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I was born in 1967 just outside of Detroit. While I remember the majority of people being white, I frequently came into contact with Blacks as well.
I am too young to remember the civil rights stuff that went on prior to my birth, but I remember when Affirmative Action was a hot button issue. For a while, it seemed that the issue of racism died down. People kind of just accepted each other and for the most part had the attitude that we were largely living in post racial times. These were times in which most began to see the folly of these Affirmative Action programs and a major court decision regarding race preferences at U of M were stricken down by the court on Constitutional grounds. Things were really seeming like racial tensions were fading away.
Then, some time around the late 90s or so it seems, the issue of race made a huge resurgence thanks in part to to All Sharpton, Jessy Jackson and other professional race baiters. Suddenly, everything that happened was an issue of race and it was as if Blacks made up 50% of the population instead of the actual 12% making them the second largest minority group behind Latinos - a group that we seldom hear from.
Then came the Obama campaign and with his election, many people felt that if nothing else good came of it, at least all the absurd racism claims would finally become a thing of the past.
But, the opposite came true. The reaction to Obama's election was an almost Pavlovian response of heightened claims of institutional racism. This seems to imply that to many the "white guilt trip" strategy is working and the heat ought to be turned higher.
Today, more than in any time since the civil rights movement of the 60s, anti-black racism has become front page news. That is of course unless the racism is anti-white in which case anyone making mention of it is labeled a racist.
It seems today, every time a mouse farts, it is racism and every time there is real racism, but it is anti-white, the one pointing it out or objecting to it is a bigot. If anything, the Obama election and the appointment of Blacks to high ranking positions has made us more racially divided and not less as we had all hoped.
I think the only uptick in racism that Ive noted is from those on the right who are obsessed with the topic. Didnt one of the teaparty leaders, Mark Williams, call Obama an "Indonesian muslim turned welfare thug and a racist in chief"? He was recently asked to leave the tea party movement after insinuating that blacks were lazy. Didn't Glenn Beck say the president was a racist who "hates white people"? Didn't someone on the right recently doctor a tape to take a black woman's comments out of context (and thus stoke racial tension)?
There certainly were some racists carrying some very ugly anti-obama signs during the 08 campaign. It seems natural that they would be upset.
The perception that blacks in high power positions somehow eliminates the deeply seeded problems of race is ludicris and is a big set-up for failure. Once we realize that simply isn't the case it opens up a can-o-worms.
AG Eric Holder was right when he said that this country has been cowardly when it comes to discussing race.
I understand that many non-minorities would simply like to move past it and remain colorblind, but this mentality equates to sweeping the dust under the carpet.
Racism has been institutionalized in this country since it's inception and yes it will take decades, centuries before it is eliminated.
The problem I have with "colorblind" majorities is that they fail to even admit to the fact of majority privilege is alive and well and they've benefited from it for years, and now that the playing field is at a point of beginning to be leveled, now all of a sudden they become "victims". This is one of the main contributing factors to the success of the Glen Becks of the world.
OP, your comment on the "entire" population of Detroit not having good work ethics was prejudicial........ point blank. I can only hope that your're not in a position to hire or fire someone, because that thought process would surely affect your judgement. The sad part is you are not alone when it comes to those thoughts, and whats even more sad is the fact that there are judges, prosecutors, employers, entrepreneurs with those same thoughts (if not worse), that have a direct impact on peoples lives.
I'm always open to discuss the facts and have a good debate. I've been set straight a couple times, and I've set more than few people straight with fact vs. opinion.
I'm a 34 year old Black man raised in the city of Detroit till the age of 14 then moving to Rural Milan and Ann Arbor MI. Ask me anything I'll tell it you straight.
The problem isn't so much Racism as it is Class-ism. There are many different dimensions that make up racial groups and it is bigoted to judge an entire race on a single dimension as often is the case. We can only make judgement's based on what we read and see in the media and we both know that isn't an accurate portrayal.
I really implore you to reach out to minorities and other racial groups. Don't just surround yourself with things you are familiar with. Open up your social circles, learn from others as well as teach. There are many things that can be attributed to "miscommunication" and just not knowing enough about other people to accurately reflect their character.
I'm willing to sit down have a few beers and talk open, honestly and candidly. I don't believe you are racist, or a great majority of the people that have been painted with that broad brush are. I believe there is simply a disconnect from the real world and what is portrayed in the media.
If interested PM me anytime. I'm moving back to Detroit from Phoenix AZ soon.
**ETA** I agree to a point with the previous poster, the majority of the race baiting has come from the right. Sharpton and Jackson don't have their own show preaching majority victomhood everyday. Never did I hear Sharpton or Jackson call any president a racist. The right is infatuated with race, and it seems is using it divide us. And judging from the OP's post it seems to be working
I think the problem with many people's thinking is that you believe that as long as one racial group has more than another it constitutes racism.
