Much that goes on in the hearts of white Americans is a mystery to me. They do not think like me. What follows is my take on those in the broad middle in 2008. Some are better than this, but some are far worse:
Almost all white Americans are racist. The truth is it is very hard to grow up in America without becoming racist – no matter what colour your skin is. Blacks are racist too.
Whites seem to think that so long as they do not join the Ku Klux Klan and do not use certain words they are not racist. They are blind to their own racism because it does not affect them.
White people barely think about black people. It is like in those television shows where everyone is white except the judge. Most live in an all-white world, like on “Friends”.
Most do not even see themselves as white – they are just people. After all, they do not speak English with an accent, eat special foods or observe strange holidays. Everyone else does, but not them!
White people generally give each other the benefit of the doubt, but they do not extend it to blacks.
If you are black you are constantly doubted in their eyes. They think you are:
- less moral than you are,
- less hard-working than you are,
- less talented than you are,
- less trustworthy than you are,
- less honourable than you are,
- less intelligent than you are,
- less rich than you are,
- less well-read than you are.
You have to be twice as good before they can even begin to see past your blackness.
Whites might think you are better at dancing or sports, that you are even cooler than they are, but do not be fooled: at the very same time they will also think you are more violent and immoral than they are and have less education and money too.
Rather than giving you the benefit of the doubt on these points until they find out more, like they do with well-dressed white people, they will just assume.
If you are different from white people, they seem to think there must be something wrong with you – even if they cannot say what. And if you are black, they seem to think you were born with a crack in your soul.
There has been progress: the whites who look at me with hate in their eyes are mostly older ones. To some degree younger whites are better at hiding their racism, even from themselves, but it seems like the old heat is gone from them.
But things like certain rap videos do not help: they play right into the worst ideas whites have about blacks as being violent, oversexed, ill-mannered and not particularly bright.
Neither does the near invisibility of the black middle class help. Nearly half of black America is now middle-class – something you would never know from watching television.
I hope my grandchildren will not understand this post. No one should have to.
See also:
Abagond 
I think a lot of that is changing. I got to a school that is around 50% black and 50% white. I love the diversity!! North Springs!! In the end we’re all just people. By the way I love Obama.
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Thank you for this important post.
Stephanie B.
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Thanks. It was something I just had to write.
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I wonder how much of these stereotypical misconceptions are a result of the media portrayals of blacks?
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So right on. So many people act like you have to be a klan member to be racist. When I’ve called people on their actions, they go on the defensive. People have called me on my own issues. I know it’s not intentional. I don’t go on the defensive. It leads to self-reflection and I become more aware of my own biases. I’ve found that people of color have an easier time admitting to it. I completely agree that it has to do with the society we’re in. It’s partially the media as jewaira stated, but it also has to do with how you see people of other groups being treated and the respect given to their histories.
I am African. I went to middle school and high school in this country. The treatment of Native Americans and Antebellum U.S. were glossed over and I had to go out on my own and do research on my own to learn about these things. We learned a great deal about the Holocaust in U.S. History and World History but for some reason, that whole placing Japanese-Americans in internment camps bit was little more than a footnote. We can call people on their ugly past but we can’t face our own.
I live in a very diverse New England city and I’ve never been around so many racists in all my life.
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Jewaira and Gorgeous:
I kept trying to write a reply to your comments but I cannot say it in a few sentences. It will need a post of its own:
Why white Americans are racist
Thanks for your comments.
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I agree with GBW. Bigots and racists are present in communities that claim to be liberal. And, yes, white liberals have racist/classist viewpoints as do white conservatives. They tend to blame the other group for their racism while denying that they ever harbored racism in their minds and hearts. Hollywood and the whole left coast are prime examples. Every year, people of Color complain about stereotypical portrayals of us while the executives tell them to “shut up” and “I’m not racist”. These mentalities are far more damaging than the ones conservatives spew out. At least with them, what you see is what you get. With liberals, they go the whole mental gymnatics on how tolerant they are but in reality they’re not.
Steph
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LOL. White liberals are far more dangerous than the KKK these day. They have not yet had their Bull Connor moment where they are shamed in front of the world for their racism.
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Interestingly, it seems that the author has overlooked her own biases in her editorial. The word “they” when applied to a group at-large indicates prejudice and bias. In this article, it is unclear to whom she is referring when she uses the word “they”. One can assume she means “white Americans”. If this is the case, replace “they” with “white Americans”. Once you’ve done this, replace the stereotypes that the author has placed on white Americans with the stereotypes that she believes have been placed on “black” Americans with every “they statement”, then replace “they” with “black” Americans…and BOOM! You have an article about how the author is prejudiced in her own judgements.
In simply adding a sentence at the beginning of her editorial, “some are better than others, some are worse”, she believes that she has given herself an out, but in reality, she has excused her own prejudice, just as she is accusing others of doing for centuries. This article is yet another reason for the continuing problem in this country. The author believes she is helping to solve the problem. In reality, she is helping to propagate it.
Vague words like “they” and “you people” open the door for the continuing ignorance we see day-to-day. I will not argue that a problem exists. I will argue that the author of this particular editorial is part of the solution. Before you throw your stones at a particular group, be sure you do not live in a glass house.
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Thanks for your comment. I will try to make my post clearer.
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I think I see your point: racism is where we think of another race in general terms, which is just what I did here with white people. So the very thing I say whites are doing I am doing too!
But if most white Americans are racist, how else can I talk about it? I have to talk about them in general and use the word “they”.
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It’s a very difficult problem to get around, isn’t it!? Now we see why stereotypes are both dangerous and difficult to avoid. I think this is why we find that many people slip into them. To some degree, I believe it can be attributed to a measure of laziness. We don’t want to be so wordy as to say, “I’ve noticed this behavior in my own life,” or, “Boy, do I loathe it when this happens to me,” or, “I wish I saw less of this behavior from everyone”. No one wants to be treated badly, or viewed as “less-than”. It’s unfair. It makes a person angry. It makes a group angry to be viewed a particular way because one person did something that got a lot of publicity. It takes a lazy group to decide that all people who look like someone who did something will behave the same way. This idea applies to white people, black people, all people. We must all be so careful to remember that people are individuals…not colors…not groups. This is especially difficult when we aim to be efficient and succinct in our writing, but it is necessary, especially if we aim to make a difference.
Though I am mixed (Caucasian and Native American), I look “white”. It sincerely bothers me to be lumped into a group that does not extend the benefit of the doubt to another. It also bothers me when people assume I’m just “white”. I don’t feel “white”. I don’t particularly feel anything else, either. I just feel like a person, and if you and I meet face to face, I hope that you will take me on my own merit, and the merit of our one-on-one relationship, rather than any preconceived notions of “they” or “white Americans”.
I believe you will. Just the fact that you are thinking about this makes me believe in you. Your response was thoughtful, insightful, generous, introspective. You’ve displayed the wisdom of an open mind. You are the kind of person that I hope to one day meet, because I think you will change the world.
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Well, thank you. I do hope I can see you, and everyone else I meet, as an individual and not assume anything bad about you till I know otherwise. In spite of my own racism.
That said, I do think all Americans are racist. That means me. That means you if you grew up here. It is not just a few bad apples making everyone else look bad. It is not just lazy thinking on my part – or anyone’s. I wish it were that simple. It goes way beyond that.
You cannot build a country on land robbed from Native Americans and work it with black slave labour and think you are going to come out of that clean.
Think of how many lies white people had to believe in order to live with themselves after crimes like that, good Christians that they were and wanted to be. And the lies are still there, weaker but still there. And they affect not just whites but blacks too. They affect everyone. They have become too much a part of what this country is.
Martin Luther King helped to shame whites out of some of those lies, but others remain.
White racism hurts blacks, but it hurts whites too: lies eat away at your soul till you can no longer live straight and proud.
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a very good point indeed. this is also the case in the north europe and is not limited to blacks only, but all non-white people be it asians, middle easterns, africans, latins, etc.
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Wow. That is bad news. That means white racism is not simply a hold-over from the days when they kept slaves.
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Where I live here in Oregon, people are very racist but will vigorously claim they aren’t, I’m very familiar with those kind of people.
Almost forgot to tell you, but I’m white. It hurts my soul that this is what people assume most white people think like. Maybe most do, but not all; and if people say racist crap in front of me, you better believe I say something about it. One of my children is of mixed race and I grew up with a slew of cousins whose father was african american and honestly, I do not view the world in just terms of white as your post says.
