Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
residinghere on point as always, she's a beacon of truth through all of the semantics of "black culture" and "black on black" crime.
My whole thing is this: there are black people that have never grew up in the hood, never have had the "hood and proud" mentality, have had a 2-parent household, education achievements that would rival any other race, and STILL get profiled, still have had negative interactions with the police (stop and frisk), STILL have been shot and killed for doing nothing! This is what's so frustrating about these arguments. You could preach to us until we're blue in the face about cleaning up the community (which in and of itself is another topic that has many layers) but until you get the fact that being black in America is directly connected to how every facet of society has devalued black life since the beginning, we can not even begin to understand each other.
The last couple of years myself and others have tried to belabor this point to my white friends and colleagues and many times the conversation delves into what has been posted above: black culture, black on black crime, we need to "get" it, and then we're back at square one. The social construct that is race has blinded people from realizing that as a people we want the very same things everyone wants.
Great comments...I understood that you were talking about the mentality of a certain portion of black culture - not black culture in general. And even just being from the hood doesn't have to equal a hood mentality and vice versa. I have had dozens of friends over the years that came from the hood and left the mentality behind.
We all judge people everyday by the way they look or the way they're dressed or the way they speak or any of a lot of other traits. It's human nature. Some people also judge us by our race and that's unfortunate but it's part of life.
A major contributing problem to ghettos is segregation, which, I hate to say, was by design. Combine systematic poverty with what essentially amounts to a form of isolation, and it's no wonder that some people who grow up in the ghetto act like they're living in The Walking Dead. Hell, for many of them, that's the world they were born into.
that's not appropriate as that's not what I said, nor intended.
I think that's the point. You're intentionally leaving out a key piece of information to imply that black people are just inherently screwed up. Everybody can see what you're doing.
A major contributing problem to ghettos is segregation, which, I hate to say, was by design. Combine systematic poverty with what essentially amounts to a form of isolation, and it's no wonder that some people who grow up in the ghetto act like they're living in The Walking Dead. Hell, for many of them, that's the world they were born into.
I agree...but those physical barriers have been removed and people living there today have SO MANY options to help them get out of the ghetto. It's not easy - it's easier to fall into drugs/crime/gangs/etc. - and that's a choice way too many people make. Social/economic mobility is very possible in 2016...there are still systematic barriers, but the biggest barriers are in the choices we make.
I agree...but those physical barriers have been removed and people living there today have SO MANY options to help them get out of the ghetto.
That's simply not the case. Institutional racism and pre-existing poverty creates an infinite loop of poverty that very few can escape from. Yes, there are options available to help some people escape poverty, but there are just as many hurdles. It's not simply a matter of wanting it and staying out of trouble.
I agree...but those physical barriers have been removed and people living there today have SO MANY options to help them get out of the ghetto.
That's simply not the case. Institutional racism and pre-existing poverty creates an infinite loop of poverty that very few can escape from. Yes, there are some options available to help some people escape poverty, but there are just as many hurdles. It's not simply a matter of wanting it keeping your nose clean.
That's simply not the case. Institutional racism and pre-existing poverty creates an infinite loop of poverty that very few can escape from. Yes, there are some options available to help some people escape poverty, but there are just as many hurdles. It's not simply a matter of wanting it keeping your nose clean.
I totally disagree...I acknowledged the systemic barriers that still exist, but in today's world there is an infinite amount of assistance out there and no excuse anymore for not utilizing it. College, for instance, is available to anyone who applies him/herself in the classroom - economics are no excuse because of all the various types of funding available today. Anyone who wants to pull himself out of poverty can do so in 2016, but many people still want to sit back and blame someone else for their woes. No one ever said it was easy and it does take perseverance, but it also takes desire and will power. I fully believe that if we take personal responsibility for ourselves we can overcome anything.
I hope you don't think that I'm afraid of Black poor people in the hood. Anyway, I hear you.
