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Sad but not surprising..I went to John Adams h.s. In queens in the 80's..lots of racial tension then. What's interesting to me is how the white teachers try to relate to the black students as described in the article. In my experience, that paternalistic attitude does not go away after school is over. I mean, I'm a grown man and I've had white liberals speak to me in similar ways, it's like some white people always see us blacks as inner-city children no matter what our age or accomplishments..anyway, segregation is here to stay for a basic reason: white people are afraid of black people. No white parent wants their kids around mostly black folks, period. They can say whatever they want, but we are perceived as violent, immoral thugs. Whites generally don't see black people as individually human, just a monolithic "black", and apply every negative stereotype to all of us. Now, OTOH, plenty of black folks' behavior feeds those stereotypes. Those stereotypes last a lifetime and if you buy into them, rarely does such a person stop buying into it, ever.
Parents who have children who they cannot provide for are just selfish.
A big problem is many parents having children, are children themselves. There's little hope for the kids of these parents, unless the kids are exceptional or are lucky. Most aren't.
Sad but not surprising..I went to John Adams h.s. In queens in the 80's..lots of racial tension then. What's interesting to me is how the white teachers try to relate to the black students as described in the article. In my experience, that paternalistic attitude does not go away after school is over. I mean, I'm a grown man and I've had white liberals speak to me in similar ways, it's like some white people always see us blacks as inner-city children no matter what our age or accomplishments..anyway, segregation is here to stay for a basic reason: white people are afraid of black people. No white parent wants their kids around mostly black folks, period. They can say whatever they want, but we are perceived as violent, immoral thugs. Whites generally don't see black people as individually human, just a monolithic "black", and apply every negative stereotype to all of us. Now, OTOH, plenty of black folks' behavior feeds those stereotypes. Those stereotypes last a lifetime and if you buy into them, rarely does such a person stop buying into it, ever.
I'm not sure this problem has a solution.
I think many groups of people have experienced this. I think it is caused by white people just not having enough contact with black people who do not fit this image. I mean, where else would they get this idea? Movies, tv, newspapers?
The problem is solved by more contact, which if not through high schools, then through college and the work environment.
Of coarse, there are always the characters who are prejudiced out of their own unexplored personal defects.
Bigjake...you are right..the past is the past and has no effect on today or tomorrow...it's all inconsequential. Just like if you got hit by a car last week and now permanently bound to a wheelchair....none of that matters...it's all in the past...the only reason you can't walk is because you don't want to and are "just blaming" the accident for your inability to walk. You are just lazy...get over it...move on....the past is the past...it's all about personal responsibility!
The past of several generations ago has no effect on a success of an individual at all. In the US I am considered white, yet my ancestors were slaves for at least TWO THOUSAND YEARS, from the Roman Empire to the mid 19th century. My grandmother on my mother's side had a family of 3 sisters and 2 brothers; two of the children died of hunger in 1932. They would give ANYTHING to switch places with blacks that were under Jim Crow at the time. My grandfather on my father's side had to eat pigeons and grass in 1943 for a whole year just to survive during the siege of Leningrad. My mother's childhood in 1960s consisted of eating black bread, sugar water, and potatoes. Her family could only afford white bread on birthdays and Christmas. My mother tasted a banana for the first time when she was 27 years old! Does my family history give me enough "generational suffering" and "entitlement" points to sell crack on the streets, disrespect teachers, and wear pants hanging all the way down to the knees? Don't give me this BS about the suffering of past generations. Sure, maybe becoming a billionaire is not achievable for you since you don't have a CEO uncle to hook you up with a job, but achieving a normal middle class lifestyle is entirely doable within 1 generation. The only thing that matters in YOUR life is the decisions YOU make. Spend most of your time playing Call of Duty with yo boyz skipping school and ended up dropping out at 9th grade? Off you go to the back of the bus in East Tremont, loser. I have no sympathy for anyone who drops out of high school, no matter what color or race you are.
Numbers dont tell th picture. Yes blacks have a higher rate of public assistance but overall in numbers its mostly whited who recieve public assisstance. You have to remember 12% of America is black.
You're still wrong. TANF - Data and Reports Characteristics and Financial Circumstances - FY 2009
Of the 1,726,560 families collecting TANF, only 31.2% were white. 31.2% is not "mostly white". 33.3% were black. 33.3% is more than 31.2%.
In New York State, of the 116,693 families on TANF, 18.7% were white, 40.3% black. Characteristics and Financial Circumstances - FY 2009 Of the 973,580 adults on TANF, 35.4% (344,647) were white, 34.1% (331,991) black. Characteristics and Financial Circumstances - FY 2009 Of the 3,067,764 children on TANF, 26.1% (800,686)were white, 33.1% (1,015,430)black. 1,145,333 whites are 202,088 less than 1,347,421 blacks. It is also 28.3% of the 4,041,344 total on TANF, so overall in numbers it's NOT mostly whites who receive public assistance!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gantz
my ancestors were slaves ... from the Roman Empire to the mid 19th century. ...
Does my family history give me enough "generational suffering" and "entitlement" points to sell crack on the streets, disrespect teachers, and wear pants hanging all the way down to the knees? ...
achieving a normal middle class lifestyle is entirely doable within 1 generation.
+1 My father-in-law says, "Where my people came from, WE were the slaves!