My ancestors were shameful, they held slaves. Your readers have no idea what it feels like to be a white person who is terribly and deeply ashamed of their ancestors for that reason, that not all of us view the world as white folk plus everyone else.
I am very sad because despite what I have written some of you will still just assume I’m racist in some way just because I’m white and that I’m in denial about it.
All people are beautiful, all. That is what is in my heart.
I have some of my own experience with strangers sneering at me, being cruel, and being denied things, and assuming I’m lazy with low morals because of my appearance because I’ve weighed over 300 pounds for the past 7 years because I developed a tumor in my pituitary gland.
Why would I do the same to others to be as hurtful as people have been to me?
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I started the post by saying some whites are better than this, some far worse. I was aiming for the broad middle.
Many whites who are less racist have a reason in their personal history, like you do. Or Jack Kemp.
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I love it when balck people or white people depeneding on the article tells you that the other race of people think a certain way.
For instance.
This article.
If this is written by someone who is black they sure seem to know a lot about how white people think?
Thats odd there whole premise is that white people don’t know how black people think, yet they are experts on white people?
It works in reverse.
White people claiming to know how balck people think.
Know one knows how anyone thinks.
Your not mind readers.
It’s the stupedist argument in the world.
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It is understood that I cannot read minds. Most readers understand that this is not an exercise in clairvoyance. They know that I am working backwards from what white people say and do to what they seem to think. They also know that it is merely my opinion, how I make sense of it, not the gospel truth.
I cannot read your mind either, but judging from your comment you seem to be trying to tear apart the post because you do not want to have to take it seriously.
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Well, I’m a white person who took the post very seriously. I look for sincere black analysis of the ways of white folks all the time. That’s because I’ve come to understand that black people, especially, understand a lot about white people that they don’t understand about themselves.
Black people have to DEAL with white people every day, and doing so is often dangerous. That means that black people have to STUDY white people, just as their ancestors did. That means black people know a lot about common tendencies among white people.
So when black people talk about white people, white people should step the hell back, and listen.
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Right: blacks cannot afford to fool themselves about the nature of whites. Whereas whites lie to themselves to maintain their overblown self-image.
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I can’t imagine a more harmful attitude towards ending racism in this country than the one expressed in this post. You act as if white people in this country were somehow forced from on high to abandon slavery, but “all” still harbor our deep seated racial hatreds.
The facts are that many thousands of very passionate white people have for over a century in this country dedicated their lives to the idea that we are all equal human beings. Worked, fought, bled… and yes died to bring this country where it is today.
And you say “All white people are racist.”
No black person forced white Quakers to be abolitionists, white farmers to open their homes to the underground railroad, white soldiers to fight to end slavery, or white students to join freedom marches. These people sacrificed of themselves, because they believed it was right.
Yes the attitudes you talk about exist. If you honestly believe that they’re universal that I pity your cynicism.
Yes there are racist whites, unfortunately your post proves there are racist blacks.
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This may be the most racist article I have ever had the displeasure of reading.
The article offers broad, sweeping and unjustified claims with not one whit of support — “All white Americans are racist”, “They are blind to their own racism”, “They think you are less moral then you are”, and “they think you were born with a crack in your soul”.
This is hateful propaganda that does not support itself with evidence. In my opinion, the lack of evidence offered is fundamentally because of a lack of substance to the claims.
One interesting comment in the article is that “younger whites”, who do not “look at [the author] with hate in their eyes” do so not because they are not racist, but because they “are better at hiding their racism”. Such an assumption betrays the author’s racism more than the rest of the article, which is saying something.
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My aim in this post was not to end racism, to prove that whites are racist or even to spread hate. It was to state as truthfully as I could how most white Americans seem to think about blacks. Sorry, but the truth is not always pretty.
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I am racist. So is everyone who lives in America long enough. Racism comes out of every television set and every newspaper. It is everywhere. Do not fool yourself into thinking you have somehow escaped it.
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In my experience those who think they are not racist are often the worst ones.
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Abe Lincoln was one of the greatest Americans who ever lived, but he was still racist. Read enough of his writings and you will see.
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Whites who grew up since the 1960s are much better at hiding their racism than those from Jim Crow days. Read about it here:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/colour-blind-racism/
colour-blind racism
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If you don’t want to end racism, why say anything about it?
What purpose does stating your hateful “truth” serve?
While I wouldn’t go so far as an earlier respondent to say this is the *most* racist thing I’ve ever read (there are still plenty of the KKK folks out there, or militant ethnic cleansing african tribal leaders) they’re certainly right that you don’t present any shred of evidence.
I’ll also point out that you’re mincing words now by saying things like “most” when before you said “all.”
I think you really need to ask yourself “What am I accomplishing here?” Because if you’re trying to promote some greater truth, all I’m seeing are inflammatory falsehoods.
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I am not mincing words. The post was not about all whites, but the broad middle. That is the “most”. But, yes, “all” whites in America are racist. Some are worse than what I said in the post, some are better – but still racist.
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Sure, I want to end racism. As a blogger I serve that end by telling the truth as best I can. If people are not straight about what is going on, then nothing is going to change.
You want proof? Fair enough. To me it is as plain as day, but I understand how most whites cannot see it. I will present some proof that whites are racist in a future post. Probably sometime in the next few days. That way my inflammatory falsehoods, as you call them, will be at least inflammatory possibilities.
I will put the link to that post here once it is up:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2008/06/05/whites-are-still-racist/
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I am half White, half Mexican, I never knew my white father and I grew up with my mexican mother in a very diverse border town. I look white though. Every single one of my close friends is mixed when it comes to race. Am I too a racist? I think your argument is becoming obsolete. I am quite young I think (only 18), and I really honestly think so long as there are mixed people like me and those around me race is not an issue.
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I hope it is becoming obsolete, but I am not holding my breath just yet.
If you are mixed you will be less racist, but you will still be racist if you grew up in America or lived in it long enough. It is just too much a part of how America breathes and thinks.
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The whiter you are and the younger you are the more likely you are to think racism is not a big thing – because you have not been affected as much.
What I wrote in this post is something I have been telling my friends for years. Some of them did not believe me till they left school and had to go out and work. Then they saw how right I was. Then they sang a different tune.
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Not long ago, there was this Australian girl on YouTube. She said she wasn’t racist, but that it is just facts that black people haven’t invented anything, helped anyone(or themselves) and are worthless- along the lines anyway
And she denied being racist…
Needless to say, shes no longer on YT
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I have to say that I resent this account of “how white people think”, because I am a white person, and I do not think like this.
I give everyone the benefit of the doubt – white, black, asian. On the other hand I don’t automatically assume a white person is trustworthy, any more that I assume a black or asian is trustworthy. People earn my trust; it’s a process. I would not give anyone the keys to my house – black, white or asian – until they earned my trust. And I wouldn’t give anyone my ATM password – white black or asian – unless I had good reason to.
I wouldn’t invite anyone into my house – asian, black or white – that’s just dumb.
I WOULD call 911 if I saw your car broke down, but I probably wouldn’t let you in my car – white, black, or asian – unless your life was in danger, or you had kids that needed it.
I treat blacks and asians….and middle eastern people…the same as I treat whites.
You are stereotyping whites, just as you resent being stereotyped. How can you justify that?
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As I said at the beginning of the post, not all white people are like this – some are worse, some are better.
But please do not fool yourself. I do not know how many times I have heard white people say that they are not racist and then say something flat-out racist two minutes later. With a straight face. The thing is most whites are too blind to their own racism to see it.
Some of the least racist white people are those who readily admit their racism. Because they see it and know it and know that it is so much a part of their conditioning that it is hard to escape.
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If you are interested, there is a test you can take to see how racist you are. It is called the IAT. The beauty of the test is that because it is based on automatic reactions, you cannot fake it.
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hmmm… I think I kind of see what you’re saying. I can surely say my dad was racist, but I not so much. Though, I still have that small racist thought in the back of my mind every once in a while and often not as bad as what you described in your post. I don’t want to be racist and I try not to intentionally think in a racist manor. You are right. It is just how America is.
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What is this IAT test?
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The Implicit Association Test. It can tell from your reaction time how you feel about a subject like, say, asparagus or black people (or white people). The beauty of the test, according to its creators, is that even when you know how the test works, you cannot beat it at its own game.