Racism, is when 90% of Blacks vote for Obama for no other reason than his skin color. Racism, is when 90% of Blacks cheered when OJ Simpson got away with murdering two people. Racism occurred when a number of innocent young men from the Duke Lacross team were falsely convicted by black bigots despite their innocence. Racism occurs when Blacks who do not share liberal values are called "Uncle Tom" or "sell out" for holding Conservative views. I could go on for hours.
Now I'm not saying that Blacks are lazy by nature - that would be racist. What I'm saying is that they often grow up in an environment and a sub culture that encourages apathy, indifference and a poor work ethic. But I guess if every adult in my life was telling me that it doesn't matter how hard I work because "the man" will not let me succeed, I would probably have a similar attitude.
No, people like Glenn Beck are not race baiters, that is simply an ad-hominem attack. Glenn Beck and others like him are simply trying to keep the world sane by correcting the torrent of misinformation and bad thinking that we are bombarded with daily. Glenn Beck, like Bill Cosby are merely telling people what they might not want to hear, but really need to hear. And what those in the back pocket of Obama won't publish.
And by the way, unfairly advancing Blacks to positions they have not earned in the name of "leveling the playing field" is wrong. Stealing what others have produced by their hard work because you think others deserve it more is wrong. The notion that some are born into privilege at the expense of others is a myth. The notion that wealth is a fixed resource unfairly distributed is a myth. People either create wealth for their self or they don't. There is no "big man upstairs" who "distributes wealth" unfairly. And there is no leveling "the playing field." If Blacks feel "the playing field" isn't level - build your own freaking field!
Its clear the OP isn't open to healthy educational dialogue, he only wants to voice his frustrations. There is NO serious debate here. This is a RANT, and I won't take the bait!
God Bless
I'm not trying to convince Edub or any other Caucasian that they are racist, but I want to shed some inconvenient truths that are often overlooked.
1. America (and the rest of Western society) was founded and perpetuated under the doctrine of White Supremacy. Every thing that has been done and will be done in "America" will follow this doctrine. Western society teaches that everything that the dominant European culture says and does is superior, because "whites" are genetically and culturally superior to all "non-whites". Consciously and subconsciously most Caucasians feel as if they are superior to non-whites.
Edub says
"Now I'm not saying that Blacks are lazy by nature - that would be racist. What I'm saying is that they often grow up in an environment and a sub culture that encourages apathy, indifference and a poor work ethic. But I guess if every adult in my life was telling me that it doesn't matter how hard I work because "the man" will not let me succeed, I would probably have a similar attitude."
Naturally Edub feels as if his "empirical" evidence is non bias, because after all he is "white" and all knowing . He completely ignores that the vast majority of impoverished Americans are Caucasian. He blames black people's "poor work ethic" and "apathy" on some type of "subculture", which by definition is an inferior culture. There is no mention of poor educational systems or systematic poverty, because in his world that doesn't cause social problems. Its the typical blame the victim game.
2. Most "whites" in America feel more comfortable ignoring the past, because an accurate account of history doesn't always portray European conquest in a positive light. We learn that Christopher Columbus founded America. We rarely hear about the mass genocide of an indigenous population that was already here. We learn that "our forefathers" came here for "freedom". We fail to mention the American holocaust of Slavery and the century of Jim Crow institutions that followed. We want to live in a delusional world where actions have no reactions or consequences. Most want to live in the dark, because its painful to face the truths.
Edub says
"I am too young to remember the civil rights stuff that went on prior to my birth, but I remember when Affirmative Action was a hot button issue. For a while, it seemed that the issue of racism died down. People kind of just accepted each other and for the most part had the attitude that we were largely living in post racial times. These were times in which most began to see the folly of these Affirmative Action programs and a major court decision regarding race preferences at U of M were stricken down by the court on Constitutional grounds. Things were really seeming like racial tensions were fading away."
Edub admits that he was too young to have witnessed the horrors of Jim Crow first hand, but some how he's an expert on civil rights? What difference does it make if Affirmative Action was struck down on "constitutional grounds", does that make the ruling right? The constitution was founded on the biases of "Rich, White, Male" dominance. The "Afro-American" was said to be 3/5ths a human being when that was written. It really isn't a relevant document if your arguing on grounds of equality and civil rights for non-whites and females. It seems to me that it would make you more comfortable if Blacks would have just "stayed in their place". Ignore the institutional racism that has persisted in this country for centuries, because its not good politics and pisses people off. Keep perpetuating the falsehood of an American "meritocracy", where if you just work hard and know your place you will be successful. Everyone is given the same start in life and opportunities right? I think even a lot Europeans Americans are starting to realize that was a lie.
