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oh, I totally agree that decades ago, it benefited you to be white. but it's almost 2016.
Underlying prejudice still exists. We see it when someone assume a random black man is dangerous. We see it big time lately with poorly trained police officers to quick to shoot an African American. So yes, white privilege still exists.
But it's not racism, as evidenced by this exact same dynamic existing in every country on earth regardless of skin color.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mason3000
Wrong, wrong and wrong again.
It's not racist. I challenge you to explain how it is? If you move to Nigeria and your name is La'Shiqua you won't be seen as part of their mainstream society due to that name. Employers will judge you differently based on name alone. If La'Shiqua is Black and the Nigerians are Black, how is that racist? It's not, it's cultural. Same thing in Zimbabwe, Brazil, Cuba, Dominican Republic or Haiti. Same thing in China, Japan, Thailand or Viet Nam. Same thing in Sweden, Norway, Ireland or the United States.
Mainstream culture is always going to be formed by someone initially. Mainstream culture in Nigeria isn't racist because it's Black & African. Mainstream culture in Japan isn't racist because it's Asian. Someone sets the culture. Does privilege exist in Nigeria if you're mainstream Nigerian? Certainly. If you're Nigerian however and you name your kid La'Shiqua, then you're not mainstream and the kid will have extra challenges. Same in Japan. Same in the US. The good news is, unlike skin color or race, you can opt-in to mainstream culture if you like...or not. It's your choice. You'll notice successful Black people tend to have no problems being part of mainstream America.
If you want your child to be more accepted, yes, give them a mainstream name. Why would you have to give them a "White" name? What does that even mean? What about Donna? James? Michael? Michelle? Bernard? Lena? Walter? Marvin? Debbie? These are actual names of prominent, successful Black people in my area, certainly not White names, but rather mainstream names. You're not talking about "White" names, you're talking about nondescript names that don't scream poor and Black.
This is not necessarily true. Some of the names that people take issue with in the U.S. are not issues in other nations. Names like Shamika, Tamika, Aisha etc are actually of multiple origins and would not be an issue in a number of countries. Even the name La'Shiqua may not prevent someone from employment depending on the country. People are not necessarily as threatened by Black Americans elsewhere.
There are people of all kinds who blame their failures on other people. Uneducated Whites blame affirmative action. Rich people whose business fail blame big govt. And yes poor Blacks blame all their problems on racism. In reality things are complex, some failure is because of govt, racism, more competition from diversity, but those things are never 100% of the problem. A lot of our problems among the poor of all races is like of health literacy and financial literacy.
Having growing up poor, rural, and White I see one main difference between poor Blacks and poor rural Whites. Poor Whites are mostly left alone by law enforcement and are more insulated from outside elites who prey on the poor. Rural What few police there are mostly ignore anything that isn't violent. My "white trash" family members can grow marijuana, do drugs, get involved in brawls outside bars, even illegally make and sell guns (including big guns like AR 15) and never fear criminal prosecution. They also deal with land lords who are sympathetic and don't put collection agencies on you because you failed to read something in the fine print.
By contrast poor urban Blacks live under constant surveillance by law enforcement who are trying to force White middle class suburban rules on them. Every mistake you make risks giving you a criminal record that means you will struggle to ever get any job or student loan - for life. Every time you call in a store or drive down the road you are followed by police. And when you rent an apartment or take out a loan it done from someone who makes money on taking financially illiterate people to the cleaners. When you get behind on rent the result isn't compassion from someone of your ethnicity, it is heartless capitalism. There is nowhere that poor Whites are constantly harassed every time they leave home like poor urban Blacks. The Ferguson P D is not a rare case when it makes revenue on the backs of poor Blacks by writing tickets for minor non criminal things like broken tail lights.
If a poor US Black woman named La'Shiqua doesn't get called for a job interview because her name is culturally different & non mainstream from the people hiring her in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Cuba or Haiti, how is that racist? They're all Black. You continue to say that's racist, but I still don't get it. Explain to to me like I'm five years old.
Brazil, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic are mixed nations.
Underlying prejudice still exists. We see it when someone assume a random black man is dangerous. We see it big time lately with poorly trained police officers to quick to shoot an African American. So yes, white privilege still exists.
There is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery. Then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved.... After all we have been through. Just to think we can't walk down our own streets, how humiliating.
Remarks at a meeting of Operation PUSH in Chicago (27 November 1993). Quoted in "Crime: New Frontier - Jesse Jackson Calls It Top Civil-Rights Issue" by Mary A. Johnson, 29 November 1993, Chicago Sun-Times (ellipsis in original). Partially quoted in "In America; A Sea Change On Crime" by Bob Herbert, 12 December 1993, New York Times.
Brazil, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic are mixed nations.
Please don't tell THAT to a Dominican; they have the rep of being white supremacist even tho many of them WOULD be "Black" in the US. Word is it's to the point that many Dominican ladies will ONLY marry anglo white dudes and have babies. I find it real sad.
There is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery. Then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved.... After all we have been through. Just to think we can't walk down our own streets, how humiliating.
Remarks at a meeting of Operation PUSH in Chicago (27 November 1993). Quoted in "Crime: New Frontier - Jesse Jackson Calls It Top Civil-Rights Issue" by Mary A. Johnson, 29 November 1993, Chicago Sun-Times (ellipsis in original). Partially quoted in "In America; A Sea Change On Crime" by Bob Herbert, 12 December 1993, New York Times.
Please don't tell THAT to a Dominican; they have the rep of being white supremacist even tho many of them WOULD be "Black" in the US. Word is it's to the point that many Dominican ladies will ONLY marry anglo white dudes and have babies. I find it real sad.
What? I said Dominicans are MIXED because they certainly are. I have yet to meet a Dominican who says otherwise. I live in a place where the majority of Hispanics - Dominican and Puerto Rican - identify as mixed or black. There isn't a day I am not around Dominicans and most are married other Dominicans, Puerto Ricans or other Caribbean people.
Brazil, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic are mixed nations.
So is the United States. The BLM activist types who consider themselves Black are indistinguishable from Brazilians, Cubans or Dominicans in terms of skin color & mix. Apples to Apples, or Oranges to Oranges, either way it's an apt comparison.
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