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Started to take the IAT test but had a problem
It seemed to be slanted to make people racist…
why would they put the option to choose black featyreson the same size as BAD where you indicate bad things? It has been proven – people often will react to what they see first before what they hear or think. If they remember the african option under bad – it causes an unconcoious connection.
Try standing in front of a group of people
tell them to pinch their right thumb and pointer finger together
then tell them to put their thumb and pointer finger on their chin but point to your cheek. Almost all the people will put their fingers to their cheek. They are not dumb – they just follwed their eyes first.
And – hoping to prove people associated african features with negative thoughts and putting options that are BAD with options for black people and options that are “Good” with white people…well I just have to question the test.
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wow – typo city – thats “why would they put the option to choose black features on the same size as where you indicate bad things?
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I am not sure how good the IAT is.
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it seemed to be rigged toward racist results..at least from my perspective
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The creators say it is better than any other test for racism out there. But even assuming it is better, how can they tell that? By what independent measure?
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Please , please , please …..not another Black , Hispanic , or what ever telling me what white people think!
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I do agree with you that as long as someone lives in America, they’ll have racist attitudes. I’m into asian dudes hardcore and I just discovered this like two years ago. In the black community, we’re brainwashed into only liking our own…just like with every other ethnic community (whites included). I’ve never actually experienced racism although I’m 19, but I have seen people act wrongly to others. Its a sick thing…and I live in NY so you’d think everything would be fine but it isn’t. Racism is alive and well and its kicking everyones ass. I hope Obama really comes through…we need it…^^
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Some people do not experience racism till they get out of school and start working and living on their own. Friends of mine who doubted what I said about how racist America was only began to see what I meant once they got out of school. When you are young your parents, teachers and others try to protect you from much of what goes on. But if you are black and live in New York, you know it is out there, like you said.
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Thanks.
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I have gone to school with and worked around white people all of my life. They’ve given me more financially than any African-American person has other than my mother and father. I am an African-American woman, who happens to be intelligent by American standards. White people in the corporate world treat me well when my hair is straight and tend to shy away from me when I wear braids. I have to speak a certain way to gain their respect — no ebonics. When they are wrong about something, they dress up their wrongness with fancy words; they seem to have this creed that you cannot admit that you do not know what you are talking about. When their ignorance is exposed, they get very silent and quiet or they change the subject, because they believe they must be the best. There are benefits to being white, African-American, or any other race. Don’t get me wrong, I love all people. White people have helped me out a lot, when I’ve found some African-Americans to be not so helpful. Usually when white people do wrong, it is because they were taught to do wrong. You just have to know how to deal with them. Some African Americans want to say we are the way we are because of colonialism and slavery. The British and other caucasian nations tried to conquer all people and countries, but everyone fought back except for Africans. We were easily persuaded by false notions as in the Tutsi/Hutu crisis in Rwanda. We sold each other out in slavery — African kings selling the children of their African enemies to white people. African countries have more languages than any other countries in the world, which means we naturally don’t work together. I don’t want to live in Africa. White people stick together and look out for each other, but what’s wrong with that. African-Americans need to adopt the same characteristics. I’ve found that African-Americans that I know are looking for the easy way out — not all of them, but most. The ones who do want to attain economic independence lack the fortitude, perseverance and wherewithall to pull it off — not all of them, but most. And black people, please stop beating your children, because it does something to their brain and makes them stupid! Hell, we can’t even live together as husband and wife! I’ve thought about and decided that if I could be born any race I wanted to be, I’d be Japanese or Chinese. They are strong, smart people that instill good values into their kids at a young age. They are loyal to each other, even though they punish harshly, but it is for the common good. Most are not overly beautiful [to me] or overly unattractive, but good sound people. All of the ones that I have met are generous, love to serve, have a wonderful work ethic, and I just love ’em. So there.
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American Colors: The Spin on Skin
The United States is uniquely ignorant in its obsession with race. All societies have institutionalised prejudice in one form or another; older societies have gone through many cycles of creating and dismantling hierarchies as various coalitions wrestled with the economic and social spoils available.
The idea here is to consider the American case as an anthropological absurdity rather than a comparative assessment of its moral status vis-a-vis related prejudice.
The first thing that struck me as absurd about American popular and institutional notions on race is its conscious connectivity with skin color. In reading through anthropological texts, the orthodoxy suggests that genetic differentiation intra-species was superficial (in terms of nose bridge structure/hair texture/skin color) and that the quasi-science of race nevertheless was defined in some non-superficial matrix : Austric, Caucasian, Mongoloid, etc., based on climatic and other adaptive contexts.
In the US, the census and many employment documents show a pervasive sense of politically/socially defined race categories exclusively and ignorantly based on skin color! So racial categories are white/black/yellow, etc. The sense of self/other is eurocentrically derived…so, the polite phraseology for blacks is african-american, whereas for whites, it is not european-american. So people from the Indian subcontinent who may be Caucasian or Mongoloid are called Asians (race category!). Thankfully I have not seen a category of “brown/yellow” in census documents; perhaps a young society cannot think in a less simplistic dimension than black/white in formulating prejudice hierarchies.
There is a definition of freedom and equality that seems inconsistent with the above, but is savagely upheld as being true despite the commonality of superficial race discourse across American society. A typical American is quite content to comment negatively on European or Asian (old society) class and caste hierarchies as laughably sophisticated prejudice in opposition to his/her own sense of freedom/equality in American society. The next moment, that same naive citizen will speak in the most ignorant manner about race categories in terms of skin color. This is ingrained at all levels in language, media, government, and in personal lives. A society founded on the massacre of native populations, and the systematic enslavement of other human beings must naturally be racist, but what is amazing about American racism is its focus on skin color as a defining characteristic of race, in defiance of all scientific and anthropological evidence.
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i do agree with everything you say although i dont feel like black and whites are the only ones…
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Go no further than “But things like certain rap videos do not help: they play right into the worst ideas whites have about blacks as being violent, oversexed, ill-mannered and not particularly bright.”
Except, please leave out ‘certain.’ There are no ‘good’ rap songs or videos. White people are sick of the thugs in rap and hip-hop. Sick of the Kayne Wests, the fitty cents, the Ludacises, and all the other pigs that pollute society. Stop whining about racism. It’s your own fault for the way you’re perceived. Last week it was morbidly humorous to white America to read about another dead rapper, Dollah. A quick search of the songs he wrote and was affiliated with generated no suprise or grief to his death. This crap is shoved in our faces daily. If YOU don’t like it, YOU need to change it and stop stirring up the whitey/cracker/racist drivel a la Jeremiah Wright. The blogs from black America on the web are pitiful. “Oh poor us, wahhhh, 400 years of oppression, blah blah wahhhhhhhhh. . .” Talk about get over it, last I checked, it’s a fact there’s blacks in every leadership position in the private, public and governmental sectors. But you bloggers and friends want a free ride instead of earning things like equal respect. It’s easier to use the word ‘hater’ on a daily basis and cry to each other on the Internet and in the ALL BLACK churches. You devote thousands of hours co-miserating with each other about whitey, and Friends episodes, etc. It’s really sad. A side note-During the last election race, Charles (“That’s why I hate white people”-ESPN)Barkley, a previously staunch Republican, supported Obama. And whitey is racist??? It’s an outrage that Obama was elected purely on racism by people hypnotized by contributing to history instead of voting on a candidate who had a shred of substance and experience, instead of professional teleprompter reading and a smug, bitter wife. Gotta love reading how, as MSN put it, ‘she was grooving to Fergie shaking her derriere’ with her young daughter one night recently at 11:00 pm at the WHITE House. Yeah, *snaps* you go First Girl Sista. How’s you momma likin da free ride wit you and Barry on Penn Ave?????
Once more, you wonder why white America has a poor perception of blacks, when the half-white Prez’s momma-in-law is living on the taxpayer’s dime a heartbeat after he’s elected? Pathetic.
But, I’d vote for a credibleblack man like Michael Steele, Alan Keyes, Lynn Swann.
If you don’t like the way white folks think, then change. Oh, one more thing-If you are black you are constantly doubted in their eyes. They (ALSO)think you are:
Probably and statistically likely to have been raised by an extended family member or members, instead of one stable mother and one stable father, accent on the abandoning father. Like Obama’s muslim adultering father. Truth hurts.
I know you all can’t help it, but at least try.