Risidinghere2007, I don't believe that Black Americans are inferior. You have to stop thinking that is where I'm coming from. If I felt that we were inferior, then I'd be calling for other groups of people to help us. My angle is that we are better than that & we already have a lot going against us anyway, why shoot ourselves in the foot figuratively speaking?
Your comments in bold is something that I agree with (I share your views on this matter). I'm conscious enough to know that this is how some perceive themselves but in reality, they can accomplish a lot in life if they ditch the "hood culture" (which I feel is culture of settling early and not taking the initiative among other feelings).
Now I appreciate this part and yes, I'm aware of this too. Back to that mindset though, we both acknowledge that it's in existence among a segment of the Black population. We also know that crime sticks with Black people. With all of that said, you may say "reversing the mindset" & I would say "destroying the ghetto or hood (mentality)" either way a change is being made or should be made. That's my entire point when I speak on bettering ourselves and saying that we have a measure of control in how we carry ourselves when it comes to dealing with the cops. We know that cops can be *****holes right? We have to be conscious that we don't know them and they may come with a dose of "god complex." They have the gun and can call for backup...so, it is best to fall back (and invest in a dash cam to be you witness).
How about going back to having a husband/wife combo instead of single parent families....how we use to be before the drug epidemic rocked Black families. Put that next to the "play family" and we'll be better off.
Again, I don't believe for a second that we are inferior. That entire notion of that doesn't make sense. I do hold us at a higher standard though because I know how it use to be and I see how it is. We both agree that a change needs to be made though (you probably think I need changing, Lol).
Please note on the bold, I don't know you personally and so cannot state whether or not you need to change and again, I hope my comments do not hit you in a negative way. However, I will state that change is constant and as a demographic, I personally don't think black Americans need to "change" in any drastic way since the majority of us are fine. I also agree with ccdscott in that assisting lower class black people/neighborhoods is a subject that is also highly debatable, similar to what I will state below, it is interesting that whites are never charged with "fixing" dysfunctional white people. Only blacks are told we have to "fix" our underclass.
I am just stating that your initial comments and even the ones after that and included in this post is that you feel that blacks include "hood" as a part of our particular culture.
All I am saying is that is not a part of black American culture. That people never define what "hood" or "ghetto"means and that usually they only refer to black people in regards to these terminologies exclusively. Also that IMO, being "hood" and "ghetto" means being prone to dysfunctional behavior and actions. In that sense ALL demographics in America have that "element" and not just black Americans. Believing that we are prone to dysfunction as a group IMO is a symptom of viewing our demographic to be inferior to others.
Throughout our conversation, I have not seen where you or the other poster who chimed in agreed that whites, hispanics, Asians, and all other "races" in America act "ghetto" or "hood" (i.e. dysfunctional). Due to my rearing around a lot of people of different backgrounds, I know for a fact that black people do not hold down the dysfunctional/hood/ghetto "mentality" label and too often it seemed that in Atlanta in particular, due to a lack of poor populations getting attention other than black people, that many people in Atlanta only think that black citizens are "hood" or "ghetto" (i.e. dysfunctional) and they look down on that population and view them as inferior.
I hope you don't think that I'm afraid of Black poor people in the hood. Anyway, I hear you. [quote]
I don't know if you do or don't. I just stated that because I am not and due to not being afraid, I usually prefer to live in majority black neighborhoods in inner cities due to the convenience of getting around and the cheapness of homes/real estate versus "nicer" neighborhoods.
Quote:
Risidinghere2007, I don't believe that Black Americans are inferior. You have to stop thinking that is where I'm coming from. If I felt that we were inferior, then I'd be calling for other groups of people to help us. My angle is that we are better than that & we already have a lot going against us anyway, why shoot ourselves in the foot figuratively speaking?
If you believe the bold, then there is no reason for you to even think that a large amount of black Americans are "hood" (i.e. dysfunctional).
