[Monica A.]

Why do African Americans continue to complain about discrimination when I feel that the role has reversed to white Americans? For example, I'm an avid reader, and in numerous novels with black characters, they make derogatory comments concerning whites. In the book How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Terry McMillan speaks about an old white man lusting after her body. I can not quote this exactly, but feel free to look it up. Why is that? Black people have cable channels, scholarships, months of remembrance, and the list goes on. I think the African-American community would be outraged if we specified a scholarship to be eligible for white students only. I believe that everyone should realize that we are all discriminated against. Isn't it time that we continue to remember slavery but get off the bandwagon with the rights issue? We all have the same rights, and for every job you don't get because you are black there is someone who isn't getting a job because they are white or brown, etc. Does anyone else feel like this?

User Detail :  

Name : Monica A., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 23, City : Ft. Worth, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Mom, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Middle class, 

[Rick29811]

You're not off base on this. Here is an article by a black scholar that explains one aspect of this phenomenon, campus affirmative action: www.city-journal.org/html/12_1_the_campus.html

User Detail :  

Name : Rick29811, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, City : Springfield, State : OH Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Leah26111]

Get some information on institutional racism and white privilege and your world won't look so bleak.

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Name : Leah26111, City : Halifax, Nova Scotia, State : NA Country : Canada, 

[Cynthia31737]

Asians in US universities are routinely turned down even if their test scores and grades are very high. Affirmative Action does nothing for whites OR for Asians.

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Name : Cynthia31737, Gender : F, Race : Asian, Age : 22, City : Somewhere, State : NA Country : Canada, Occupation : Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Janis]

These are some of the attitudes I have encountered from African Americans:
1. Derogatory comments from blacks about whites is not a problem for whites because blacks don't have enough social power to deny them anything (tell this to a white kid being bullied by black kids because he's white).
2. Whites have been privileged for so long that this 'favoritism' needs to be rectified (tell this to poor white kids who've never had a chance in life due to their extreme poverty and lack of social connections).
3. The issue of slavery must never be forgotten and must be discussed ad nauseum at every opportunity to explain everything and anything (tell this to Jews, Asians, etc., who seem to be filling colleges and CEO positions rapidly despite their oppressive histories).
4. For every job a black person is given because they are black, there are hundreds denied jobs because they are black (maybe there is some truth to this statement, but more often than not, it's likely to be ghetto types who are using racism as an excuse for not getting a job rather than dealing with their own lack of manners and verbal skills.)

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Name : Janis, City : n/a, State : FL Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[ACC25050]

As one of those brown people who (in addition to whites) you worry are not getting jobs because of blacks, let me say that I don't feel that to be the case. Institutional racism such as the old boy networks and hiring practices keep us from getting jobs, not blacks seeking protection from discrimination. We face many of the same issues as blacks, and while there is prejudice against blacks among many Latinos, I don't want anyone using us as an excuse for employment anti-discrimination laws to end. After all, the law protects brown people as much as blacks, and guess what? The law protects whites against discrimination, too. Don't you know about the Bakke 'reverse discrimination' case? The idea that whites lose a lot of jobs to affirmative action is largely a myth. The actual cases of that happening are rare and highlighted by resentful whites way out of proportion to their actual numbers. Incidentally, did you see the Sixty Minutes piece on a "Whites Only" scholarship in a Southern state at a historically black college?

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Name : ACC25050, Gender : M, Race : Mexican and American Indian, City : Phoenix, State : AZ Country : United States, 

[TR]

If you are equating a fictional black woman's complaints to the several centuries of economic, judicial and social discrimination that black people have confronted at the hands of white people in this country, then you have very warped views of what it means to be discriminated against. That said, black people have special institutions like cable channels, magazines, scholarships, etc. because they are a group that has been historically excluded from mainstream society. White people - as defined by racial characteristics - have not been excluded from very much in this society; they define 'mainstream' simply because they are the majority. Thus, 'special' institutions serve no purpose for them other than to exclude people. Black people also have a unique culture, just as ther ethnic groups - like Irish, Italian, German and Mexican Americans - have their own culture. These groups have 'special' institutions like beauty pageants, cable channels/shows, and scholarships. Unless you're calling for all ethnic groups to disband their organizations and institutions, I see your rant against black Americans as unfair.