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Wow, you just proved my point. Most black people I know are nothing like what you see in rap videos.
In the entertainment industry white dollars rule. So whites gets just the image of blacks that they want.
Whites are the main ones who buy hip hop music. Whites have been consuming “black” entertainment that makes blacks look bad since at least the early 1800s. It is as American as apple pie. And there are always blacks who will happily fill their pockets supplying what whites want.
Also note: McCain also got more than his share of racist votes.
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I am a white male. You do not know me, I do not know you. So please, do not make judgments about someone you have never met by giving them a label, and I extend to you the same respect.
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Your analysis in this post is head on. Like expected, some commenters won’t like it but like you said sometimes the truth isn’t pretty. I’m only 28, I have a Master’s degree and have travelled outside of the US, but I still have a nagging feelng at the back of my head that I have to be “twice as good” for others to see past my blackness. When I tell people that I want to travel to places like Thailand and Iceland, I can see the surprise in their eyes( I get this from both whites and blacks)
It’s sad, but this has been my experience. When I lived in NYC and worked as an editorial assistant, an older woman in the building asked if I were the maid. She didn’t see that I was college educated, working on my Master’s, but all she saw was my skin. A white male friend said that maybe she thought that because I was young while another white female friend said it was definitely because I was black–and really how blind is my friend? Would she had asked this if I were white? Truthfully I think it was a mixture of both.
When I was in grad school (I majored in Creative Writing), I got the sense from some of my classmates that they wanted me to write about “black topics” because I’m black. I know for example, one of the stories from my story collection deals with a married couple and infidelity. The wife is black and the husband’s white. Someone from my writer’s group, who was black, wanted to know how this couple had to deal with being an interracial couple in society. I responded that the whole point of the story is the husband’s infidelity and focusing on the “interracial aspect” would deter from the point I’m making. That is when I realized that in the 21st century, we’re still obsessed. I hate to say it, but I get a little annoyed when I see separate “African-American” literature interest sections in the book stores. Why can’t it be included with the rest of the fiction books?
As I’m now completing my novel, I’m considering using a pen name so no one can guess my ethnicity or gender and draw assumptions. One of my friends who is Indian said that her editor suggested that she write about “Arranged Marriages” when she really wanted to write about finding love in 21st century America.
I know that if the writing is good it shouldn’t matter, but truthfully if one’s name bears a certain ethnic ring to it–be it Jewish, Spanish, African, Asian, people will have preconceived notions.
What I like about this blog is that it deals with the issue of race in a thought provoking, analytic way. Something that is really hard to find these days on the Internet. As you know you will have critics, but keep up the good work. Continue speaking the truth.
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you said:
I get a little annoyed when I see separate “African-American” literature interest sections in the book stores. Why can’t it be included with the rest of the fiction books?
I hate that too!
Thanks for the encouragement.
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Avery:
I am a white male. You do not know me, I do not know you. So please, do not make judgments about someone you have never met by giving them a label, and I extend to you the same respect.
White people want to be seen as individuals, the way they see themselves, but too often they do not see blacks that way.
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abagond, how many white people have you actualy know and love to get into thier hearts and souls like you think you do. you are influenced by negative people who hate for no reason and you are trying to figure out a math equation that there is no answer for. there is a collective of european ancestry in america that can never be totally figured out and if you took the family tree of every one of them you would eventualy find some of your own ancestors both black and white. stop labeling people based on thier skin color because it is wrong …most white people have already figured that out, now its your turn.
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You are wrong. Not every white american is racist. I’ve never seen people for the color of their skin, NEVER. I guess it might be the way I was raised or my religious beliefs but I’m white and I’ve always ignored stereotypes. My husband is black and cherokee, my neices and nephews are mixed with black/cherokee and white, one of my sister-in-laws is asian, and we’ll all like best friends, there has never been any tension between myself and another race. I think that is blogs with posts like these that are keeping racism alive because YOU are telling black americans that they should be weary of all white people because deep down they are all racist, you are not allowing society to move on from the mistakes that were made so loong ago. I do agree with one thing though, my children and grandchildren will not be able to read this and understand, they will not be black or white, they will be people, people who are color blind when it comes to other human beings.
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Racism is a form of hatred (duh). God created us and we are to think on Him. To constantly dwell upon hate leads to more hate. American slavery was born out of hate. Stereotypes are born out of hate. The only way to combat hate is to LOVE. It’s not popular. It’s not easy. But it’s the only way.
Christian first. White Second.
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Colorblindness…love…kumbaya…rainbow coalition????
I’m sure the black and latino kids were feeling the love and being color blind when they were kicked out of the swimming pool.
We don’t need to be color blind…that’s IMPOSSIBLE.
What we should do is acknowledge differences in people without placing a VALUE or inferiority/superiority complex. That’s the solution and it takes work.
Hoping folks would wake up and love will get us nowhere because the world doesn’t and has NEVER worked that way.
People want things to get better, you have to work at it EVERY day, instead talking about “colorblindness” and kumbaya… let’s fight social, economic, and political INJUSTICE where you see it because that’s what is ultimately the most important to people especially to the historically downtrodden and most vulnerable of our society.
But some folks are too busy covering their eyes paying lip service.. singing kumbaya.
Oh well…the march continues…
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bullshit. the younger generation is still racist just better at hiding it? how the fuck do you know if their hiding it or not? when blacks accuse the majority of white people as being racist that is the pinnacle of racism. playing the race-card, the blame-game.. so old. it worked in the 90’s but whites see through it now. black people have admitted this to me before. seems like the only way some blacks will forget about racism is if they get richer or more powerful than whites. but they can’t because its “selling-out.” another excuse.
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abagond, i pretty much agree with all that you said. good post!!! very true!!!
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id like to add, closet racists scare me more than loud and proud.
the closet ones can put into danger…at least with the loud and proud ones, you know what to expect.
im curious if you ever did a blog on white people that like to say “im not racist” and then say some of the most racist things. or how about when they say “i have black friends” as if it makes it okay to say something hateful.
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White people should be ashamed of what they did to blacks. Then it kills me to see how they try to copy us all the time. Pathetic
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“But things like certain rap videos do not help: they play right into the worst ideas whites have about blacks as being violent, oversexed, ill-mannered and not particularly bright.”
Ugh. Those horrible rap videos. I hate when I’m in a club and they start playing videos up on some gigantic TV screen or projector. I just want to hold up a sign: “Don’t leer at me. I am not like that.”
Although I must say, they’re starting to replace the BW on them with WW. Some black women have complained about this and I just say: good riddance to bad rubbish! Why on earth would BW want to be in such trash?
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I’m a little offended that it seems specifically directed at America, it’s not unique to the U.S. I’m sure certain countries are better, others are worse, it’s just specifying America makes it seem like we are worse. We may be worse in constant claims that we are not as bad or we are a cultural mixing pot and there’s no racism and all the other BS but I still feel like you ought to mention that it’s not just us.
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I never said whether other countries were worse or better. The post is about white Americans because I live in America.
In some ways America is better than most (a black president), but in other ways it is among the worst in history (genocide, race-based slavery).
Even now blacks are dehumanized to a degree that most countries reserve for military enemies. For more on that see the following post on the stages of genocide and think about where blacks are (and have been):
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2009/04/16/the-eight-stages-of-genocide/
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Very well said. Thank you for pointing out.
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I am white. I am a man. Both of which makes me a racist in your eyes. But the truth of what I believe is that racism is a sickness of humankind. We ALL tend to believe we are better than our neighbor, and even our brother. Unfortunately, I don’t see the ability to change our thoughts happening anytime in the near future. True, we are brought up with undertones of racism, whether outright or unspoken, but the desire to accept people for who they are and how they act is my choosing. Your words here tend to be more inflammatory because you choose not to offer any solution. Standing on your soapbox as you have, only seeks to incite others, rather than offer ways to change. To quote Martin Luther King Jr.: “Life’s most urgent question is: what are you doing for others? ” How do you answer this question?
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I live in England where racism isn’t the intense problem that it is in the USA… thank God. Looking at this post it makes me afraid to come to the USA for fear of automatically being seen to be a racist just because I am white.
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@Chigodo
I live in England and racism there is very much a problem but it is very subtle.
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Yep I agree with you Aiyo. But nowhere near the level of the USA.
I just don’t like the idea of landing in the USA somewhere and automatically being labelled racist because I’m white. Isn’t that racist? Treating differently based on race?