Quote:
Your comments in bold is something that I agree with (I share your views on this matter). I'm conscious enough to know that this is how some perceive themselves but in reality, they can accomplish a lot in life if they ditch the "hood culture" (which I feel is culture of settling early and not taking the initiative among other feelings).
Again, I grew up in the "hood" I also have lived predominantly in "the hood" for my adulthood. On the bold, I don't see how you think that black people "settle early." Settle early for what....a life of dysfunction? Also I don't understand the "taking initiative." As stated, most black people actually have over the past 30-40 years made it out of "the hood" primarily based on their drive and determination/taking initiative. This - taking initiative to better ones self, actually is a part of black American culture!!! (evidence - black people take initiative in regards to social activism, black people take initiative to become more educated, black people take initiative to work themselves up in positions and want to make more money/do better in life by and large, even those in "the hood.")
Quote:
Now I appreciate this part and yes, I'm aware of this too. Back to that mindset though, we both acknowledge that it's in existence among a segment of the Black population. We also know that crime sticks with Black people. With all of that said, you may say "reversing the mindset" & I would say "destroying the ghetto or hood (mentality)" either way a change is being made or should be made. That's my entire point when I speak on bettering ourselves and saying that we have a measure of control in how we carry ourselves when it comes to dealing with the cops. We know that cops can be *****holes right? We have to be conscious that we don't know them and they may come with a dose of "god complex." They have the gun and can call for backup...so, it is best to fall back (and invest in a dash cam to be you witness).
I don't acknowledge that a "hood culture" exists specifically within black American culture. I do acknowledge that dysfunction exists within all demographics and nations of people in regards to behaviors and actions. I also believe that people have to want to change their dysfunction and by and large black people in America are not dysfunctional.
In regards to "cops" I think that is just the topic of the day in many respects. Police brutality has always existed for black people. Even "back" when you feel we had more solid homes, police routinely locked up, killed, and imprisoned black people. This is the reason why BLM has so much support, even from myself who does not think they are organized enough. It is because black people, even though we don't live in the hood predominantly anymore and we are becoming educated and we are doing the "right things" and not living a stereotypical inferior black/hood/ghetto existence, we are still overly policed and harassed by law enforcement. The "hood mentality" of which you are speaking, is not the cause of police brutality. The idea that black people are inferior to other demographics (i.e. more criminally minded, ignorant, etc.) is the reason why all black Americans report being harrassed by police more than whites especially. I also don't believe a "hood mentality" exist. It again is silly IMO and to label a large amount of black people as "hood" or "ghetto" or having a "hood mentality" is again buying into false stereotypes (which are NOT based on reality BTW) of black people as being predominantly dysfunctional and as a result of that dysfunction being predominantly inferior to other demographics. Again, it is buying into racists beliefs of us as a people and it is more dangerous IMO to our demographic, because it is internalizing and accepting one self and one's group/demographic" as inferior to other groups/demographics.
Quote:
How about going back to having a husband/wife combo instead of single parent families....how we use to be before the drug epidemic rocked Black families. Put that next to the "play family" and we'll be better off.
There were a large amount of black single parents and strong extended families of which I described prior to the drug epidemics in America. Black Americans have ALWAYS had an out of wedlock birthrate that was at least 3 times higher than the white demographic since statistics were kept in the early 1900s, except today it is only 2 times greater since whites have grown in the amount of out of wedlock births.
Statistically since the growth of out of wedlock births amongst both blacks and whites and even hispanics and Asians, crime has gone down and educational achievement has gone up (and especially so amongst black Americans). Two parent mother/father-wife/husband combos are not directly related to one being "better off" and when compared to statistics in this measure (in both society at large and the black demograhpic at large), they are not even directly related to many negative social ills that have decreased while the rate of out of wedlock births and even divorce rates have increased. I will admit though that I do believe to strengthen black families economically, that marriage is a benefit. This is primarily due to the fact that today it is hard to care for a family financially on one income and it is better to have 2 person income. This is also a whole other topic IMO, one that I know I have spoken about in this forum before.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
