New Income/Poverty Census Data Out - Recession and Race Edition (crime, house)

[Collateral]

Originally Posted by Fast GTO

And then the question is why do those hold those jobs and not higher paying jobs.

Some of it is cultural and some of it is opportunity related. There are certain assumptions people make about blacks that often keep them from getting good jobs.

At the same time.. its a two sided issue. Black culture is a big problem. The most successful blacks who are NOT in the entertainment industry or professional sports are usually the ones who reject black culture.

[EdwardA]

Originally Posted by Collateral

Some of it is cultural and some of it is opportunity related. There are certain assumptions people make about blacks that often keep them from getting good jobs.

At the same time.. its a two sided issue. Black culture is a big problem. The most successful blacks who are NOT in the entertainment industry or professional sports are usually the ones who reject black culture.

The number one story on Black themed websites this weekend was Dwayne Wade's engagement. I'm not talking about Mediatakeout but supposedly serious sites targeting a Black audience. It was the number one story in theGrio.com & Blackvoices.

Folks were brawling each other for the "new" Jordan's this weekend. Black folks aren't serious which is sad because forces are conspiring to make life more difficult for many Black folks.

[justtitans]

Originally Posted by EdwardA

The number one story on Black themed websites this weekend was Dwayne Wade's engagement. I'm not talking about Mediatakeout but supposedly serious sites targeting a Black audience. It was the number one story in theGrio.com & Blackvoices.

Folks were brawling each other for the "new" Jordan's this weekend. Black folks aren't serious which is sad because forces are conspiring to make life more difficult for many Black folks.

And let's not forget all the ones who were fighting and willing to go jail over these shoes. The irony is the people who create the destructive and divisive items in the black community are people like Jordan, Tyler Perry, many rappers, Beyonce, etc.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by AeroGuyDC

Those books are what are skewing your worldview. Their titles' might as well be "White People Are The Devil: Book 1" and "Book 2."

No. They are not skewing my worldview. My guess is you haven't read these materials at all. And that's fine. But please don't try to glean from titles how a person interprets what they read. This thread was started on hard numbers; not from any book or political organization. Inequality is plain, as seen in the numbers, and very real. I'm not so sure who's worldview is more skewed. I've been reading about history as told from the mainstream side for years. I think I have a right to look at the other side to gain more balance without being accused of having a skewed worldview. Are you brave enough to read them objectively? Something tells me you won't bother.

It is good to understand history from all perspectives. Just not one side. The problem is, everyone wants the history of our great country to be told as one big love affair with humanity. That wasn't the case. The real tragedy is that the history of this country as told by those on the opposite side of freedom and justice is hard to accept for some. The natural response is to discount that dark side of history because we don't want to have to deal with it as it has shaped our society into what it is today. We don't want it to be cause for excuses. Could our great Columbus have marched through the Caribbean eradicating, beheading, and enslaving the inhabitants on his quest for gold to fund the Spanish government? Heavens no! He "discovered" America for goodness sake! He was a hero! Of course Columbus was a hero according to his people. What about the story of Columbus as told by those who fell under his genocide? Was their worldview skewed?

Look at who writes the history books. They pick and choose what they want you to believe. To be honest, I never knew the true story of Columbus until now because I always understood it from one side and not the other. Understanding human greed and how governments operate as an adult, I'm more compelled to believe that Columbus was actually hunting for gold and would do anything to acquire it for the aristocrats back home. That's very plausible and more believable than him just sailing around looking for empty lands he never intended to settle. He had the army to take what he wanted from those less equipped and he did. Besides, who would no? There was no CNN or Twitter back then to report what was going on.

Look at Native Americans who once occupied half the east coast and Mid-west before the settlers eradicated more than half the Native American population who are now relegated to reservations. You think the Native Americans just handed over that land willingly in fair trade? History shows that they were willing to live among the settlers in peace and with fair trading, yet their land was taken anyway by force. British capitalism at its finest. That's not a skewed view of history. It actually happened. Some brave history books touch on this. Most hardly breach the subject and only focus on the cleansed "Thanksgiving" version of what happened. And how did that affect Native Americans today? They're not exactly recompensed or made whole. "Sure, we'll give you some land, but we'll keep the other millions of acres with lucrative shipping ports and soil for our crops." (the settlers didn't even know how to plant crops and almost died of starvation and even resorted to cannibalism). But all is well now right? It's a big PR campaign. Native Americans HAD to be the savages that needed to be removed because if everyone knew that they were civilized, then the settlers would be viewed as the savages. But we can't have that can we?

