Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 51 replies, 50 voices, and was last updated 19 years ago by
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- In my opinion, blacks in the United States are vitally interested in their history but have little or no concern for other people's histories. Whites are just like them, except that they have little or no interest in blacks' history as well. If one keeps dragging the past into the present, it will never go away; it will always be the 'present.'
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Name : Bob F., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 67, City : Tallahassee, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : retired, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,My biological parents came to the United States during the 1900s. Because of the timeframe, should I be hated? I can understand having these strong feelings because of inequalities you have felt during your lifetime, but to feel hatred for someone over something they have no control over is its own racism. Isn't our goal to stop the hatred? I guess my outlook on any past wrongdoing is this: Yes, it was wrong, yes, I am sorry people had to suffer because of the wrong. No, I cannot change the past nor make it go away. I cannot make you feel better about it. I can only try to make the present and future a better place and not repeat the past, and I can only hope others do the same.User Detail :
Name : Hope P., Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 27, City : Hoffman Estates, State : IL Country : United States, Occupation : MIS, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Mike & Craig: While I generally cringe at African American-Gay comparisons, finding great distinctions between behavior and skin color, I do find some parallels in the two groups' stark separation from the dominant culture. In both cases, the painful struggle to establish an independent identity and culture has yielded riches for all of humanity. That is, with our hands full of lemons we have made ourselves world-class purveyors of lemonade. Shall we not consider ourselves the most American of Americans, having created new cultures more through our own American efforts than through our parents' imports? Jerry: The point of history is ONLY to guide the present in shaping the future; the rest is waste. Netta: There's no need to say you're sorry. Evidence your humanity by looking closer at the pro-majority slants built into the structure by our lawmakers. Watch out for 'freedoms' that enhance the 'haves' while disadvantaging the 'have-nots' even more than they are intrinsically. For example, Why do so few cities issue speeding tickets based on computer-cameras? Because it would make racial profiling even harder to obscure, easier to audit? Why aren't banks obliged to process loan approvals by a registered algorithm? Because by keeping human judgment in gray matter, rather than codifying it in ones and zeros, they can evade accountability and call it 'a subtle human judgment that takes years of experience to develop.' Nonsense! Why are prisoners even ALLOWED to molest each other? Because it gives those in control another tool - 'terror' - by which they can manipulate the system and avoid accountability.User Detail :
Name : Bill23275, Gender : M, City : Taos, State : NM Country : United States,As a white male, I really don't care to take the time to understand what happened to black people more than 100 years ago. In fact is, I'm really sick of hearing about blacks as slaves. Maybe if we stop playing this blame game people will get along a lot better.User Detail :
Name : Ken, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 24, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class,I think we're forgetting the Native Americans. They were definitely stripped of many of the same things you mention, including their land. And as a Jewish person, I can't trace my heritage, either. And I think blacks and Jews have in common being historical scapegoats. But I do think black Americans have a different situation. Even though there are fewer Jews in the United States than blacks, technically making us a smaller minority, not everyone knows instantly that we're Jews, hence we don't face the same visual prejudice black people do. I have sympathy for an oppressed people who overcame diversity and then settled in the land of the oppressors. No wonder a lot of black people don't trust whites. How can they be blamed?I've made it a point as I became educated to study the history of ALL Americans. I took an African-American history class in college (as well as Mexican American, Asian American, Native American). I was one of the only white people in it, which was unfortunate in that I think more white people should learn African-American history. On the other hand, I rather enjoyed being in the minority, getting a taste of it myself. Of course, not being shy helped. I was probably the only one of the three or four whites who wasn't afraid to stand up and answer questions posed by the professor. I got a B in the course. A shame though, isn't it, that I had to take all those courses separately to learn more diverse history? I mean, each group has enough rich history to warrant its own course, but geez, how about at least an overview of the myriad of peoples that makes up our nation?
I want to add that there have been many holocausts throughout history, taking place in many countries and with many different victims. I pray one day there are no more.
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Name : Kate-G, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Disability : Deaf, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 40, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Children's writer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,You are supposedly a four-year college student, so I would've thought you were blessed with a little more intelligence. First, no one is denying you the opportunity to find out about your history. Whether you choose to is another story. Second, I'm sure if you did investigate your history, you would find out that you would undoubtably prefer your current situation. Stop making excuses and make a change. You are a college student and your opportunities are limitless. Don't forget that!User Detail :
Name : Rufus-M29505, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, City : Saltersville, State : TN Country : United States, Occupation : Construction Manager,I believe that white North Americans do understand how race functions in the United States. They assume they are 'normal' and mainstream, whereas the peoples of the world are special or a 'problem' to be solved without dumping their white skin privilege. In other areas of the Americas, race and class are melded in a way so that you have black and white capitalists with a unity of class interest, but the U.S. whites want to maintain white skin privilege as they do in South Africa. Have you ever asked a white person if they wanted to change skin color? They wouldn't do it, ever.User Detail :
Name : Mel P., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Religion : Agnostic, Age : 41, City : San Francisco, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Labor Union Representative, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class,I think with his very first statement, Mike is forgetting there were people here before him, and before the French and British and Portuguese and Spanish. African Americans were NOT the only race stripped of their culture, religion and heritage. Before them, it was the First Nations (Native) and Inuit people of this continent, and THAT should never be forgotten, although it unfortunately is. And yes, it happened in Australia, too. People who became 'slaves' in their own countries, who were also forced from their families, punished for practicing their own religion, speaking their own language, who are also consistently experiencing racism today. Let us not forget those people, too.User Detail :
Name : Rebekah, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Ha ha, Disability : Human in a time of inhumanity, Race : Does it really matter?, Religion : What do you care?, Age : 28, City : Melbourne, State : NA Country : Australia, Occupation : Teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I am white and have thought about the things you mention, and I recognize the sadness and injustice of it. I deal with many black people in my job (as customers, co-workers and employees), and I can only say that I try to be as nice as possible to everyone, even blacks I encounter who are openly hostile to me because I am white. I must say that I never hear white people I'm around put down blacks or make racist comments. I believe most of them would sympathize with your sentiments.User Detail :
Name : Rick29932, 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,When Tiger Woods won the British Open this year, America should have been proud. On the other hand, one of the sports commentators said Tiger travels with three armed body guards because of constant death threats. His father served this country honorably in Vietnam.This year a young black athlete was found hanging from a tree in Mississippi. These are things a white person never need concern himself with. There is nothing that a white person has done that a black person has not done just as well or better. But they cannot prove themselves. The bar is always raised or the rules changed. We are not talking about slavery. We are talking about today, the year 2000. The majority of white people's refusal to acknowledge, if not black people's equality, at least their humanity, is unfortunate. It is sickening and very sad.