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Name : TR, Gender : F, Age : 24, City : Newark, State : NJ Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[Lucy22393]

I think many African Americans justify hostility toward whites with the claim that discrimination by blacks does not adversely affect whites to the point that they are denied jobs, education, housing, etc., being that they do not hold enough positions of power to make such discriminatory decisions. However, this opinion fails to recognize the pain and turmoil suffered by those who are harrassed - whether white on black or black on white. And many, who claim to resent being denied jobs or education due to their color, are more than happy to take jobs or academic scholarships that are given to them solely on the basis of race - on the grounds that they or their ancestors suffered and they are only being 'compensated.' Unfortunately, this issue will never be resolved as long as there are white people who are willing to deny opportunity to blacks, and as long as there are black people who want something for nothing.

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Name : Lucy22393, Gender : F, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Marco22200]

Why do African Americans complain about discrimination when discrimination has been reversed against whites? How has it been reversed? White Americans can live where they like without any problem. They can drive around without being looked at by police, while black people can't. They can meet in large groups and no one will say anything, while blacks can't. In fact, there's a lot we can't do. As apparent in New York, an African American can't even pull out his wallet without being shot, so I don't see how that role is reversed.

As far as the book How Stella Got Her Groove Back, you said there were derogatory statements made toward white people. Are you kidding? It's not like white authors haven't done the same thing.

You're wondering about so-called reverse discrimination when all that this country sees is white, from books to most of the shows on television. We have BET while 96 percent of other channels are white-owned. Months of remembrance? One month of February. Most of the other holidays celebrated in this country are white holidays: Labor Day, Columbus Day, Memorial Day, etc. Outraged about a white only scholarship? Please spare us the drama. We won't be outraged and haven't been for a long time. You have some people in this country who get in schools exclusively because they are white with money, or because it's some family tradition that a sibling from a certain family goes to the same school. And if it were up to Southern whites, black people would be continuing to be minions to their white counterparts, meant to serve instead of learn. I suppose that's supposed to be OK, too? I've never heard of a black man owning a plantation while whites are working the fields picking cotton.

Sure, we are all discriminated against, but there is no comparison to how African Americans are discriminated against. You can pull up all the books, shows, cable channels you like, but there is still no comparison. Minorities period, not just blacks, still don't have the same rights as the white majority, and we probably never will. You make is sound like white people are underprivileged. You all are not; your very skin color is your privilege.

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Name : Marco22200, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 27, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Jason31267]

This is Subjectivist garbage. Even if you accept subjectivist thought, no individual could possibly experience 'several centuries' of anything. Let alone all the individuals who fall into the category of 'black'. These things can only be experieced by individuals at different levels and for differing amounts of time. Most of those individuals where NOT black (thought I would throw that in there since meaningless generalities seem to be mistaken as having some form of validity in these types of discussions). Are we now allowed to make sweeping generalities about different races now? Please cite the percentages of whites who have not been excluded from 'very much'. I of course have no problem with organizations which seek to promote the interests of blacks as a group. Of course then we must accept that it is ok for 'whites' to do the same, maybe not an emotionaly appealing logical imperitive, but a logical imperitive all the same (playing a little devils advocate here). Unless one of course would like to reject the idea that whites have a single cultural identity (which I do by the way), in which case you have no argument AT ALL in regard to your broad statements about mainstream society. The problem with ascribing characteristics to people based on thier skin color is absolute sillyness, be it from blacks or whites and especially in the arguments for affirmative action in it's current incarnations. It is flawed thinking and has no place in our national or personal policies.

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Name : Jason31267, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 34, City : detroit, State : MI Country : United States, 

[Blake]

Why DO Afican Americans complain? Why should they complain in the workforce when they make a whopping 60 some cents to every white person's dollar? Why should they complain when thousands of their ancestors have worked, fought and died for a country that still has yet to recognize that they are not being treated fairly? Why shoud they complain that they have only minor sections in history books when they helped build kingdoms? Why should they complain when they have the shortest month of the year alloted to them to celebrate their elaborate history? Why should they complain that inner-city public schools (where many of their children attend and where many of them are concentrated) don't give them sufficient funds to supply their children with adequate and equal schooling to white suburbs? Why should they complain about people not wanting to admit that the nation owes them?