Government "approved" history books in schools gloss over those facts. We've been taught a skewed history in school for decades. When I look at how dark humanity can be in the time that I've been alive, I tend to believe things weren't as rosy and tidy as many historical materials told by those championing the history from the oppressor's view would have you believe. Because remember, America has a reputation to protect as being a beacon for human rights. Do you really think they would boast about the atrocities throughout history at the hands of our beloved forefathers? Of course not. The only way to keep ALL perspectives of history alive is for those of us who are courageous enough to bring them to light. Not sweep them under the rug in denial. We still know the story of slavery because it was passed down. Not swept under the rug. There were some who felt that it was necessary to pass that knowledge down. I'm no different.

Now we're trying to do the same thing about inequality. Let's just sweep the whole slavery/Jim Crow thing under the rug because we're tired of hearing it. Sounds like some people need to hear more about it.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by EdwardA

The number one story on Black themed websites this weekend was Dwayne Wade's engagement. I'm not talking about Mediatakeout but supposedly serious sites targeting a Black audience. It was the number one story in theGrio.com & Blackvoices.

Folks were brawling each other for the "new" Jordan's this weekend. Black folks aren't serious which is sad because forces are conspiring to make life more difficult for many Black folks.

I always wondered why media highlights these non-stories. My guess is that gossip sells. Trust me, I've heard my fill on the Royal Family. But we choose to read what we want. There are stories of more important news out there, but are we willing to search for it?

I would agree that mainstream media is too powerful in that it dictates what it wants us to focus on. If its highlighting the ignorance of blacks to drive their perspective, they'll do it. Because we love hearing about how irresponsible and ignorant blacks can be. Those stories validate the general perceptions of that culture; black people are lazy, criminals, ignorant, on welfare, and only good for sports and entertaining.

[Webster Ave Guy]

Originally Posted by EdwardA

I'm really getting tired of this inequality canard being pushed by the media. It implies that something inherently unfair is going on. Certainly there are disparities but the causes aren't because of insidious racism. When you compare the unemployment between Black college graduates and White graduates the gap between the two is 2%.

The gap has its roots mostly in education attainment.

Very true.

[EdwardA]

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

I always wondered why media highlights these non-stories. My guess is that gossip sells. Trust me, I've heard my fill on the Royal Family. But we choose to read what we want. There are stories of more important news out there, but are we willing to search for it?

I would agree that mainstream media is too powerful in that it dictates what it wants us to focus on. If its highlighting the ignorance of blacks to drive their perspective, they'll do it. Because we love hearing about how irresponsible and ignorant blacks can be. Those stories validate the general perceptions of that culture; black people are lazy, criminals, ignorant, on welfare, and only good for sports and entertaining.

The Royal Family is somewhat different in that its head is the head of state of several countries. It's often been said NBA players are like the royal family of sorts to Black people. The All-Star game its holiday.

[Collateral]

Originally Posted by EdwardA

The number one story on Black themed websites this weekend was Dwayne Wade's engagement. I'm not talking about Mediatakeout but supposedly serious sites targeting a Black audience. It was the number one story in theGrio.com & Blackvoices.

Folks were brawling each other for the "new" Jordan's this weekend. Black folks aren't serious which is sad because forces are conspiring to make life more difficult for many Black folks.

The biggest problem with black culture is immaturity. Its a very teenager-like immature culture.

The media, entertainment industry and clothing companies are the ones who perpetuate this culture to line their pockets. There is money in keeping blacks ignorant and immature.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by Collateral

The biggest problem with black culture is immaturity. Its a very teenager-like immature culture.

The media, entertainment industry and clothing companies are the ones who perpetuate this culture to line their pockets. There is money in keeping blacks ignorant and immature.

What gives you the idea that an entire culture is immature and teenager-like? From what you see on TV? I'll clue you in. What you see on TV is fiction. While knuckleheads exist in every race, they are not representative of the entire race.

It's statements like this that give validity to job-discrimination. If a person with your viewpoint were to interview three applicants for a position, my guess is your choice would be the non-black person regardless of qualifications because you view black people as immature and teenage-like.

[AeroGuyDC]

I'm still a bit taken aback that you would have your compensation audited after thinking white people were paid more than you. Under what premise did you make this assumption? Talk about entitlement. Where did that come from?

I know what your response will be: "White people compensation was irrelevant."

Yet you brought it up in a thread about black people being held down for XYZ reasons.

Face it: You still feel slighted by slavery and Jim Crow, and you weren't even around or of age to actually experience any of it. It's called vicitimization, and you got a hefty dose of it as a child, which is why you think the way you do as an adult. I'm sure "the talk" your parents gave you about "white people" had nothing to do with it, right? Because, you know, we're all out to hold you and yours down. Wouldn't want you to be equal, ya know? /sarcasm