African Americans have American Privilege (generation, racism, Hispanic, education)
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I bet most Honduran Americans are glad they're not still living in Honduras. I bet most Slovenians wish they were Slovenian-Americans living in the USA (hint, hint). Most Iranian-Americans are probably very thankful they're not living in Iran. This goes on and on for just about every poor and or underdeveloped country on earth, as well as some people from first world countries that wish they could immigrate to America in search of opportunity.
Lol...this is hilarious. You must be kidding, right?
If whites had it so good in Europe, why are the Americas, Australia, and Africa chock full of European descendants?
You’re here because your ancestors were living in abject poverty in Europe and had no way to move up in society. If that wasn’t the case, you wouldn’t be here. The middle classes and wealthy had no reason to leave.
My privileged existence in America is no greater than yours if you’re basing it on who our progenitors are. You’re just as lucky to be here as I am...probably moreso. You just have white skin as an additional talisman, that’s all.
Had your ancestors been in Europe instead of America, they likely would’ve been one of the tens of millions dead in the two world wars.
Today, all the countries with the highest standards of living and human development are white, with the exception of a few asian countries. There is no perceived "white privilege" from white america to europe. The standards of living are similar. Contrast that with african americans and africa.
People left Europe because they were explorers looking for additional land and resources and to explore. And according to you these unprivileged whites from Europe created their own privilege in America and built it. So then what are you even trying to argue? Thats like asking why astronomers try to learn about the universe or why we send astronauts to space. Because we are smart enough, motivated enough, and have the intelligence to do it.
People left Europe because they were explorers looking for additional land and resources and to explore. And according to you these unprivileged whites from Europe created their own privilege in America and built it.
What does that have to do with the 400+ years of Slavery, Not Allowing Black people to vote, Lynchings, Preventing them from attending College and Learning, not allowing them to swim in the Ocean of all places, pools or eat in restaurants, have equal pay, no rights. It was only within the last 50 or so years Blacks were even allowed to eat where they want.
It has to do with the futility of complaining about the past. Those things were terrible, disgusting, and have no place in civilized society. Fortunately, blacks and other minorities are no longer persecuted and there are strong legal protections.
I used to work in a field that contained many black Americans. I'd work alongside them. Go to conferences and sit beside them during lectures. Share professional conversations with them. Go to after parties and drink alongside them. They were just fellow professionals. They treated me that way and I treated them that way.
I used to attend football games at a local university where my son attended and was studying to become an athletic trainer. I'd sit beside white and black students, watch white and black athletes, watch white and black athletic training students tend to injured athletes, watch black and white coaches coaching, mingle with friends and professors of my son of both races after the games.
It's expedient to talk about "privilege" due simply to something that is out of the control of all of us. But I KNOW that we're not that much different from each other. It's also expedient to talk about all whites being monolithic and all blacks being monolithic, but that's not realty. It's just not.
I look down on red neck whites and red neck blacks - those who deal drugs, hang onto the crotch of their sagging pants so that they don't fall down, walk the neighborhoods trying so-damned-hard to convey a certain attitude but which conveyed the completely opposite attitude. It's a class thing. Not a race thing. I don't want to be around low lifes of any color.
And people like you can try to instill group guilt but I'm not buying it. It's not productive, it's not realty, and it will not accomplish anything positive.
LOL on the bold. I could care less about your guilt or if you feel guilty (just like I don't care about any "white" channels or any "white" universities).
I also don't talk about "privilege" in general in real life because I think it is stupid to debate mostly due to people (mostly some white people) trying to misconstrue it to be something that it's not (like based on class when speaking of racial privilege or trying to make it about money exclusively).
Note I have a lot of close white friends and even white family members and we get along fine. We are not all the same politically either but it is not hard to be respectful of a differing opinion in my view.
If you have an issue discussing "privilege" you should take it up with the OP. It speaks about black American "privilege" overseas. I agree and have no guilt about the fact that when I am overseas I am more privileged than non-American black people in certain countries. However, I think it is VERY hypocritical of the OP and person who agree with the OP that he/she poses this question thinking black people will argue the topic, when the topic is true, yet they always want to argue about white privilege.
