Bravo! That’s it in a nutshell.
If anything, the black youth of today should be the cream of the crop, because others have fought a long and arduous battle to pave the way for their success. That’s the saddest part. Rather than capitalizing from their sacrifices and struggles, and continuing the fight, this young man and others are still seeking “white” validation, which they will NEVER have.
Ovcatto, you are absolutely right. Our parents and grandparents persevered, despite overwhelming obstacles designed to break their spirit. They didn’t whine or have a pity party. No, they were determined to be recognized as equal human beings, because they had the courage to refuse to be relegated to an existence of subservience and ignorance. The white man didn’t “give” them anything. Their intellect and resolve changed the rules of the game.
They also had pride and respect, which is something sorely lacking in far too many of today’s black youth. Yes, racism is alive and well today, albeit, it’s much more subtly disguised. Nonetheless, when compared to the racism of the past, today’s racism is but a walk in the park. But, our parents and grandparents had the will to overcome. They would not be denied their rightful place in this nation.
I know too many people who were raised in some of the roughest sections of DC and Baltimore, who are now successful entrepreneurs, educators, scientists, doctors, and myriad other professionals, so I will not make excuses for those who allow themselves to remain in an environment of generational poverty and ignorance. Even for those unable to afford a college education, knowledge can be freely acquired from any public library in this country.
Contrary to popular belief, the MAJORITY of black youth are not gangbangers, drug dealers, pimps, carjackers, or addicts. The MAJORITY are decent and hardworking. However, a certain segment of the white population has a vested interest in the perpetuation of negative black stereotypes. Sadly, there is no shortage of willing black participants who keep the ball rolling.
Every racial group has a subset of poverty and criminality. However, only the black race is defined, not by the positive behavior of the majority, but by the negative behavior of the minority. There is no such thing as the “black community.” That is simply something created to justify the mischaracterization of Black America. Otherwise, we would have to be treated as individuals, and that would dispel the myths. We certainly can’t have that, can we?
This young man must stand up, hold his head high, and be counted among the black folks in this country who don’t give a damn what others think.
My family always gave it to me, my brother and cousins straight....no chaser. They drilled into us the fact that we must always do twice/thrice as good as a White person to even be considered half as good...no matter what. And when we accomplish things in life, White (or non-Black) people will question the means by which we have accomplished or acquired what we have. I have seen both of these repeated in my life on more than a regular basis.
The worst thing to me is the dropping of the ball by far too many Black folks after "winning" signifigant fights during the Civil Rights movement. Too many people assumed that the struggle was now over but in actuality the fight was just beginning. The things of just basic facts of survival in a predominantly White world that were taught to Black childern pre-Civil Rights are still so very relevant today but are now left unsaid.
Far too many stories of what life was really like for Blacks pre-1968 are being left untold to today's young Black people. The stories of my parents, grandparents and other older members of my family about what they witnessed in their lifetimes (lynchings, the murder of my great great grandfather by the KKK, etc) resonate with me today. Its not ab out breeded hatred towards White people for things in the past but it is about remembering that not too long ago we did not have the freedoms and choices of today.
See that's the thing. Black people assume that they are the only people who are judged by race. Most people realize that affirmative action as far as getting jobs only gos so far, people don't assume that he got the job just because hes black. People assume that he did good in college and made the right connections and affirmative action may or may not have given him that extra push.
Most white people I know don't really even think that far. If they see a successful black men most of them are pretty happy for that person an respect what they had to do to get there.
As for people judging you, thats life and you really wanna talk about people judging your success?
I'm white and was born into generational poverty. From the day I was born people have looked and treated me like human trash. Now if I don't get rich everyone will assume I am a lazy drug addict piece of crap because they also assume all white people inherit money and its half as easy to succeed if your white (something you assume). Now if I ever do get rich everyone will assume I inherited the money from a rich daddy. What I'm saying is I can't win in others eyes so I don't give a damn about there opinions.
Now as for it being twice as easy to get rich if your white than being black, I wanna why you think that is reality in 2011?
HBCUs, Affirmative Action, Minority business loans....
Sense I'm white and being white makes it twice as easy I think I should have double those opportunities just for me based upon my race.
Actually in THIS VERY THREAD, there is a Jewish woman who says that when certain situations arise some Jewish people wonder if the root of the problem is antisemitism. Blacks that I know do say that slavery has made us stronger...that does not negate the fact that we have a heightened awareness to racism (just as the lady said some Jews have). Why is that so hard to understand?
If you don't know about minority business loans or HBCUs and the millions of loans and grants they give out to hundreds of thousands of people who realistically wouldn't be able to get one if they are black you really need to do some research. If I was black I know I would be all over that.
As for the busing, do you really think that only happened in the 70s?
No, when school districts switch to the choice program, children in poor areas get the last say in where they wanna go. The white kids in these areas are bussed to ghetto schools to fill race quotas and the black kids are bussed to rich schools to also fill quotas. I'm sure it's not in every school district or even a majority but its reality.
Maybe if young black men didn't idolize and emulate the human trash that they do, folks wouldn't be so quick to condemn them?
I'm not saying all are like this, but the stereotypes weren't created by white people.
The black community needs to stop glorifying lawlessness via movies and music. Once that happens, the youth will follow, and the bad reputation, individually earned or not, will go away. Until then, there is no point in asking this question because the answer should be obvious.
The bold is along the same lines, since they're not accepting responsibility for their own failures. Whether it's slavery or racism, they are still passing the buck. I think when people highlight the slavery excuse in these debates it's interchangeable with the racism excuse.
I believe Jews are seem as more sympathetic because they seem to pull the Holocaust card in situations where it can stand up to objective scrutiny. The racism card has been overplayed by many Blacks when it had no merit, and the person was clearly wrong or contributed to whatever mess they were in at the time. Not always of course, but enough bad apples have poisoned real claims of racism. I've never seen a Jew who was clearly wrong claiming Antisemitism in the media.
I will admit that Jewish people and the nation of Israel in general seems to be a protected people by American media and politicians. I'm sure it has something to do with their power and influence in media and politics and the lack of ignorant Jews throwing claims left and right. If Blacks had the same influence and there weren't ignorant Blacks screwing up real claims of racism with their false claims, it would be similar.
No, they seem as more sympathetic because they're white. plain and simple.
See that's the thing. Black people assume that they are the only people who are judged by race. Most people realize that affirmative action as far as getting jobs only gos so far, people don't assume that he got the job just because hes black. People assume that he did good in college and made the right connections and affirmative action may or may not have given him that extra push.
Funny you mention affirmative action, because white women are the true beneficiaries of it. quiet as its kept.
Funny you mention affirmative action, because white women are the true beneficiaries of it. quiet as its kept.
Oh, they know. However, "Affirmative Action" is just fine if it means that their wives get to bring home more bacon.
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