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Prof. Paul Butler: "one problem with conversations like this, is it doesn't get across that I love being a black man. I feel connected, like when I see President Obama's swag, I get that as a black man. When I hear Jay Z's cool ... I kind absorb and relate as well. Sometime we don't talk about the joy of this identity, and how proud I am to be African-American and a man."
Why? Because as a white man, no matter what cool white guy celebrity I see, I don't say to my self, "man its cool to be a white guy!".
There is nothing wrong with being proud to be white unless you are racist.
I LOVE reading this stuff. Thanks for the reference. Suck it up, liberals. The world continues to prove itself far beyond the modern liberal point of view.
My life has been seriously threatened three times. In all cases it was young, black men. Does that impact my characterization of young, black men? You bet it does and I don't apologize for it. I don't get out of the vehicle, I cross the street, I don't go there after dark, I put my hand on the butt of the snubby in my right, front pocket. They created this situation, not me.
My life has been seriously threatened three times. In all cases it was young, black men. Does that impact my characterization of young, black men? You bet it does and I don't apologize for it. I don't get out of the vehicle, I cross the street, I don't go there after dark, I put my hand on the butt of the snubby in my right, front pocket. They created this situation, not me.
I was accosted by a police officer as a 15 year old (im white)
I mean in the end, his supervisor came to the scene and we talked about filing a complaint.
he slammed me on the hood of his car and hurt me. I weighed 116 lbs when I graduated from highschool so it wasn't like I was a threat.
Officer Ledbeder... I still remember his name. My crime was walking down the street in DALLAS in the summer with my shirt in my back pocket.
it so impacted my opinion of the police that I became one for about a year and a half during college.
I blame anyone who decides to treat me like a threat. I don't care why they think of me in those terms. I only care about how it affects me. At the end of the day, I am the one who has to live with it. There is nothing I can do about some underclass hood rat and his/her behavior. However, there is something I can do about MY personal behavior. I take personal responsibility for myself.
some years ago, I had a run in with a pretty large, pretty scary looking black dude. LOL. I kinda looked startled and the look on his face was clearly not pleased.
realizing his issue was my reaction, I made some small comment unrelated to anything and joking ... you could see the tension in his face melt. it was very clear what the issue was to me. the guy was beaten down by being the scary black dude, that he wasn't... ive made a very conscience decision to approach people differently because of that incident. not just African American men, but everyone.
the problem with this discussion is none of us want the honesty of the other side.
im a white guy. African Americans don't trust me. with good reason. I get that. what I say about race is going to be processed thru experience that says "don't trust that guy".
my white bretheren aren't interested in hearing about black folk problems. they have their own. most of us aren't racists even if we were raised by people who were prejudice and whos grandparents were in at least some measure racists. (we still love them)
its a paradox. We are left in our corners defending our position no one willing to drop the guard and just be honest and figure out what we can do to fix the problems.
its sad and I don't have a clue how it will ever get resolved. my prediction is that neither side is going to give enough to get to something that resembles solution.
There is alot of distrust and dishonesty on both sides. There are some things that many Blacks don't want to discuss, at least in earshot of Whites. Whenever discussions of race come up, such as this, arrogance, anger, and distrust are the main emotions of them. It isn't only Whites having this mentality. Same can be said of many Blacks as well. On both sides, there is alot of anger, hubris, and distrust.
One reason neither side is willing to let their guard down is because of history. Racial animosity is nothing new. Nowadays it is just thinly veiled more.
As for the situation you mentioned, I've never been pegged as the "scary Black man" just by someone looking at me. However, I have gotten it by "looking upset". I try to approach people in a neutral manner. I know what it feels like for people to view me suspiciously. For this reason, I gauge a person or situation by the way said person presents themselves.
My life has been seriously threatened three times. In all cases it was young, black men. Does that impact my characterization of young, black men? You bet it does and I don't apologize for it. I don't get out of the vehicle, I cross the street, I don't go there after dark, I put my hand on the butt of the snubby in my right, front pocket. They created this situation, not me.
I can name many instances where I have been assaulted and harassed by people who were White. I still find it in me to have White friends. I respond based on behavior and how one carries themselves, not race.
BTW, I am a young Black male and I don't go assaulting people and acting like a criminal. By that definition, I didn't create your situation. When you say "they", I have to assume you mean all young Black men.
I blame anyone who decides to treat me like a threat. I don't care why they think of me in those terms. I only care about how it affects me. At the end of the day, I am the one who has to live with it. There is nothing I can do about some underclass hood rat and his/her behavior. However, there is something I can do about MY personal behavior. I take personal responsibility for myself.
Who are you going to be wary of on a dark street? Be honest.
I am not afraid of black men, in general. However, a black man dressed in a way, walking a certain way, and young (under 30) was perceived as potentially a threat when I lived in NYC. I moved away, changed train cars, or crossed the street when near such a man. Especially at night. Would you feel or react differently, GM, to such a man?
The other day I was walking with my laptop bag strapped around me, pulling out my keys while preparing to walk up to my house, a guy is walking my direction and when he gets about in earshot of me he randomly walks off the curb into the street. I walk up to my door to unlock it and turn around to see him back on the sidewalk. What was that about?
Last edited by sbyman; 04-10-2015 at 02:53 PM..
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