Archives

THE QUESTION: R170: I am from a white suburb and go to school in the city. I have found that black people are rude to me because I am white. I am a very friendly and outgoing, and I do not understand why I get different treatment from black people than they give others who are black. POSTED APRIL 13, …

THE QUESTION: R180: Why is it that when a black person is successful and moves to the suburbs, some black people accuse them of “selling out,” as if they have betrayed their race? POSTED APRIL 14, 1998 Simon M., 32, white <btmspm@aol.com> Metro Detroit area ANSWER 1: Some black people do sell out. By that I mean they deny who …

THE QUESTION: R190: I am a recruiter and meet a great number of college-educated professionals. I give presentations and offer jobs to a wide variety of people. Why will white prospects with marginal qualifications assume they are extremely qualified for a position, while black or minority applicants with better overall qualifications doubt their ability to obtain the same position? POSTED …

THE QUESTION: R200: Is it true that African Americans are incapable of bigotry, i.e. that this is a “white disease”? POSTED APRIL 20, 1998 Curious female, Anchorage, Alaska ANSWER 1: Though some of us deny it, black people are just as capable of being racist as any other racial/ethnic group. Those who deny that black racism exists allege that racism …

THE QUESTION: R210: It seems that there are a great deal of blacks who are “reverends.” Is this a title that is easily attainable? How does one become a “reverend”? Are the qualifications the same for whites as for blacks? POSTED APRIL 24, 1998 Stan <stan192@aol.com> New York, N.Y. ANSWER 1: “Reverend” is synonymous with minister, pastor and preacher. As …

THE QUESTION: R220: Director’s Paraphrase: Mike, a black male from Wheaton, Maryland, would like to know if it is possible that a majority of white people who complain about affirmative action are generally poor and are trying to restore their privilege of race rather than trying to achieve true competition with the rest of America’s citizens. POSTED APRIL 30, 1998 …