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Chigodo:
You would most likely not think it was an intense problem if you lived in America either – because you are white.
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I don’t know about that; perhaps that is right, perhaps that isn’t the case.
That point put aside, do you think it is fair that I would be branded racist because I am white?
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I disagree, Abagond.
The U.S. is up there with Brazil and South Africa in being the most racist. All three countries have a not-so-subtle race-based caste system and were founded with hateful racism.
Having a black president doesn’t alter the racism that is inherent in American society.
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“White People”? Such a generalisation. Wow! There is a lot of hatred here without much clear thought.
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Mynameismyname:
I did not mean that racism is not intense in America – I meant that Chigodo would not think it was intense if he came to America because he is white and therefore would not be directly affected by it much.
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Chigodo said:
“‘I just don’t like the idea of landing in the USA somewhere and automatically being labelled racist because I’m white. Isn’t that racist? Treating differently based on race?.”
Well, yes, you should give everyone you meet the benefit of the doubt. Even if most white people are racist that does not mean they all are or are racist to the same degree or in the same way. You have to take people one by one.
On the other hand MOST of the whites I have come across fall within the above description. Some are worse, some are better.
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Chigodo said:
““White People”? Such a generalisation. Wow! There is a lot of hatred here without much clear thought.”
To notice racism is not racist, it is not hatred, it is not unclear thought.
Meanwhile MANY whites tend to see themselves as individuals, not as white, and turn a blind eye to what whites as a whole do to those who are not white. It avoids general statements about race but in so doing it is turning a blind eye to racism.
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I think a big barrier to whites understanding the nature of white privilege is that racism has traditionally been defined as a form of hatred. Racism often includes hatred, but not necessarily. In fact I’d go so far as to say that most whites that are racist don’t even hate blacks per se. When no slappz says that most blacks get their doctorates in black studies and sociology, I don’t think he’s coming from a position of hate. It’s a position of ignorance. When a white employer pays a black less for the same job, I doubt it’s even done on a conscious level. There’s just an almost built-in lower expectation of blacks, a lower value put on them in general. That white employer who passes over a black for a raise or promotion in most cases probably doesn’t even hate that black employee or blacks in general.
Racism is so strongly associated with the word hate that whites feel that as long as they don’t hate anyone, they cannot be racist. Racism and hate don’t need to go hand in hand and more often than not, they don’t. Racism should be seen rather as an unspoken system of privilege where worth and reward correlates to race.
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I agree: for most whites it is not a matter of hatred. The sort of whites I am talking about in the post do not HATE black people. They just doubt them and look down on them, like No Slappz does, though very few are as conscious about it as he is.
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tulio says,
Racism and hate don’t need to go hand in hand and more often than not, they don’t. Racism should be seen rather as an unspoken system of privilege where worth and reward correlates to race.
laromana says,
Excellent definition of racism.
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To be honest, I don’t think white people think about black and other non-white people that much.
And when they do, many of them theoretically don’t have anything against black people. In theory.
In reality, however, it doesn’t work that way. It seems it’s always easier to see someone as an individual if he or she is white. It’s much easier to give him a benefit of the doubt. It’s much easier to see someone as a stereotype if they’re not white. It’s much easier to forget about this person’s achievements, much easier to interpret anything bad to the fact the person in question is black.
If one black family moves next door, white people like it, because it means diversity.
If 10 black families move, it makes white people uncomfortable.
If there are 10 people in the room, and only one is black, white people see it as a positive thing and diversity.
If there are 10 people in the room, and only one is white, said white person will feel really, really uncomfortable.
If a black person wants to be their casual friend, white people like it, because it’s diversity.
If a black person wants to marry their child, white people feel uncomfortable.
On the other hand, white people want to be liked by black people, simply because it proves they are not racists.
(None of this is my experience, but various Internet experiences with people of all races speak volumes).
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I don’t think most white people even know what black genitals look. Hence all the disrespectful questions.
True, white people see dark skin as dirty, because white people’s skin is brown or dark only when it’s dirty. But for some reason they don’t think their hair, if brown, is dirty.
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I think it’s more fear of getting dirty. Like I said, white person’s skin is brown only when it’s dirty. So I guess they don’t want dirty hands touching them.
On the other hand, “dirty” can mean many things. There’s this “sexually dirty” stereotype about black people.
Even those who date black people sometimes seem like doing it because they want to be “wild” and “getting dirty”, not because they fall in love with a person who happens to be black. Not all people, of course. But those who don’t date people but their race are not doing it for honest reasons.
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okay,
I’m white, 17 years old, and I’m very intelligent for my age, born and raised in Vallejo, California, which is a very diverse bay area town. and i have NEVER had any such idea that simply because somebody has dark skin that means that the person is dirty, that is outrageous and ignorant to say the least, and i am quite insulted by all of this material on this page. And to this Abagond person who wrote the article, who also said, “Meanwhile MANY whites tend to see themselves as individuals” I would think that everybody sees themselves as individuals, as everyone should. anyway YOU ALL PLACE BLAME ON RACE AND CREED, whereas it is all about the INDIVIDUAL PERSON, YOU CANT BLAME AN ENTIRE ETHNIC DEMOGRAPHIC FOR ANYTHING (Thats what the Nazis did). you are behaving as if HERESAY IS CONCRETE FACT, by saying things like, ” i heard some whites say this before ” and using it as ammunition in your argument. really ignorance like this is why such prejudice is flourishing in America, because all the extremists and hatebreeders have to preach their half-emulsed slander to the world.
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But your sort of thinking makes it impossible to talk about racism because:
a) It will insult white people and
b) It is racist to talk about the racist behaviour of white people.
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I don’t think Abagond (or anyone here with the possible exception of a handful of loons) is blaming “a whole demographic”, Wesley.
DESCRIBING a social situation is different than placing individual blame.
Racism is social, first of all. To ascribe blame would be silly and counterproductive. To discuss how it works, who it benefits, how it can be dismantled, the blind pointts it creates in both black and white people – that seems to be much more the thrust of this blog than the cry of “Bad honkey! No Wonderbread!”
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I did not write this post for white people. My aim was not to blame them or even to make them look bad. It was more like field notes, my own observations and how I make sense of them.
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Found this blog, about 6 hours ago. I have to tell myself to stop because its nearly morning now!
Great job, abagond.
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I wish this was everywhere…all of your posts. Some of my fellow blacks in Canada seem to think this has passed away. Although it is not as obvious as it is in America, it’s still here. I definitely want to see more of your work.
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Wow! there are certainly no shortage of opinions on this topic. It’s clear that racism is still abundantly available. Every side of the spectrum has valid points and yes I believe that everyone is a racist. Not only white people, but everyone, every race.
There is no reason to deny statistics of who makes more money, lives where, is more/less violent etc. there is a definate reason to talk openly and communicate with each other about our differences. It is clear that many people fear other races.
People are afraid of what they don’t know and culturally and typically races and beliefs are handed down from parents to children for many generations.
Black people don’t trust white people because generations ago white people had control and in a lot of cases abused that control which led to fear and the passing down of opinions based on that fear.
White people have a sterotypical fear of black people because they have been taught to ignore thier differences and act like racism doesn’t exist in order to be politically correct. Rarely will you hear a white person in any public place speaking out loud about a black person because of the fear of being offensive at the mere mention of black people.
It’s no secret that blacks are discriminated against in the work place more than whites are, but that doesn’t mean that there are not times in which whites are not discriminated against by whites in the work place either.
That being said on the housing front, the majority of low income public housing is made up of black americans in the town where I live and although the housing authority does not discriminate when a white person is of low income and wants to take advantage of these programs they are often met with much resistance from the community. Black people do not want white people living in their neighborhoods any more than white people want black people living in their neighboorhoods.
The bottom line is we are all equally human and if everyone would talk about their fears to each other instead of hiding and pretending they don’t exist maybe we really could put an end to racism.
It’s okay to dislike something about anyone and even to classify and generalize because black people and white people ARE different. All races have things that they should be ethnically proud of and historically appalled by. Individually a person should not be ashamed of their race or previous actions of their race, but only embrace their individuality and learn by the mistakes of the past.
Lead by example and confront your fears. Everybody in every race wants to be accepted for who they are and not live in fear.
