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There might be like let's say 10% impact of what parents are teaching, but it is more about what the world is teaching, though some stuff has improved.
I will just talk about my own personal experiences, I am also a dark skinned black woman, and this reflects reality for someone of my age group.
Here are some examples of white supremacy that can shape why a person will get this underlying message of black is bad, and colorism is very very relevant as well.
1. when we say "nude" that implies some sort of beige color that is closer to the average white person than the average black person. This is seen as the default shade - from bandaids to bras to pantyhose. It is still pretty difficult to find nude lingerie in my shade. And I have never seen a "nude" bandaid that matches me.
2. mainstream TV shows were full of white people when I was a kid, there were very very few shows with black people. And I can't recall a kids book I read with a main character that was black. All the default books were stories of white kids. Because white kids were deemed as the "normal" kids. Same with TV shows. You had to specifically seek out media with non- white people.
3. When I was younger, and I needed to get hair products, we had to make a special trip to the black neighborhood. Because the Target/Kmart/Drugstore had zero products for my hair. This is somewhat improved now, as most stores carry things, but typically in an "ethnic" section. Not the "regular" section - which is for people with straight hair, not my delicate oily hair. But this wasn't possible for most of my life. If I went to a "white" neighborhood or city there would be no haircare products for me. If I go to a hotel today, I better bring my own hair stuff because there will be nothing for me.
4. Even today, I can hardly find a shade of makeup that matches me. Maybe 20% of brands will have something that works for me, and it is certainly not at every drug store or Target. I wanted to get BB/CC cream when they came out, nothing was available for me until 4 years after the trend launched.
6. Black female celebrities - in all spaces - tend to be lighter like Beyonce and not darker like viola Davis (this is improving somewhat in the past 5 years). This is not related to talent, but because of both internalized racism, and the way "Hollywood" works. Darker women get to be druggies, prostitutes or sassy friends. Not love interests and stars and main characters. Now you may not have noticed this, because maybe you think "black is black" but look around to see what actresses get the most hype, what singers get the most hype, and which people play the most lead characters. It is rarely someone of Viola Davis's shade!
7. Let's talk about interracial relationships. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard that "mixed kids are the cutest!" Because we have decided lighter is better in our society.
So here you go, all this stuff adds up to tell you white (or closer to white) is better. And it isn't because your parents said so, it is because society did.
Excellent post.
A friend of mine pointed out how many black people are on our regular broadcast shows and my reply was how many dark skinned black women? They are 99% mixed. To the bolded: or slaves or in roles like the domestics in 'The Help'
Dark skinned black men seem to have attained TV role status, but more discriminated against in regular jobs for the everyday person.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,330 posts, read 54,419,437 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Indentured Servant
America needs to address racism from the psychological point of view, as well as the economic and physical point of view. The profession you rarely hear quoted in regards to racism, black people, etc, are psychologist. The profession that studies human behavior and the motives behind them is never asked to look into the racial mindset and the cause and effects upon American society. Why? It makes sense that such needs to be done.
The black doll white doll test is by no means scientific and is not without flaws in the way it was conducted. However, it would be a travesty to throw out the TRUTH being told because of the flaws in the way it was conducted or presented. The findings are VALID...even if the methodology is flawed. Many of us, who are black, KNOW this to be true. Its not always true for everyone. I need to say that because many whites like to debunk a claim by showing that its not an ABSOLUTE.
I believe that these youths thoughts exist in the adult subconscious of America. Those youth are vocalizing thoughts that adults have suppressed into their subconscious.
I wear a 4e extra wide shoe. Most shoes aren't made in that size. Cry a river for me.
I have a 36" inseam which almost no one carries or even makes. Cry me another river because I'm a big baby.
At work I get asked to lift heavy things and do hard work that others are never expected to do. Oh the horror. Cry me river number 3.
Wow. The discussion is about why many blacks have a negative self-image. A thoughtful post detailing many reasons why was written and this is your response?
It's hardly the same, what you are saying, totally off topic, and she wasn't crying or asking for your sympathy.
It's disheartening for you to say "parents are only 10%, so let me tell you how WHITE SUPREMACY is society is the other 90%"
I wonder what #5 was. as to 1-6, those are called OPPORTUNITIES to have a huge market share of an untapped market. #7 is truly your personal experience.
