Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 63 replies, 63 voices, and was last updated 19 years, 2 months ago by
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What is the connection between him calling you racist and the change for $20? what happened? but to answer your question, we live in a racist society. this may be hard for you to see. I don’t know who you know or what your experiences have been. but you are relatively young, about half my age. Go back and read about the history of this country. there is a lot of evidence that says that this country was founded and continues to foster racism. Hate is such a strong word. but have you ever looked the other way when an unjustice was done to someone of a different skin color? Did you speak up when the deserving black person was passed over for the promotion ior seat in a class and someone of another color got it? As a black man, I don’t know why you hate me, I just know that I am hated. could it be that you hate me because you perceive me to be stronger or smarter? I’m not saying that this is true but perceptions cause people to think and then to grab hold of an idea that is completely false. And then act on it, true or not. I have lived as a black man for 50 years in this country and I can tell you of many instances where I was targeted for some kind of hate solely on the color of my skin. For instance, my first job at Bethlehem Stell in Baltimore, I was told on the first day of work that I was the ‘token nigger’ and that the only reason I got the job was because of affirmative action. I was told to not ask any questions because I would not get any answers. Looking at this situation as objectivbely as you can, what would you day the reason for their hostilities were? They did not know me, I had not done anything to them. I would say their comments were based on my skin color. My nappy hair, my black features. After all, I am a black man. Try to walk a mile in the shoes of black men and women of this country. Read our history as it concerns the encounters with whites in school or on the job or elsewhere. Then tell me why you think these things happened. After you answer that question for yourself, go out and visit the world. A foreign country. And see how or if attitudes are different there. Black people will tell you that they can feel the hate on arrival here in these United States. But don’t take my word for it. Experience. Live. Be the benevolent observer and make up your own mind. In the end, I think you will agree with me.
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Name : darryl del pino, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Unitarian, Age : 50, City : randallstown, State : MD, Country : United States, Occupation : consultant, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,This may sound strange coming from an older white male, but yes racism is still prevalent. I can’t speak from the perspective of one being discriminated against, but I can speak from the perspective of one who has witnessed others be discriminatory. Perhaps you’ve heard about the case where the Denny’s restaurant change was sued by a class of black patrons who experienced racism there? Or, more recently the case with Cracker Barrel restaurants? It happens so often in so many different situations people can begin to expect that treatment, even when it is not taking place. My advice would be to be as positive and pleasant in such a situation. Attempt to reassure the patron you would never do such a thing. Smile. If the situation escalates get your manager/supervisor to step in.
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Name : Lance, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Presbyterian, Age : 52, City : Seattle, State : WA, Country : United States, Occupation : Software Engineer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Yes, it is still out there- and those beliefs are not just held by KKK members. It is much more subtle than in the 1960s, but minorities are still denied housing, employment, pay more for cars, etc. We watched a video in one of my classes that followed a black man and a white man doing exactly the same activities. It was shocking to see how differently they were treated! Check out the video ‘True Colors’ if you can get your hands on it – it’s kind of old, but all of that horrible stuff is still out there.
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Name : Anne23876, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 21, City : Cedar Falls, State : IA, Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Racism is still prevalent. However, the situation you described does not seem racist at all. I am a black male, who has experienced real discrimination, but I also realize that not all non-black people are racist. The problem is that sometimes we (black people) scream racism too often without examining ourselves first. For example, you may not have had change for $20. Why do you automatically have to be racist? I don’t know. But to answer your question, yes it is still prevelant and yes some white people do hate us becuase of the color of our skin. I know it seems silly and becuase of your age, you may not have experienced it. But history shows that black slaves were hung simply becuase they were black and attempting to gain the same freedoms and rights white people had/have in America. Hope this helps.
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Name : Joe30605, City : Jacksonville, State : FL, Country : United States,Only someone who never experienced racism in a way that was injurious to themselves would ever ask whether racism still existed. OF COURSE it exists, in every state, in every town, every corner of every neighborhood. But it’s not always the white-hood wearing cross burning freaks. It’s a whole suprasystem unto itself. It’s in the way people get picked for jobs, houses and education. It’s in who gets served first at the lunch counter, who gets the best deal on the car, who hears car doors locking when they pass by. It’s on movies and TV, in music and magazines. Stereotypes, ethnic myths, urban legends, epithets, hate crimes. And look, it’s so powerful and omnipresent that you don’t even think it exists!
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Name : Gina Pulice, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Age : 29, City : Chicago, State : IL, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I also had an af/am employee hit on me, while I was pregnant in my daughters preschool, my husband flipped out on him, and he said it was because he was black I said that. Is it right for this opportunity to exist to escape the consequences of something done wrong? Who is really making racism prevalent them or us?