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@THAD
You said, “Racism is social, first of all. To ascribe blame would be silly and counterproductive. To discuss how it works, who it benefits, how it can be dismantled, the blind pointts it creates in both black and white people – that seems to be much more the thrust of this blog than the cry of “Bad honkey! No Wonderbread!”
LMAO !!! (Bad Honkey! No Wonderbread!) Literally LMAO at work…..
must…. focus….. must concentrate…
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Abagond,
I see racism all day everyday by all races even black. Its certain things that we hate about ourselves by never explore why we hate. It’s because your contantly told by one avenue or another that your bad, immoral & ghetto. But whenever i go on Youtube and look anything pertaining to Black People specifically I see comments made by other races that always have something to do with Nigger or Monkey. One person viewed a video of two children talking and smiling to the camera and he wrote to me “Congratulations on your 2 monkey pets.” It bloew my mind. They seek us out just to call us names and It seems that Youtube would do a better job noticing and filtering the undeniable racism that is running rampant.
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Wow, i just found your blog today, and this is the first post i have read, it is wonderful! Two years ago, I, a white person would probably have taken offense to it, not because i have never had a racist thought, but because I have ALWAYS made it a priority not to let myself judge people on thier skin color, And because even though I am white, I have felt unfairly judged on a class basis. On one occassion when i was a teen, I answered a knock on the door of my mothers house, who owned a rooming house, it was a gentlemen that she chose not to rent to, her decision was not based on race, but on her own issues of class. He had come to double check that for sure the room had been rented, and i was forced to tell him it had (though it had not) and i think he could read the discomfort in my face, and he politely asked me, if it was because he was black that i was lying about the room (he saw my guilt written all over my face). I said no, not to think that it was racial because two rooms in the house were rented by black men, who were (and 25 yrs later, still are) like members of my family. (Hard working and hard drinking) He clearly did not believe me, about either his race not being the issue, or that half the rooms in the house were occupied by black men, but he was polite in his disbelief. The thing was, he was right to pick up on prejudice, there was prejudice against him, but black was not the issue, this young man was a law student and exuded brains, success and self assurance. The people my mother rented to in her house were very decidedly working class. She was afraid this young man’s studying and opera listening, moderate drinking of fine wines and whatever elitist, intellectual and otherwise intimidating things he would doubtlessly be up to, would interfere with the party atmosphere of the home. I felt bad for years that he had not believed me, angry at him for misjudging my mom’s motives, when he was so obviously intimidating in my ghetto world, because he was going somewhere, not because he was black like half the other people in our world. And I was angry at myself that i had been too embarrassed of my own family to just fess up and say, hey dont sweat it you are just too good for us. The incident really affected me cause I always wondered if he resented me as a racist. I brought that up to say, that REALLY some of us are not looking at your skin. And that some of us see you as MORE accomplished, MORE successful, as more whatever you feel that you must prove you are.
And a couple years ago, i would have thought that MOST of us white people weren’t looking at your skin to judge you. Today… not so much.
I am livid at the overt racebaiting going on in US politics and television, it is bringing racism I never saw before to the surface. I can concede now, that maybe I never saw it because I was not looking for it. And that I guess, is a luxury of being white…But now i see it everywhere. Before, I would get angry when black friends would tell stories about racism they had been subjected to, and would condemn the incidents as wrong, but i wrote them off as freak occurences, perpetrated by racist redneck mouthbreathers, and not ‘normal’ white folks. I noticed that news coverage usually consisted of stories about black people who did not resemble any that I had ever met, but I wrote that off as journalisms disgusting if it bleeds it leads credo… I can tell you that no not ALL white people are racist, but certainly dont blame you for thinking we are. I have noticed lately that people like myself, who I equated to be the norm, are more rare than I thought. The capacity of white americans to refuse to see psuedo ‘scandals’ like what passes for news on most networks today, as naked racist propaghanda is astounding. ACORN, Rev. Wright, Van Jones, Dr. Gates, Shirley Sherrod etc.. and the ability of white america (liberal and conservative) to completely deny the existence of, or downplay racism within the media or the political parties and condemn Jealous for even mentioning it within the tea party context is shameful. The lack of white anger over the behaviour of racist whites is REALLY disturbing to me, I feel like walking around yelling at people (and i have done some yelling)
And even among the proudly non racist of us, for the Shirley Sherrod story to today be about OBAMA’s mistakes in prematurely firing her and NOT about how racist national news would have to be, to believe without questioning or even feeling like they needed to fact check. A story that an NAACP cable televised speech would be about how one black woman finally gets her revenge on crackers, and NOT about how to better peoples situation is even MORE shocking to me. It flies against all common sense. And because of that, I can only believe that it is racism that would make anyone with a pulse see the clip and not wonder what the rest of the speech said, and not REALIZE, instinctively where it was going. And that the likelihood it was ACTUALLY about refusing to help white people was almost non-existent, and that it needed verification before publishing. But that was not the case, it was disseminated rapidly and thouroughly, and when the collective embarrassment hit the media that they were dead wrong and should gave known it all along, instead of having a collective soul searching and apology, they all got to work covering thier own incompetence by deflecting blame to the Obama administration, who frankly, should have been able to trust that the entire national media infrastucture had checked out the story.
All that being said, I am hoping that a crack will surface in the racist norm and people will be able to see it for what it is, and on the bright side, blogs like yours and the ever more blatant atmosphere of television might make that happen. We can hardly go around thinking that all blacks are like (insert rapper name here) When Shirley Sherrod becomes the most visible example of blackness out there, right? Or am I naiive? Anyway, sorry for the run on sentences. and Thanks again for the blog.
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Love your support towards the way we should know how demonic spirits live!
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Abagond,
I am not black or white. I am Chinese and was not born in the United States. I believe I can offer your post with quite a unique perspective. I definitely fit into the individuals who’ve traveled from another country and lived in America for awhile. I’ve been here since I was 8 and am currently 23. I’ve probably been here longer than quite awhile. The point of the matter is, your point about the racism in whites is correct but perhaps if looked at in a new context can help you distinguish what you feel and what you understand. Feelings are created by a procedural occurance of speech and behavior in social interactions. We first process behavior cognitively through the interpretations we established from our past memories, conclusions of human behavior from meanings cataloged from our many virtual and physical interactions with people. These interactions joggle various conscious interpretations from our past either validating or invalidating our past conclusions. Those that validate it probably do not stay in our conscious for that long and only further adds validity to our conclusions. Those interactions that invalidates stay in our conscious and propel us to cognitive dissonance. And, as more frustrated we get from going through dissonance, we strive to find evidence that helps our minds decide one way or the other about one or several conclusion-rousing interactions that we’ve gone through. Abagond, what you’ve written here about white racism and their ubiquitous almost concurrent denial that they do not think racistly is actually very possible and I’ll tell you why. What we consciously conclude and what we think through behavior conveys two messages. Behaviorally, we tend to act in ways that benefits our wellbeing and stray away from behaviors that would actively endanger it, most people do anyway. A minority behaves in ways that hurt themselves, but most human beings aren’t that stupid. Behavior is rooted in emotions of fear and pleasure, serotonin and dopamine. These hormonal chemicals are much more powerful than cognitive thought. Our thoughts accompany and support hormone release. Behavior is learned powerfully through observing people we turn to for safety and comfort, as long as the MAJORITY of older whites behave one way, a stare, a look, an abrupt command which are faster than conscious thought, the next generation of their children will conclude those behaviors as justifiable and good. We are a people that behave with a pack mentality in groups of 3 or larger. I don’t believe people are automatically racist but behavior is stronger and faster than conscious thought. When I first arrived in America, I had never seen a white person or a black person face to face ever. I was as you can probably label fully “color blind”. I’ve lived in a society, mainland china where 95% of the people look like me and speak mandarin which was my first language. Imagine your black and you lived in Africa with no TV that broadcasted any of the media you receive here and never have met a white person or a person of any other color then your own in your life. In addition, you live in a society, culture and surroundings that all have the same exact color as you. In that situation, you are not cognitively aware of any other “race”, “color” or “ethnicity” as these words actually do not correlate real well in a society where no physically distinguishing features exist in literally every single person you meet, hear about, read about or watch on TV about. Because, race, color or ethnicity are ultimately attempts to describe a physical trait that is distinguishable. I am a psychologist and cognitive scientist so there are actually studies that prove our perceptual systems are really sculpted through a mixture of observing behavior and then processing concepts cognitively. All of this basically means, I never thought like you did racially because that was not in my sphere of thoughts, meaning when I lived