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Once again, you write a startling well written response. I didn't mean everybody when I said 'we all', as I know there are many many racists in this world, and apparently one on this thread, I just meant most people on this site.
See I don't think this is the case. You and I, and perhaps most of the people on this thread, do, to be sure.
But not everyone feels this way. Many people, even those with substantial financial resources, don't want individuals of other races to live in their neighborhoods. Certainly, this sort of thinking occurs in individuals of all races, but white people have historically been one of the only groups with the means and resources to act on it.
I would of course never blame any individual white person for living in an un-diverse neighborhood. However, I would recognize that most all-white suburbs were built and planned as a response to white flight in the mid-20th century, and that this large scale movement of white people from cities has major implications for racial inequality, urban poverty, and segregation.
It is REALLY important to recognize the historical basis of these processes. Because they're not done. The consequences are still being felt today. Obviously, diverse neighborhoods will not be the panacea ending racial inequality, but it can help to start the amelioration process based on inclusion rather than exclusion.
I think you are repeatedly making excellent points. But white flight to the suburbs is a very specific example. There are many non-diverse communities that are pretty far removed from that specific pattern. Rural areas and small towns, in particular. I realize that most of the population lives in urban areas, but there are many more communities (albeit with very small populations in comparison) that were never involved in that game, so to speak. And the non-diversity in those communities might be a little more innocent than in suburbs that were built on white flight.
Once again, you write a startling well written response. I didn't mean everybody when I said 'we all', as I know there are many many racists in this world, and apparently one on this thread, I just meant most people on this site.
Thanks. I know you didn't mean everybody in the world, of course. I just wanted to clarify that plenty of people who don't value diversity can have an impact on the current character of our cities.
I think you are repeatedly making excellent points. But white flight to the suburbs is a very specific example. There are many non-diverse communities that are pretty far removed from that specific pattern. Rural areas and small towns, in particular. I realize that most of the population lives in urban areas, but there are many more communities (albeit with very small populations in comparison) that were never involved in that game, so to speak. And the non-diversity in those communities might be a little more innocent than in suburbs that were built on white flight.
You're absolutely right that there are a few places that are mostly white simply by chance. Many small towns in Northern New England or the great plains are mostly white people and may have no history of exclusion.
But areas that lack diversity are overwhelming the result of white flight, overt exclusion, segregation, and racial income inequality, and we should be careful not to ignore the impact of these processes on areas with little diversity.
It really hard to make assumptions based on a casual observation of a place. I have been in areas that are 99.9% white and have concluded that this would be a great place for a minority person to live. Diversity is sometimes defined as something a place can have or an idea that people believe in.
^^
This is very true. One of the brilliant things about America is that our culture and national identity is always evolving without us falling apart. Unlike some nations we can respect our history without becoming embalmed in it.
No, you'll find out sometime that we as a nation get swept up with any majority and one day our history will be so foreign to newcomers that they won't tell it.
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