As to your empirical evidence, that is of far greater national concern, and must be corrected. A black man should receive the same sentence as the same white man. I am sure "has a paid-for attorney" makes a difference, but then it falls to judge (and jury) to help see past legal representation.
The problem is, stuff like 1-7 lead to the actual impact when sentencing happen. If you have only seen "black people behaving badly" then you think that is everyone.
For example, I have found (in dating) a subset of white guys have an overly sexualized idea of what black women are like. So instead of leading with "hi" they lead with "can you twerk for me? do you have a big butt?" and all sorts of dumb stereotypes. We like to discount representation - but it actually matters. The reason we think all Asian (East Asian) people are accountants is because we never see Asian people doing other stuff.
White people are afforded representation in a full spectrum of ways. Being idiots. Being heroes. Being the stars for a love story. Being teachers. Being comedians. The full range of humanity. So as a result most people do not think one stupid white person's choices represent everyone. But the limited representation for other people, makes it seem like there is really only one way to be Black (or Asian or whatever). And most of those templates are negative!
Mr. Brody. A few things. I see that you boast about having made a nice life for yourself. And that is FANTASTIC! Kudos to you for making it through. You should be applauded for navigating the gauntlet that is American racism and discrimination. I believe you have navigated it so well as to almost believe that is ceases to exist.
HOWEVER, there is only ONE Bruiser Brody in this world. You look around you and wonder that if you can do it, why can't everyone else? Well, guess what? They can't. Some won't. That's a fact of life. Peoples' lives take different paths. As hard as some may try, not everyone will be that star football player, or the multimillionaire dollar movie star. Not everyone will climb the ranks of CEO or President. Some people, through no fault of their own, could not avoid or navigate away from the clutches of systemic and institutional racism.
Even you Mr. Body, were more than likely the victim, no, recipient of racial bias or discrimination without you knowing. There is a good chance that you probably would have received even better interest rates, got a higher raise, been promoted faster, or if you own your own business, probably more customers, better prices on goods and services, etc. Unless you're GOD, there's no way to know for sure that racism or discrimination didn't hold you back from YOUR full potential. So, I find it difficult to accept the fact because you made it, that somehow those who didn't are the cause of their own station in life. Especially when there are mountains of evidence that racism and discrimination is the cause of inequality in this country. Unless you are self-loathing in believing that white people are inherently better than you in everything.
There are mountains of data, studies, and research available with just a simple Google search that will tell you that black wealth is still lower than whites not because blacks aren't trying hard enough, but because they are the perpetual victims of racism and discrimination. It's kinda hard to excel in a job, business, or whatever when those at the top who have the power to hire and fire to buy and sell hold the keys to your success. I sat and listened at a town hall my company had today at how black people in that company were discriminated against, held back, looked over, etc. It had white people in tears. But those black people are not supposed to be victims right?They were the cause of their own lack of success. Right? Tell me where their power to change the situation would come from that wouldn't exact retribution or retaliation by the same people with the power to hire, fire, promote, and increase wages? Your worldview is too naive and simple.
The thing that pisses me off about opinions like yours is that you fall into the trap of the same double standard. Black people are supposed to just accept inequality. Deal with it. Don't call a spade a spade. Don't call racism and discrimination for what it is. It's all in their mind. Black people are their own biggest obstacles. YET, white people get off the hook. The very group that perpetuates racism, discrimination, and bias doesn't have to do sh*t. They aren't responsible for anything. Not racism, not discrimination, not bias, not complicit apathy, nothing. All they have to do is continue being silently complicit feeding the dystopian status quo that you seem to so dearly love and accept as your immutable reality.
The true reality is, black people in this country have been victims of racism, discrimination, and bias for centuries. Racism doesn't disappear in an election season. It doesn't disappear after a few token civil rights laws are passed. It still exists because people like you give whites a pass while throwing blacks under the bus. That's disgusting and a pitiful display of your own ignorance and lack of compassion for others who weren't born in your shoes. No one chooses to be a victim. No one claims failure or chooses to be poor. Black people aren't begging police to kill them. No one enjoys being oppressed through policing, lack of jobs, lack of educational opportunities, lack of opportunity for upward mobility, etc. Black people are chasing the "American Dream" just as anyone else and they are protesting against those who are trying to take them out because they dare simply to exist in this country and dare to move ahead.
Truth be told, we are ALL victims of America's cancer that is racism and discrimination. This country is held back because of it. The full potential of this country is held back because of it. We all suffer when our brothers and sisters suffer. Whether we want to admit it or not. The backlash after President Obama was so severe that people were willing to cut off their nose to spite their face in voting for a reality TV star who couldn't lead water downhill. And for what?