in china, I had no thoughts that distinguished physical differences. What I am really advocating for is that racism as a behavior is actually a learned perceptual system and thought process. I actually identified a list of behavioral traits that indicate you COGNITIVELY differentiate physical differences in people through interpretations of human behavior and active expression of thoughts or behaviors. I can of course offer you this list upon request. All this basically means I am a source of unfettered judgment and can tell you whites behave racistly but so do blacks, Asians and Latinos; we just deal with it in different ways depending on where we’re from, once we’ve learned the concept of racisms. Since racism is learned behavior, we all learn it from each of our perspectives based on how the concept applies to us. So when I moved here, all the stereotypes I heard, read or visually shown on TV seemed bizarre to me, especially the ones that supposed applied to “Asians”. At the time I didn’t know that these stereotypes would translate to behaviors. Mind you, there were stereotypes that were sentiments of admiration and jealousy as well as ones said in condescending and mocking manners. What shocked me most was these judgments were made in the first place and applied to an entire race of people distinguished only by physical features. There are plenty of non-hardworking, lazy and terrible mathematicians in Asia. The fact is there are no racially specific character traits that define any way race. I’ve seen exceptionally criminal behavior from Chinese people that are commonly thought to be only committed by blacks in America and I’ve seen blacks behave in ways that few Chinese can emulate, Nelson Mandela comes to mind. The fact is, racism is simply a particular viewpoint. The people who behave according to those viewpoints is really what the world needs to be cautious about. The greatest thing about racism is that it has a role for all human beings because it literally includes every race. No matter what race you belong to, you fit into a category that racist theories classify and this only happens though if you identify with several additional concepts first. The first concept is if you identify safety and comfort with other human beings outside of your parents or caretakers. And the second is if you identify morals as indicators of receiving safety and comfort with other human beings. Remember, our physical reactions are stronger and simpler than our thoughts. We may formulate thoughts based on observations and experiences. However, our behaviors are stronger indicators of fear and pleasure. The problem is when putting a label of good or bad judgment on it we’re really making a mental distinction to support a moral. Only after associating good morals with good behavior and thus deserving of safety and comfort that we identify even ridiculous behaviors as justifiable behavior. Remember, in our minds, justifiable and good behavior are synonomous and valid for action. Behaviorally we respond to pleasure and fear very simply and very homogeneously across all races but because we get smarter and form cognitive associations, we form associations based on how others have verbally expressed them and depending on what you read, you recall certain bad or good racial interactions because again you’re making a mental distinction in your mind. Most people who are able to express themselves as you have are privileged, meaning you’ve achieved the luxury of disputing what is behaviorally expressed. Kudos to you because I think it’s important, but I do want to let you know, racism is not inherent, it is learned. There are two Chinese pop stars that are white. They were born and raised in China and actually hate coming to America because they feel less “at home” then in China. They believed all white people treated Chinese people the same as they did and when they found out that they thought differently than them and when they interacted with whites in Europe and America, they expressed a disconnect and felt more at home in China with mainland Chinese. This reflects my point that feelings are stronger and simpler then conscious thought expressed verbally. Sometimes we experience discomfort and a feeling of not being settled, it is simply because we experience fear. We do not feel “safe” and out of harm. That was the reason why these Chinese white pop stars wanted to go back to China, because their feeling of safety was greater with the moral values that were espoused since their birth. Referencing the concept of identifying good morals with good justifiable behavior, whites in America identify with prejudicial behavior as justifiable thus good behavior and reproduce it because we strive safety and comfort from those that provide that to us who in this case are white, as white parents makes white kids and that cycle repeats. Notice I used good and justifiable interchangeably because when we behave, our mind simplifies those concepts as one because our feelings are not as complex as our cognition. When you have white kids that were raised having safety and comfort from white parents and Chinese people, depending on the level of safety and comfort which we don’t know at this point they receive, they will experience a certainty and a sense of safety as white kids do in America. The only difference is the racial backdrop that surrounds they’re environment. This one and only factor determines they’re conscionable behavior at any given moment. Change someone’s environment, their behavior will subsequently follow.
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What’s interesting is that some of white people’s superiority is not expressed in words, but in body language and attitude.
Does anyone notice how some work on their time and space without any regard to anyone else. For instance, when you see that they are going to leave their parking space, but will stall for a while because they see someone else waiting for the space? Most of the time, others will see someone waiting and go ahead and pull out. But I noticed mostly whites do not. Also, when you are at the store, they will occupy the isle with a cart and they will stand in the middle. When they see someone trying to get by, instead of moving, they’ll just stay there.
Also, I’ve noticed that when people do courteous things for them, like holding the doors, ect. they don’t even say thank you. They not only do this with people of color, but even with other whites.
This seems like a very narcisistic, arrogant and superior attitude. Again not all white people, but I’ve noticed this a lot.
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I have noticed that White People must put you in catagory so they can figure out how to treat you. Also once they have made there mind up it is little that can be done to reverse their course of action Hence look at the state of Native Americans, Africans, African Americans, Hispanics, Caribbean People, and Asians. At one point in history these people were happy thriving ang prosperous. They handled there own disputes and the Village raised mentally stable happy children. Colonialism came and told them they were immoral heathens and that they needed to repent. Up until that point these people of remote places had committed no such sins and where swindled and beaten out of their Land, Wealth and Dignity. And thus far have no way of getting it back.
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Amy — >>Black people don’t trust white people because generations ago white people had control and in a lot of cases abused that control which led to fear and the passing down of opinions based on that fear. <<
Generations ago?
The last two generations of whites who grew up under apartheid (the War Generation and the Baby Boomers) are STILL RUNNING THE COUNTRY.
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tulio says,
Racism and hate don’t need to go hand in hand and more often than not, they don’t. Racism should be seen rather as an unspoken system of privilege where worth and reward correlates to race.
This is very true. Look, for instance, at Thomas Jefferson’s letters about slavery and the character of black people. Not a shred of hate visible in anything he says…but he also asserts that black people are inferior. He claimed Benjamin Banneker’s work as his own, he specifically discounted the poetry of Phyllis Wheately–in fact, he makes a specific point of discounting any black person of his era who could be pointed out as disproving his theories of black inferiority in all areas.
Mira says,
In reality, however, it doesn’t work that way. It seems it’s always easier to see someone as an individual if he or she is white. It’s much easier to give him a benefit of the doubt. It’s much easier to see someone as a stereotype if they’re not white. It’s much easier to forget about this person’s achievements, much easier to interpret anything bad to the fact the person in question is black.
Also true. In the 90s in the US Air Force, we discovered something interesting. White supervisors tended to remember work problems of their subordinate non-whites and women when it came time to write their performance reports, but tended to forget the same kinds of issues with white males.
For instance, a white male supervisor would remember that a particular woman called in sick every 28 days…but would forget that a white male subordinate came in late every Monday after payday, and got little done until after lunch.
The supervisors themselves were not evil men. This factor was discovered only because those men were honest enough to keep journals, compare their journals with their memories at the end of the year, and then honestly report the findings that surprised even themselves. They shocked themselves.
Islandgirl says,
Also, I’ve noticed that when people do courteous things for them, like holding the doors, ect. they don’t even say thank you. They not only do this with people of color, but even with other whites.
This seems like a very narcisistic, arrogant and superior attitude. Again not all white people, but I’ve noticed this a lot.
I will say that might depend on where you are. In the small midwestern town where I live, white people tend to be very polite in those kinds of overt ways, even to blacks. A white man older than I will indeed take a step back and say, “Excuse me, sir,” to me and will hold a door open to let me enter ahead of him. There is a great deal of variation in that aspect.
I had great hopes for society until this last couple of years. Now I’m pretty sure that I won’t see a post-racial American society until possibly just before I die–if I live to be 102 like my grandfather. I’m now convinced that the Boomer generation–which grew up with apartheid as the condition of normalcy–will have to die away completely before this society becomes “post-racial.”
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Islandgirl,
Interesting comment. It seems like many White people grow up with the phrase “excuse me” lacking from their vocabulary. They’ll either try to squeeze past (in an impossibly small space) or just stand there until you move. I am a stickler for good manners, so I’ve been known to give public “etiquette lessons”.
Someone told me that there’s a book (it might be by Beverly Tatum, but I’m pretty sure it’s not “Why Do All the Black Kids…”) that talks about White dominance of spaces, which leads to a disregard of others’ personal space.