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Name : Human21346, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Religion : Christian, Age : 40, City : Daytona, State : FL Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,I think you are very mistaken if you think black Americans are the only people who have been stripped of their heritage, forced into slavery and forced to adopt another lifestyle. This has happened to almost every culture at some point in history. While I agree it sucks that you can't trace your geneology past the slaveships, it is wrong to blame or hate white Americans of today. I guess what I'm really trying to say is: yeah, we understand, but there's nothing that can change the past, so let's stop hating each other and create a new heritage in this country that our children and grandchildren can be proud of.User Detail :
Name : Danny-R, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 25, City : Tallahassee, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : Forensic Scientist, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Sorry to notify you of this, but whites are more stripped of their heritage than any other race. I am an African American, and I'm constantly reminded of my heritage when I put cornrows in my little cousin's hair (hair-braiding is an African Art). Or when I started growing my dreadlocks. Or when I sit down to one of my mother's home-cooked meals. Or when I was on the step team (stepping and dancing to the beat of the drum in African as well as Native American styles). Or when I hear the soulful voices of our grandmothers and aunts in church. Or when I feel the stronger sense of 'family' that we have that whites often lack. Also, we often joke about how we are always late and never on time. Well, believe it or not, in many African countries, the concept of time is also used very loosely, and it's not because of laziness; it's just that people are more laid-back. The party starts when you get there!We are not as 'stripped' as you may think. I bet that if you take the time to pay attention, you will realize that a lot of family traditions and things that you think of as just plain old routine comes from our African roots. Pay attention and you'll see. A lot of whites don't know many things about where their ancestors came from. They might know that their great-great grandmother was from Ireland, but there are few whites that embrace their ancestory. They would rather view themselves as American. And because they usually see their own heritage to be so blah and boring, they snatch bits and pieces of other cultures and call it their own. Blacks also do this, but it is mainly because we were forced during slavery times to conform. But these days we have a choice. And all of the things that make us unique, white people want to copy or imitate. We are so unique and beautiful they want to dress like us, wear their hair like us, have the rhythm we have, the lips we have, the color we have, the hips and butts we have, and they want the men we have. But I'm not mad at them; I'm flattered and honored they want to be me.
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Name : Melodie, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 21, City : Bronx, State : NY Country : United States,I am white, actually very white (blue-eyed blonde). I don't know if I am an exception among white people (given the responses here) but I fully understand what you are talking about. Countless times I've thought about how much harder my life would have been had I been born black, because of what you say - the prejudice and the slave history. Blacks are the only group that came to America against their will. Of course there are deep scars, though hundreds of years have passed. I look forward to the day when blacks and all other groups have equal opportunities and comforts in America.User Detail :
Name : JBS31129, City : Corvallis, State : OR Country : United States,You bring up a point that's puzzled me: why blacks have no interest in geneology. Africa is huge. The racial differences between countries or regions are more significant than those between a Greek and a Norwegian. Most people have photos of their grandparents. It's very possible to isolate within 100 miles where their ancestors lived. As a student of anthropology for years, I once complimented a black woman on her Ethiopian looks. I offended her; she said I couldn't possibly know where her ancestors were from. No? Mine are from Germany/Poland. Do you think that's all washed out because it was three generations ago? I met a married woman named Warsinski; I knew instantly she was Italian by her hair and features. I am only addressing 'not knowing' where your ancestors are from, not meaning to diminish the travails of the people who traveled that route.User Detail :
Name : Lynnette H., Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Unitarian, Age : 40+, City : Wauwatosa, State : WI Country : United States, Occupation : Engineer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,First, you need to do a little more research. African Americans were not the only people who had everything taken away from them. What about the Native Americans or the Irish? Many races are still to this day having things taken from them, and like many others have said, it's not that they don't understand, it's that they just don't know. For some people in all races, they may not even want to know. And another thing: Not all African Americans have slaves in there family history.User Detail :
Name : Rose29488, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : black/white/mexican, Religion : Christian, Age : 17, City : Pasadena, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : High School Diploma,
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