They have every right to complain about the injustices that take place on the educational, economic and political levels. They have every right to make as much noise as they need to to get heard by those who run this country. They have the right to make people acknowledge what may never be put into history books. They have every right to feel a little perturbed that although 'you all' say that the glass ceiling has been broken for them, the statistics constantly show whites ahead of the game in most aspects of society. They have a right. I have a right. Is it OK for me to have gone through 13 years of public schooling and know more about Anglo history than my own? Why should it be so hard for me to get educated African Americans and their accomplishments?

You think about this. You do some role reversal. The civil rights movement is not over. Not until the black dollar equals the white dollar. Not until people like you recognize that hundreds of years of oppression, neglect, scrutiny, lies, murder, inhumanity, degradation, etc. isn't made better by affirmative action or a few new laws. Mindsets must be changed - starting with yours.

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Name : Blake, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 19, City : Philadelphia, State : PA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Veronica24533]

To Blake, Why is it so wrong for public schools to teach the history of its founders, who happened to be European? Who elses history should US schools teach? Even though non-europeans have contributed greatly to this country, it doesn't change the fact that the very political, philosophical, social and economic situation in the US is a direct result of the thinkings of Europeans who left their homeland and created a whole new country - hence the US. Do you think that if you lived in China or Iraq that the schools would incorporate your culture into their own cultural teachings? Not likely. Whether you like it or not - and you mustn't dislike it too much considering that you chose to continue living here - this country was created by, and continues to be an extention of the European experience.

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Name : Veronica24533, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, 

[Emily]

This reminds me of my mother's comments to me when I asked why there was a Mother's Day and a Father's Day, but no Kid's Day. Her response: every day is kid's day. African Americans have cable channels because most every other station is white-TV. Networks want to appeal to the largest number, which often means catering to the tastes of the majority. There are hundreds of shows with white characters, white writers, white producers. What's wrong with catering to another audience? We have stations for people interested in food, sports or history. Why not channels dedicated to interests of minority groups? As for months of remembrance, what shocks me about 'Black History month' and the like is not that we honor people during a particular month, but that we don't honor them always. History books often fail to point out the histories of non-white people. American History often ignores the thousands of years of history before Columbus. Studies of Greek and Roman civilization often ignore the foundations in Egypt. And European history isn't the only valid history. Other civilizations were complex and do, in fact, have an impact on our society because we are not just a European-influenced culture. If we ignore other influences, we lose out.

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Name : Emily, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 24, City : Portland, State : OR Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Emily]

Your comment that 'their own lack of manners and verbal skills' leaves me confused. Do you mean white American manners? Do you mean white American English? Many people agree with the premise that other countries have different languages and different social norms. In our country, dialects and norms vary in different parts of the country (e.g., in the Pacific Northwest, we dress more casually and talk with a slightly different accent.) Why is it not OK for African Americans to have their own culture within our country? Why is it not valid for them to have a unique language/dialect (such as Ebonics) or different social expectations? Why does everyone have to fit the white American definition of language and manners? It seems to me there are other acceptable and valid definitions.

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Name : Emily, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 24, City : Portland, State : OR Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[A. Adams]

In reading the original post, I think it reflects a basic problem in our present culture. That of not understanding at a fundamental level about the need for equality to be universally applied to all human beings. I'm a little non-plussed by the attitude that one person's success must be balanced out by the failure of another. We all benefit from a stable, secure, creative, and well-educated society. If anything, we should champion the addition of different ways of thought, culture, speaking, etc. A society that doesn't change, stagnates and usually dies off or is replaced by one that does change. I noticed that the author took pains to single out one racial group. Are you bothered by the variety (there are numerous tv stations, community centers, schools, organizations, etc. that cater to many different cultures, not just black)? You've described yourself as an avid reader. Have you stopped to contemplate your present world without the influence of the many people of non-Western European extraction that is woven into the framework of our society? Who exactly is to say what is enough and what is 'too much'? Considering your age, let me just point out a simple fact about slavery/civil rights that you may have forgotten. The civil rights era began a scant 30+ years ago. Previous to that there was over 400 years of the systemized and legalized attempt at dehumanization of black Americans. Some people like to say 'get over it.' Well, we all are more likely to get past this when we start viewing each other as fellow human beings- not competitors for some ephemeral 'American Dream', not as 'exotics' or 'aliens' or 'Other'. There is no such thing as the 'right' to enjoy a privileged status in a society which is based on the inequitable distribution of opportunity, wealth, access, information, resources, etc. due to accident of birth. A famous man once said, where there is injustice for some, there cannot be justice for all.

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Name : A. Adams, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

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