Shelby Steele: Black Protest Has Lost Its Power (legal, racism, black president)

[DRob4JC]

There are so many home runs in this article.

Black Protest Has Lost Its Power

It is not surprising, then, that these black football players would don the mantle of protest. The surprise was that it didn’t work. They had misread the historic moment. They were not speaking truth to power. Rather, they were figures of pathos, mindlessly loyal to a black identity that had run its course.

What they missed is a simple truth that is both obvious and unutterable: The oppression of black people is over with. This is politically incorrect news, but it is true nonetheless. We blacks are, today, a free people. It is as if freedom sneaked up and caught us by surprise.

Of course this does not mean there is no racism left in American life. Racism is endemic to the human condition, just as stupidity is. We will always have to be on guard against it. But now it is recognized as a scourge, as the crowning immorality of our age and our history.

I have to quote two other thoughts...

#1...

Freedom came to blacks with an overlay of cruelty because it meant we had to look at ourselves without the excuse of oppression

It's easy to go back to a familiar boogeyman when life doesn't go right, instead of looking at yourself and working hard to improve. Upon being free, we have started behind in terms of education and resources - so the climb is definitely uphill compared to others. And there are many side roads that can be taken that lead to pitfalls in life, and it is easy to fall into the old mindset of being oppressed via race. However, in many cases - many are being oppressed by their own life decisions, and it's harder to say 'it's my fault'. It's easier and more acceptable to say, 'it's whitey's fault'.



#2

Suffering, poverty and underdevelopment are the things that make you “truly black.” Success and achievement throw your authenticity into question.

This is so true. I remember getting this in middle school in DC when I was getting good grades, other kids would tell me that I am not "down" with them. I think of when rap started to become mainstream, and when certain rappers became popular with whites, they were labeled as "crossovers".

Then I thought of Obama - you can't be more successful than being the first black president. He remained authentic. But look at what his focus was... he did not help black people improve their lives... he did ratchet up the oppression angle and pushed towards marching in the streets.

If we are ever going to have the majority of us move forward, the thinking behind #2 has to change. We are making slow progress. The problem is that there is an opposition that pushes the oppression mindset.

[Cape Cod Todd]

Originally Posted by DRob4JC

Then I thought of Obama - you can't be more successful than being the first black president. He remained authentic. But look at what his focus was... he did not help black people improve their lives... he did ratchet up the oppression angle and pushed towards marching in the streets.

If we are ever going to have the majority of us move forward, the thinking behind #2 has to change. We are making slow progress. The problem is that there is an opposition that pushes the oppression mindset.

I really had hopes that Obama would lift up black youth to hit the books instead of hitting the mean streets but he didn't inspire the masses and instead he ushered in a new age of victimhood.


With the revelation that the OP posted about I can't help but wonder if Hillary had won the election we would have been seeing more excuses, finger pointing and blaming the police and the world that are all trying to keep the black man down.

Is it possible that since Trump won people are looking at themselves and possibly taking some personal responsibility? This is the basic Republican mentality whereas the Democrats want people to be beholden to them.

Finally "FREEDOM" for those that want it thanks to Trump...... ?

[2nd trick op]

Perhaps we should pay more attention and tribute to the majority of black men and women playing by the rules and climbing their way through "the system", rather than the minority obsessed with symbolic protest and grasping for the attention of those driven by the culture of short-sight.

[BentBow]

Originally Posted by DRob4JC

There are so many home runs in this article.

Black Protest Has Lost Its Power

It is not surprising, then, that these black football players would don the mantle of protest. The surprise was that it didn’t work. They had misread the historic moment. They were not speaking truth to power. Rather, they were figures of pathos, mindlessly loyal to a black identity that had run its course.

What they missed is a simple truth that is both obvious and unutterable: The oppression of black people is over with. This is politically incorrect news, but it is true nonetheless. We blacks are, today, a free people. It is as if freedom sneaked up and caught us by surprise.