My own parents came here after WWII as orphans. There were times in their childhoods, when they starved. Yet, they met, married, worked, raised a family and retired as millionaires. Today, I put up new American flags at their home, for the Fourth of July. This is the greatest nation in the world.
Last edited by bigjake54; 07-02-2012 at 09:54 PM..
You're still wrong. TANF - Data and Reports Characteristics and Financial Circumstances - FY 2009
Of the 1,726,560 families collecting TANF, only 31.2% were white. 31.2% is not "mostly white". 33.3% were black. 33.3% is more than 31.2%.
In New York State, of the 116,693 families on TANF, 18.7% were white, 40.3% black. Characteristics and Financial Circumstances - FY 2009 Of the 973,580 adults on TANF, 35.4% (344,647) were white, 34.1% (331,991) black. Characteristics and Financial Circumstances - FY 2009 Of the 3,067,764 children on TANF, 26.1% (800,686)were white, 33.1% (1,015,430)black. 1,145,333 whites are 202,088 less than 1,347,421 blacks. It is also 28.3% of the 4,041,344 total on TANF, so overall in numbers it's NOT mostly whites who receive public assistance!
+1 My father-in-law says, "Where my people came from, WE were the slaves!
My own parents came here after WWII as orphans. There were times in their childhoods, when they starved. Yet, they met, married, worked, raised a family and retired as millionaires. Today, I put up new American flags at their home, for the Fourth of July. This is the greatest nation in the world.
I hope you know that any thing that is funded by tax and handed out in form of a check is part of welfare including social security and ssi even though the average American dont think about it.
I hope you know that any thing that is funded by tax and handed out in form of a check is part of welfare including social security and ssi even though the average American dont think about it.
You're still wrong. TANF - Data and Reports Characteristics and Financial Circumstances - FY 2009
Of the 1,726,560 families collecting TANF, only 31.2% were white. 31.2% is not "mostly white". 33.3% were black. 33.3% is more than 31.2%.
In New York State, of the 116,693 families on TANF, 18.7% were white, 40.3% black. Characteristics and Financial Circumstances - FY 2009 Of the 973,580 adults on TANF, 35.4% (344,647) were white, 34.1% (331,991) black. Characteristics and Financial Circumstances - FY 2009 Of the 3,067,764 children on TANF, 26.1% (800,686)were white, 33.1% (1,015,430)black. 1,145,333 whites are 202,088 less than 1,347,421 blacks. It is also 28.3% of the 4,041,344 total on TANF, so overall in numbers it's NOT mostly whites who receive public assistance!
The funny thing about these statistics: They are true; facts as it were. Yet they are also highly interpretable. For example, one arm of the populace uses them to insist on the "racism" of every aspect and every experience of American life. The other arm uses them to insist that black people are inherently failures; inherently violent; not smart; and so on.
When in fact, the statistics are a simple testimony to the crippling and devastating hold that ghetto culture has in too many neighborhoods - that is to say, cultural and social factors. This is the one set of understandings that allows people the agency to make different decisions in their own lives.
Unfortunately, we all know that people of any race, gender, nationality, etc., experience extreme difficulty making improvements and changes. Anyone tried to give up smoking ? Lose weight ? Yeah. Not so easy except for the most exceptional, which does not mean most people.
The past of several generations ago has no effect on a success of an individual at all. In the US I am considered white, yet my ancestors were slaves for at least TWO THOUSAND YEARS, from the Roman Empire to the mid 19th century. My grandmother on my mother's side had a family of 3 sisters and 2 brothers; two of the children died of hunger in 1932. They would give ANYTHING to switch places with blacks that were under Jim Crow at the time. My grandfather on my father's side had to eat pigeons and grass in 1943 for a whole year just to survive during the siege of Leningrad. My mother's childhood in 1960s consisted of eating black bread, sugar water, and potatoes. Her family could only afford white bread on birthdays and Christmas. My mother tasted a banana for the first time when she was 27 years old! Does my family history give me enough "generational suffering" and "entitlement" points to sell crack on the streets, disrespect teachers, and wear pants hanging all the way down to the knees? Don't give me this BS about the suffering of past generations. Sure, maybe becoming a billionaire is not achievable for you since you don't have a CEO uncle to hook you up with a job, but achieving a normal middle class lifestyle is entirely doable within 1 generation. The only thing that matters in YOUR life is the decisions YOU make. Spend most of your time playing Call of Duty with yo boyz skipping school and ended up dropping out at 9th grade? Off you go to the back of the bus in East Tremont, loser. I have no sympathy for anyone who drops out of high school, no matter what color or race you are.
Totally agree. I grew up also with limited food. You were allowed a certain number of eggs a month, certain amount of meat etc etc. I even lived in a ****ty neighborhood when I first came to the US. Still moved out of there, went to HS and college and make a decent living.
I hope you know that any thing that is funded by tax and handed out in form of a check is part of welfare including social security and ssi even though the average American dont think about it.
Agree to the max, but you know some people overlook it or not trying to hear that.
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Don't give me this BS about the suffering of past generations. Sure, maybe becoming a billionaire is not achievable for you since you don't have a CEO uncle to hook you up with a job, but achieving a normal middle class lifestyle is entirely doable within 1 generation. The only thing that matters in YOUR life is the decisions YOU make. Spend most of your time playing Call of Duty with yo boyz skipping school and ended up dropping out at 9th grade? Off you go to the back of the bus in East Tremont, loser. I have no sympathy for anyone who drops out of high school, no matter what color or race you are.