Had there been a white president instead of Obama, we dam*n sure wouldn't have Trump in office today. There would be no white backlash and the status quo, that you so cowardly accept, supported by complicit whites, would march into the future without challenge. And in that regard, maybe it was a good thing Trump was elected. Perhaps it was the shakeup to wake up that this country needed.
There will always be racist people. To expect different would be delusional. There will be whites who are racist towards blacks. And YES, there are and will be plenty of blacks racist towards whites. There is no such thing institutional racism, no such thing as racism that can hold anyone down, no such thing as being STUCK as a victim. Now there IS such thing as using victimhood as an excuse for life. It is so much easier to blame someone else, rather than doing what it takes to get ahead. Everyone's life is in their own hands. Period.
If you do not want to have issues with the police, then do not do anything that will get you in that situation. That does not excuse a cop doing bad things, but there are two sides to every coin. Let's not look at just one side.
Now who can be at a disadvantage? Is it someone with one of the thousands of various skin tones? NOPE. It CAN be someone who is born into a horrible neighborhood, who is born into a drug using household, who suffers some medical tragedy, etc. Are any of these things specific to one race? NOPE. There are plenty of these situations in Pasco County Florida. Lots of meth head whites. They are at a severe disadvantage. No money, poor education, crime, drug addiction. Any white child born into that type of situation will be infinitely more disadvantaged that any black child born into a two parent, middle class family.
It is NOT about race. It is NOT about skin tone. It IS about what environment you are born into, about what choices you make in life and whether or not you have the drive to succeed or the laziness to blame others. That is it.
There will always be racist people. To expect different would be delusional. There will be whites who are racist towards blacks. And YES, there are and will be plenty of blacks racist towards whites. There is no such thing institutional racism, no such thing as racism that can hold anyone down, no such thing as being STUCK as a victim. Now there IS such thing as using victimhood as an excuse for life. It is so much easier to blame someone else, rather than doing what it takes to get ahead. Everyone's life is in their own hands. Period.
If you do not want to have issues with the police, then do not do anything that will get you in that situation. That does not excuse a cop doing bad things, but there are two sides to every coin. Let's not look at just one side.
Now who can be at a disadvantage? Is it someone with one of the thousands of various skin tones? NOPE. It CAN be someone who is born into a horrible neighborhood, who is born into a drug using household, who suffers some medical tragedy, etc. Are any of these things specific to one race? NOPE. There are plenty of these situations in Pasco County Florida. Lots of meth head whites. They are at a severe disadvantage. No money, poor education, crime, drug addiction. Any white child born into that type of situation will be infinitely more disadvantaged that any black child born into a two parent, middle class family.
It is NOT about race. It is NOT about skin tone. It IS about what environment you are born into, about what choices you make in life and whether or not you have the drive to succeed or the laziness to blame others. That is it.
thanks for providing a perfect place for me to park this kitty.
The problem is, stuff like 1-7 lead to the actual impact when sentencing happen. If you have only seen "black people behaving badly" then you think that is everyone.
I wouldn't consider any of 1-7 "black people behaving badly", unless I was in the store when they decided to cuss the manager out.
Why don't whites ever talk about out of wedlock births being a problem in the white community? I have NEVER heard the topic "white out of wedlock births". You would think that they don't happen in the white community because all you hear about is "black out of wedlock births or single parent homes".
Simple. Because for whites it is not the norm. For us IT IS.
"The percentage of White children under 18 who live with both parents almost doubles that of Black children, according to the data. While 74.3 percent of all White children below the age of 18 live with both parents, only 38.7 percent of African-American minors can say the same."
Whites did not do that to us. WE DID THAT TO OURSELVES. But of course, you will blame whites for that too, as usual. God forbid a black woman keep her legs closed and a black man keep it in his pants and really God forbid if they bring a child into this world, that they get married and bring the child up together.
So it’s all whitey’s fault? Gotcha. You’re a broken record but hey, if you want to live your life as a perpetual victim go ahead.
He does. Unfortunately, in my community there are way too many people who find it much easier to blame whitey than to actually work on improving their own lives. I fear that will never change. 1,000 years from now we will still be talking about reparations for slavery, we will still be blaming whitey and we will still be disproportionately committing violent crime.
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