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Name : Stephanie Smith, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Hawaiian/Spanish/Native American/White, Religion : Christian, Age : 21, City : Twentynine Palms, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Homemaker/Loan Rep, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Okay, the person you ran into took things a little too far from the situation you described. As for racism as a whole – well many of us (black folk) have at one point or another encountered some form of racism. I run a small business, and I had white people decide not to do business with me because I am black. I’ve also had the fun experiece of security stoping you in a mall or a store because they don’t believe that you ‘belong’ there. I’ve had the police follow me through neighborhoods for no reason. all that to say that most of us realize that not every white person hates us because of our skin, but there are some days when it feels like every white person is doing all they can to make your day miserable. hope this helps.
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Name : nino, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 26, City : raleigh, State : NC, Country : United States, Occupation : Web Design, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Okay, I have no idea about the guy in question, but I can tell you that racism is still very prevalent. Some people are not purposely racist, but show that they have racist tendencies by behaviors and mentality. I’m only 22, and I have dealt with teachers amazed at the fact that I was ‘so intelligent’. They never said that about my white or Asian counterparts, but they were stunned that I performed so well academically. I think racism is ingrained in a lot of people. I blame most of the current racism on the media…how often do you see a black person depicted in a good light? To often we are portrayed as gangsters, drug dealers…etc…and I’m not saying that all black people are saints, but alot of grew up in the so-called ‘normal’ middle-class homes. However, that’s rarely depicted. Therefore, many people automatically view us in a negative light. In the days of overt segragation it was easier for black people to fight, but today many of us are fighting a prevailing mentality of inferiority. Physical pain is much easier to take than mental. Alright…I hope this makes at least a little sense, and you realize that racism is still everywhere, just in a different form.
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Name : NF, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Seventh-Day Adventist, City : Aurora, State : CO, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,You have to understand what we blacks went through( and unfortunately still going through) in this country.I would sggest that you go to a black community center in your home town and learn about why we blacks feel the way that we do.
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Name : chris, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 35, City : houston, State : TX, Country : United States, Occupation : nursing assistant, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Lower middle class,Truth is…alot of blacks use racism/bigotry as an excuse..it appears to me that low/no class folks use bigotry thru ignorance..they don’t know better. Upper class use racism as a method to keep others out of their social class but the truth is race is transcended by social class. Rich educated blacks, asians, latins are ‘in the crowd’ as much as white people and more so than uneducated and lower class white people.
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Name : K T, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Asian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 31, City : Menlo Park, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : finance technology, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,It is sad enough that we can look back at america’s history and see pure hatred for human being simply because of the color of their skin. Unfortunately, that senario is not exclusively reserved for america’s past. For example, 60 minutes recently run a story that demonstrated the racial attitudes of corporate america toward black with ‘black names’. If we can not find decent paying jobs because we name our children Lukata, Lumumba, Omari, Imhotep, in the land of liberty and justice for all where do we go? There are hundreds of examples of how america discriminates against blacks where we have no redress. And as long as whites who did not discriminate go along with the status-quo, blacks are going to be resentful of whites general. Between racial and class discrimination in 2004, we as approach 2005, blacks are catching almost all of america’s mis-treatment. And at some point, enough will be enough. it is time for america to change her evil ways. as americans came out to vote you the moral issues, it is time to look at the moral and humane attitude of america toward blacks in america.
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Name : Asinia Lukata Chikuyu, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Muslim, Age : 51, City : Jackson, State : MS, Country : United States, Occupation : unemployed, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class,He was just crazy, using whatever tools his craziness told him were appropriate.
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Name : Mort, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Religion : Unitarian, Age : 66, City : Greenville, State : NC, Country : United States, Occupation : Musician, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Racism isn’t found so much in individual acts, but in our systems. It hides there and is hard to remove because it can’t be seen. This man has probably been denied services, and sometimes it really was because of his race. Maybe he can no longer tell when it’s racism and when it’s just circumstancial? Have you ever thought really hard about all the ways your life would change if you woke up tomorrow, still you, but black? How might you learn to feel differently about yourself? How would others begin to treat you? What kinds of things will probably never happen to you, just because you’re white? Try not to blame the man–racism is real, and he’s had to endure it, like it or not. No, that’s not your fault, but then again, it’s not his fault, either.
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Name : Deb, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Unitarian, Age : 45, City : Grand Junction, State : CO, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class,I don’t know all the facts to the case and haven’t heard his side or perceptions but based simply on what you’ve written, he sounds crazy.
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Name : Yuseff, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Muslim, Age : 31, City : Atlanta, State : GA, Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,some individuals, such as caucasians, have never suffered from racism and therefore it is impossible (without divine intervention) for one to identify all racial actions. It’s as simple as that. You don’t know what you are doing is bad until you’ve had it done to you.
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Name : Leslie Doolittle, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : American Indian, Religion : Native American, Age : 32, City : Durant, State : OK, Country : United States, Occupation : political scientist, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class,
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