I don't start racial threads around here. You can check my history. But I have no problem sharing my POV. Me sharing my POV doesn't mean I am trying to "guilt" you. As stated, I don't really care about your feelings of guilt. If you feel guilty, that's on you. I don't need it one way or the other.
ETA: I didn't say anything in the quote you posted from me about saggy pants or drug dealers.....
You can be prejudiced against anyone you want to be prejudiced against. Again, I honestly don't care as long as you're not killing anyone. I have my own prejudices as well, which like me admitting that black Americans have privilege overseas - is not hard for me to admit or acknowledge. I don't do the "guilt" thing and don't feel guilty about what I feel or think or do to any wide degree and especially not on the internet.
It has to do with the futility of complaining about the past. Those things were terrible, disgusting, and have no place in civilized society. Fortunately, blacks and other minorities are no longer persecuted and there are strong legal protections.
The problem is people like you don't believe in the lingering vestiges of the atrocity, both societal and psychological. But the way I see it, the fetid institution of slavery and Jim Crow lasted approx. 400 years. Wait another 350 years, then you can complain about black people and whatever deficiencies you believe they have.
The problem is people like you don't believe in the lingering vestiges of the atrocity, both societal and psychological. But the way I see it, the fetid institution of slavery and Jim Crow lasted approx. 400 years. Wait another 350 years, then you can complain about black people and whatever deficiencies you believe they have.
You're accusing me of being racist, which I take great offense to. I do not believe any people grouped by race or religion are inherently superior or inferior. Anyone who applies themselves has the potential to succeed and I believe outlier IQs high or low are just as common across all demographics.
The problem with people like you is you have a victim's mentality and instead of advocating for hard work and smart decision making you play the race card and pin failure to advance as a result of racism when in fact the institutional controls are there to put everyone on a level playing field. People stuck in lower classes can only escape through education, hard work, and smart decision making. This applies to everyone white, black, asian, whatever
It has to do with the futility of complaining about the past. Those things were terrible, disgusting, and have no place in civilized society. Fortunately, blacks and other minorities are no longer persecuted and there are strong legal protections.
Legal protections do not erase the lack of privilege compared to whites.
You're accusing me of being racist, which I take great offense to. I do not believe any people grouped by race or religion are inherently superior or inferior. Anyone who applies themselves has the potential to succeed and I believe outlier IQs high or low are just as common across all demographics.
The problem with people like you is you have a victim's mentality and instead of advocating for hard work and smart decision making you play the race card and pin failure to advance as a result of racism when in fact the institutional controls are there to put everyone on a level playing field. People stuck in lower classes can only escape through education, hard work, and smart decision making. This applies to everyone white, black, asian, whatever
You have an issue with reading comprehension.
1 - Didn't call you racist. But you're worse than one because you don't acknowledge continuing issues. I have no issues with actual racists because for the most part they are powerless (unless they're a loan officer or a doctor) and are easily handled. It's other folks that believe the solution to the "black problem" is to pick yourself up by the bootstraps and get to work. When every white person in this country is earning a six-figure salary and with bloodstreams clear of opioids, then, by all means, preach, brother.
2. Have I proclaimed to be a victim? Please indicate where.
3. My large bank account, financial and real estate holdings suggest smart decision making on my part. My e-comm biz should be clearly six figures monthly, but we're not there yet. I suppose I'll need to work a little harder to get there, eh?
4. I'm not talking about institutional racism, I'm talking about a little black boy who learns in grade school that his people where enslaved for the better part their existence in this country. I'm talking about what that little tidbit does to his psyche if he does NOT have a support system that encourages him to soar. But you'd rather tell him, don't be lazy and knock up some girls.
5. People escape their circumstances if they believe they can. When their thought patterns start to circulate around a different life, it will then start to reflect in their reality. But it begins with accepting the possibility of something different and that's the psychological frontier that must be charted.
But go ahead, tell a poor black person or any poor person for that matter, to work harder, especially as they're making they're way to their second or third job on the bus.
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