So what if Obama got 90% of the black vote? So did Al Gore and Walter Mondale.
The problem here Errhuh is that you are being logical. Blacks have consistently voted for Democratic candidates for decades. The Republican platform is blatantly getting more anti-Black, pro-filthy rich, anti-poor, anti-progressive and anti-equality, but of course Edub will say its because Blacks want welfare checks that they voted Democratic.
58% of Whites didn't vote for Obama. Will we call them racist? Of course not, but given the past and recent history of America it would seem realistic.
I think the problem with many people's thinking is that you believe that as long as one racial group has more than another it constitutes racism.
Racism, is when 90% of Blacks vote for Obama for no other reason than his skin color. Racism, is when 90% of Blacks cheered when OJ Simpson got away with murdering two people. Racism occurred when a number of innocent young men from the Duke Lacross team were falsely convicted by black bigots despite their innocence. Racism occurs when Blacks who do not share liberal values are called "Uncle Tom" or "sell out" for holding Conservative views. I could go on for hours.
Now I'm not saying that Blacks are lazy by nature - that would be racist. What I'm saying is that they often grow up in an environment and a sub culture that encourages apathy, indifference and a poor work ethic. But I guess if every adult in my life was telling me that it doesn't matter how hard I work because "the man" will not let me succeed, I would probably have a similar attitude.
No, people like Glenn Beck are not race baiters, that is simply an ad-hominem attack. Glenn Beck and others like him are simply trying to keep the world sane by correcting the torrent of misinformation and bad thinking that we are bombarded with daily. Glenn Beck, like Bill Cosby are merely telling people what they might not want to hear, but really need to hear. And what those in the back pocket of Obama won't publish.
And by the way, unfairly advancing Blacks to positions they have not earned in the name of "leveling the playing field" is wrong. Stealing what others have produced by their hard work because you think others deserve it more is wrong. The notion that some are born into privilege at the expense of others is a myth. The notion that wealth is a fixed resource unfairly distributed is a myth. People either create wealth for their self or they don't. There is no "big man upstairs" who "distributes wealth" unfairly. And there is no leveling "the playing field." If Blacks feel "the playing field" isn't level - build your own freaking field!
Soo00 blacks voted for him b/c he was black and not b/c of the previous administration's horid record or b/c the old dude and the dumb lady were not worthy of their votes. What about the majority of whites who voted for McCain b/c he was white or the women who voted for palin b/c she was one of them, does that count?
Many blacks did not really give a damn about OJ but they cheered b/c throughout history thousands of blacks had been lynched by the legal system and have never been held accountable for it. For every Oj that gets off there are at least 4 or 5 Johnny Gamages that go unpunished. I'm not saying that it is right, but I do understand. That case (OJ) was more about previledge than race anyway.
Your fast food example is incomplete b/c you left out the fact the comparisions are black vs white neighborhoods which I question which black neighborhoods? Are the white ones in middle class areas vs poor black ones? Apparently they are not both in the same economic relms. Now that you mention it how many kids who are subject to work in a nowhere job regardless of race feel indifference to it anyway?
Saying Glenn Beck corrects misinformation is like saying Hitler had a homsexual jewish boyfriend it just does not connect with reality. Bill Cosby addressed a situation that he as a blackman is familiar with.
AA was not set up to promote blacks in positions that they are not qualified for, that is the cry fo the disgrunted white male. AA is designed to get the most QUALIFIED person a chance to compete!
All of these responses demonstrate my point perfectly.
When Blacks demonstrate clear and obvious racism it is ignored, condoned and defended.
By the way, Jim Crow was meant to stop companies from solely hiring the Chinese and freed slaves who would under-work Whites and drive down labor costs. It was the first Affirmative Action program. Read Thomas Sowell's "Race and Culture." He is a black professor from Stanford.
Blacks counting for 3/5 of a person was a compromise that had to do with how many state Representatives each state held in terms of state voting weight. The Non-slave states wanted slaves not to count at all and naturally the slave states wanted them counted as full citizens. 3/5 was a compromise and had nothing to do with being derogatory.
But see, this is exactly what I'm talking about. A bunch of people pissing and moaning about ancient history that has nothing to do with life today. In fact, the quality of life for Blacks in this country peaked in the 50s and has been in a rapid decline ever since. The old legacy of slavery argument is a myth.
The fact is, contrary to popular belief, the world doesn't owe you squat. If you want to be successful, go out and do it and quit bitching about something that has nothing to do with you. There is no racism today that is preventing black people from succeeding. What is preventing this from happening is the victim mentality that the Left has been feeding you all your life in order to keep you on the plantation.
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