2009 a bad year for black people

mtsgrad

Hiya folks

Do you consider yourself to be intelligent? If so, the following will make perfect sense to you. (I love this non sensical intro!)

Black people have been discrimated in the USA for many years (unless you count unemployment, incarceration, longer sentences and death penalties as positive).

Countless non white people have discrimintaed against those who are not like them (most cases are not deliberate). Black people have battled racism in ways few people can understand or empathise with.

Then suddenly this black bloke (half black in fact) gets the top job in the world. If he helps black people overtly he is unlikely to be taken serously. If he does not the black community they will dislike him.

If a black person turns around and cries racism holders of power will look at Obama and claim that racism has ended. I have heard countless reporters and news agencies claim that equality has arrived with Obama's election. Our dilemma is that in the same breath as achieving what we hoped and prayed for, we may have at the same set ourselves back many years.

Obama's election good for black people? I just cannot see it.

mtsgrad

leavingwt

Below is the CNN homepage, from the morning after the election. People are jazzed and optimistic. This is a land of opportunity. Let's remain positive and see what happens.

alt

Simon

There is no doubt still racism in some parts of the USA and other countries but IMO it's at the stage where to kill the remainder off we have to give up on the kind of positive descrimination that just promotes bad feeling and resentment.

For example, why can there be 'black' youth-centres, music channels and awards and other such things? Surely they are racist? A simple test is to substitute the word 'white' ... and then imagine if there would there be any outrage and rioting.

The more-than-equality mentality has been, IMO, harmful for black people overall (and I know that is a sweeping generalisation) but I guess corrections are like a pendulum and tend to overshoot the mark before landing in the middle for true balance.

mtsgrad

(leavingwt) I am not American so am talking off the hip. But in your opinion does racism exist in your country?

mtsgrad

Simon

There is no doubt still racism in some parts of the USA and other countries but IMO it's at the stage where to kill the remainder off we have to give up on the kind of positive descrimination that just promotes bad feeling and resentment.
Positive discrimation is legal in the USA but not in the UK. I think the idea is good but the implimentation has been poor. From research I carried out they would appoint people in jobs because of filling a quota even if they were not fully qualified.

For example, why can there be 'black' youth-centres, music channels and awards and other such things? Surely they are racist? A simple test is to substitute the word 'white' ... and then imagine if there would there be any outrage and rioting.
This is illogical. The reason it can be good to have these groups (I do not agree with all of them) is that they are disadvantaged. They are not part of the old boys network. It also gives them a chance not to feel so isolated.

The more-than-equality mentality has been, IMO, harmful for black people overall (and I know that is a sweeping generalisation) but I guess corrections are like a pendulum and tend to overshoot the mark before landing in the middle for true balance.
I am coming from the angle of someone who has trained in equalities in the past. I got so fed up I gave it up last year!

Nice comments Simon

mtsgrad

JeffT

For example, why can there be 'black' youth-centres, music channels and awards and other such things? Surely they are racist? A simple test is to substitute the word 'white' ... and then imagine if there would there be any outrage and rioting.

Spot on! There was a "Black Student Union" at my Alma Mater (Washington State University) for some time before I got there in 1969. A while back (10 or 15 years) all hell broke loose when some guy tried to start a "White Student Union." There's some confusion about his motives, he may have been making a point, it might have political theater, satire, or possibly even legitimate.

From the outrage you would have thought he was setting up a united chapter of Nazis and the KKK.

yknot

The guy hasn't even started the job yet........ give him a break !!!

Obama is just a man......... and like those men before him and those to come after........he has a wife ( or significant other female) who has thought to herself "" what a jackass"". You see regardless of color, nationality, ethnicity, or creed ...... men are men.

As a woman I would like to see a woman US President in my lifetime. However whenever that happens I won't put her so high on a moral pedestal that she is unable to do her job without always having to acknowledge her gender first and the the historical nature of her position.

EDITED TO ADD....... Assimilation is the key to addressing discrimination. It was within a century ago that Irish, Italian, Jewish etc need not apply. There is coming a time too when Black, Latino and 'other' ethnicities will also follow suit.

I am not saying discrimination or slurs based on ethnicity will vanish....... I myself called my soon to be ex-cousin-in-law a 'BIG DUMB POLE' last month, he called us all a bunch of wussy Bohunks in return. .... German's are still called 'Dutchmans' too sometimes.....

However as we continue to procreate with each other the lines continue to muddle.....this is a good thing!

mtsgrad

Jefft

Spot on! There was a "Black Student Union" at my Alma Mater (Washington State University) for some time before I got there in 1969. A while back (10 or 15 years) all hell broke loose when some guy tried to start a "White Student Union." There's some confusion about his motives, he may have been making a point, it might have political theater, satire, or possibly even legitimate.

From the outrage you would have thought he was setting up a united chapter of Nazis and the KKK.

The organisation made a mistake. I would have let them set it up, although why do white men need support as they are the holders of power (until 20 Jan!). The group would fold within months. The funny thing about thses groups is even if it is a black group, white members should be allowed to join (if they support the groups objectives). Crazy world huh?

mtsgrad

Yknot

The guy hasn't even started the job yet........ give him a break !!!

Obama is just a man......... and like those men before him and those to come after........he has a wife ( or significant other female) who has thought to herself "" what a jackass"". You see regardless of color, nationality, ethnicity, or creed ...... men are men.

As a woman I would like to see a woman US President in my lifetime. However whenever that happens I won't put her so high on a moral pedestal that she is unable to do her job without always having to acknowledge her gender first and the the historical nature of her position.

Obama has spent $800,000,000 putting himself on a pedastle. I think that warrants asking questions about him.

mtsgrad

rebel8

Culture change is gradual and slow. Right or wrong, that's the way human beings are.

Weren't a lot of "black firsts" people perceived to be "acceptably black", meaning they weren't very dark-skinned or perceived to have strong "black" features? Sidney Poitier, etc.....even Martin Luther King IMO.

If you talk to elderly folks here and say so-and-so white person is marrying a black person, or so-and-so black person got a good job, etc., the elderly will ask, "Is he really dark skinned?"

This seems to have some sort of idiotic significance to people--they find it less threatening. I guess like using training wheels when you first ride your bike to gradually get used to the 2 wheels. Apparently a few more melanin particles make a huuuuuuuuge difference in their minds.

Knowing what I said in the 1st paragraph, we shouldn't be surprised this applies to the office of President. Sad but true.

The media here was talking about "acceptably black", which they described as him having lighter skin, being of slight build, and soft spoken.

My response is that Hillary Clinton was not "acceptably female", and that is why I believed she wouldn't win......everyone said I was wrong because she was ahead in the polls.

2009 a bad year for black people

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