Of course this does not mean there is no racism left in American life. Racism is endemic to the human condition, just as stupidity is. We will always have to be on guard against it. But now it is recognized as a scourge, as the crowning immorality of our age and our history.

I have to quote two other thoughts...

#1...

Freedom came to blacks with an overlay of cruelty because it meant we had to look at ourselves without the excuse of oppression

It's easy to go back to a familiar boogeyman when life doesn't go right, instead of looking at yourself and working hard to improve. Upon being free, we have started behind in terms of education and resources - so the climb is definitely uphill compared to others. And there are many side roads that can be taken that lead to pitfalls in life, and it is easy to fall into the old mindset of being oppressed via race. However, in many cases - many are being oppressed by their own life decisions, and it's harder to say 'it's my fault'. It's easier and more acceptable to say, 'it's whitey's fault'.



#2

Suffering, poverty and underdevelopment are the things that make you “truly black.” Success and achievement throw your authenticity into question.

This is so true. I remember getting this in middle school in DC when I was getting good grades, other kids would tell me that I am not "down" with them. I think of when rap started to become mainstream, and when certain rappers became popular with whites, they were labeled as "crossovers".

Then I thought of Obama - you can't be more successful than being the first black president. He remained authentic. But look at what his focus was... he did not help black people improve their lives... he did ratchet up the oppression angle and pushed towards marching in the streets.

If we are ever going to have the majority of us move forward, the thinking behind #2 has to change. We are making slow progress. The problem is that there is an opposition that pushes the oppression mindset.

One thing Trump has proved by his actions and not what the media is spewing today, the Black Americans in this nation do have value and pride, unlike the last 8 years of playing victim and whoas me.

I'd be offended if government constantly told me I could not make it in life without them the government, pushing everyone else to the side. That you cannot make it, based upon the color of your skin.

[DRob4JC]

Originally Posted by 2nd trick op

Perhaps we should pay more attention and tribute to the majority of black men and women climbing their way through "the system", rather than the minority obsessed with symbolic protest and grasping for the attention of those driven by the culture of short-sight.

The problem is that the oppressed mindset is what's highlighted and culturally accepted. I don't know how that is changed with the weight of the people that push that mindset.

Originally Posted by BentBow

One thing Trump has proved by his actions and not what the media is spewing today, the Black Americans in this nation do have value and pride, unlike the last 8 years of playing victim and whoas me.

I'd be offended if government constantly told me I could not make it in life without them the government, pushing everyone else to the side. That you cannot make it, based upon the color of your skin.

But when you have people who are successful athletes, actors, and musicians pushing the oppressed mindset - it is easy to just accept that. Throw in that if you do think different, there is a good chance of being an outcast.

[cachibatches]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/black-p...le_email_share

Key points:

1. Blacks are no longer oppressed
2. Blacks are responsible for their own condition
3. NFL and BLM protests ring hollow to the entire world
4. The protests are an excuse for damage blacks are doing to themselves
5. They amount to an excuse and a desire for an excuse
6. Systemic racism, structural racism, micro-aggressions, white privelge are all invented to provide excuse
7. We are seeing and going to increasingly see a new era of empowerment for whites and non-victimhood blacks in which they say what they really feel about black crime.


The only thing that I can add is that it won't just be whites and non-victim blacks who now feel empowered to speak, but Asians and Hispanics, who often come to this country with no family networks, no language skills, sometimes no legal status, and yet are running ahead in line.

As always, this is a tough love message. I want everyone to succeed. Best line in the article:

What happened was that black America was confronted with a new problem: the shock of freedom. This is what replaced racism as our primary difficulty. Blacks had survived every form of human debasement with ingenuity, self-reliance, a deep and ironic humor, a capacity for self-reinvention and a heroic fortitude. But we had no experience of wide-open freedom.

[T-310]

Agree with it all.

[Floorist]

Me too.

[rbohm]

cant argue with the article.

[aero99]

Yes, but republicans should be happy that black lives matter riots happened, it helped destroy the democrats. There needs to be more antifa and blm , republicans should fund these "protests" if they want to win