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@ RDKirk
Hey RD, do you have a source for that US Air Force accounting of unfair reviews, based on race? That’s just the sort of thing that I’d like to be able to point to when talking to people who believe that ALL significant racism has ended. I’d appreciate it. Thanks.
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Jasmin,
I am also a stickler for manners! It seems that the words “excuse me” and “thank you” were not taught to some people. You’re not the only ones who gives etiquette lessons. Once I was at the mall and noticed a black boy (about 8 years old) with his mother holding the door open for a white woman. She walked out without saying thank you or even acknowledging him. The mother went off on her and told her that she is trying to teach her son some manners, but thinks it’s extremely rude and sad that an adult doesn’t recepricate good manners.
Maybe it’s a sense of entitlement?
I’ve never thought that this could just be a culturally thing regarding personal space, but maybe you’re right! I think I will look that book up. Seems very interesting.
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An incident happened to me today in Marshall’s. I was standing at the the opening of one of the store’s tiny cookware isles waiting patiently while a middle-aged white woman with a shopping cart made her way up the isle, looking at items on the shelves. As she pushed her cart forward about to exit into corridor, she looked directly in my face and abruptly stopped where she was, pretending to look at the items on the shelves near where she was standing. I, tired of the idiocy, asked if I could get by, and her response was that she hadn’t noticed me waiting there. Yeah, right! This person was standing two feet away from me and looked dead in my eyes — there’s no way she couldn’t see me.
What they don’t seem to realize (or care about) is that, while they’re intentionally delaying you, they’re also frittering away their own time. I guess in their own one-dimensional minds, it’s well worth it.
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islandgirl and Jasmin,
Yes, the sense of personal space (or any space for that matter) is cultural. What is considered “too close” in one culture is perfectly ok in another.
I had no idea though, that is different for black and white Americans, and, if nothing else, I’d think that blacks would allow people to go nearer than the whites.
But to be honest, I am not sure if what you’re talking about is about cultural differences of personal space. It’s often about whites not treating blacks as important. In a way, it’s similar to different experiences a hot young woman gets and a middle-aged, unattractive one. Everybody, both male and female notice the first one, but they barely notice the other.
PS-The sense of time is also cultural, btw.
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Abagond, I agree with a lot of what you’ve said (in this post and many others) but I do not agree that people of color can be racist. My definition of racism is power + prejudice. People of color to not have the power to exert their prejudices over others the way White people are able to. Because so many of our systems are institutionally racist, there is no way for any person of color, no matter how popular or violent they may be, to have the power a White person has to carry out practices that enforce their prejudices. For example, I do not agree with Mr. Li, despite his background as a psychologist and science. Prejudice is a learned behavior; racism is not. All of us have prejudices – we are raised with them, we are intrinsically taught to adopt certain biases through family, friends, media and society. But prejudice is not the same as racism and the semantics of this sensitive discussion should not be confused.
If anyone is looking for a good way to articulate these terms, “Dismantling Racism” by Joseph Barndt is a great start.
Thanks for sharing your writing and thoughts, Abagond.
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Lizisms, Excellent comment .
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My definition of racism is power + prejudice. People of color to not have the power to exert their prejudices over others the way White people are able to.
Nice stock answer, Liz, straight from the 1980s Afro-American studies schoolbook.
But riddle me this: what is power?
You seem to have a very narrow view of power, one which has been thoroughly critiqued since then 1980s bythinkers such as Foucault. In the first place, you seem to think of it as an object which people HAVE. In the second place, you seem to ignore the vast majority of power which occurs on a daily, grass-roots level.
Certainly, black people as a group excercize little power over whites as a group. But they DO often excercize power over other blacks and peoples of color and that power is very pften based on prejudice. What you Americans coyly call “colorism”, for example, is simple racism and is certainly in most instances a case of “prejudice plus power”. When black Americans look down on black Brazilians or Africans as “backwards” and “lazy”, this is another excercize in prejudice plus power. When black Americans turn in illegal immigrants, it DEFINITELY is an excercize in prejudice plus power.
So even if we were to take your formulation at its dogmatic root, it is quite simply wrong: blacks do excercize power in a prejudiced way.
You are correct in separating off prejudice from racism, but it seems to me that the key to this dividion is that prejudice is a psychological artefact while racism is a socio-political artefact.
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Going down and reading everyone’s or atleast most of the responses it seems to me that most of our society is ignorant to the core understanding of this situation. If you’re familiar with Birth of a Nation and Birth of a Race you probably understand my point of view. I’m glad to know that our societyy is becoming MORE aware of the racism that is going on through out the country, but sadly it’s just a small percentage, and it is not just with one race but it’s with in every race out there. I am not white nor black, i do not intend to know what it feels to be either or but I am Mexican, and I am looked down upon 1. because I am a women and 2 because I am part of a minority. Saddly racism beging from one self and blowing it up so that those who are around us end up feeling and thinking the same. Stereotypes of the black community is what bugs me the most. I grew up in a ghetto neighborhood where it was latinos and blacks, and we all grew up with respect for one another, not because of the gangs nor because of our root but because we are humans. Birth of a race is a beautiful response to Birth of a Nation because it takes us back to our religious beliefs, although they’re many people who are not christians somewhere in their bible says the same concepts. We all came from God, your god, my god… but it was god who created everything… Someone asked for a solution to this problem, well the solution is education. I believe that if you educate yourself eventually this problem will died down, and im not simply talking about book education, im talking about life eduacation. How many people does one talk to a day? It is endless. Instead of trying to rip this post apart, take it for what it is, an opinion of information gathered. Instead of trying to argue that not all “white” people are like they say they are lets try to make it known. It is our fault as part of society, to let the media exploid humman race they way they do. I could name endless examples but what for, we should be able to read this and absore it and better ourselves.
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All people are different, you are ignorant.
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* less moral than you are, I don’t think that.
* less hard-working than you are, I don’t think that.
* less talented than you are, I don’t think that.
* less trustworthy than you are, I don’t think that.
* less honourable than you are, I don’t think that.
* less intelligent than you are, I don’t think that.
* less rich than you are, I don’t think that.
* less well-read than you are. I don’t think that.
I’m white and you’re wrong.
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I’m white and you’re wrong.
Therein lies the problem!
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LMAO @ Herneith
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and by the way if you are holding a grudge of what happened OVER ALMOST 150 YEARS AGO to people that you don’t even know who had the skin color of black doesn’t mean WE NOWADAY WHITE PEOPLE DID ANYTHING you are just “and when i say you i mean everybody” all a mixed up socioty of loosers who can’t forgive and forget thats why god putus all on this earth was to be good and kind to one another not by the color of our skin but who we are in the inside.
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that’s a no-no anonomus.
read this.
http://www.derailingfordummies.com/
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@DMH
It’s not about you specifically. Seriously try to hold on to that thought when you read posts about “white people.” Just because you don’t do something yourself doesn’t mean it isn’t a white tendency.
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If those are really your opinions, I feel sorry for you.
There are industrious and lazy people in every race and ethnicity. There are honest people and criminals in every race and ethnicity.
Sure some people are racist, but anytime you say all people are a certain way, you are just being racist yourself.
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Those of you who think that racism does not exist are the reason why it does. The truth is that all white people have been exposed to the racist views of their ancestors (the slave owners). Therefore I find it puzzling as to how some people can argue against the fact that most white people are racist. And they are racist to some degree whether they think they are or not. If they have grownup as a white person they do hold some racist views.
It is not the people who understand and accept that there is still racism in society that are the problem. It is those who deny it that are! They have been brainwashed into thinking that they are not racist and that their attitudes are perfectly acceptable. These are the people that do not want to change. They have not been on the receiving end of their prejudice; it does not affect them so why should they care. In order to live at peace with their beliefs they have either convince themselves that they are not racist in any way, or justify them by clinging on to any negative experiences that have had involving black people. Things will never change as long as white people continue to deny their racist attitudes.
I am black woman and yes I can admittedly say that I am racist to some degree, I acknowledge this and do my best to change. However, having to deal with ignorant white people on a daily basis does not make it any easier.
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Nice Comment Rochelle.
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I’m a black female the color of chocolate. I’m educated and will agree with this article and say racism is alive. Especially in the work place. Some of the comments posted by white people here are not based in reality.
The article states,”White people generally give each other the benefit of the doubt, but they do not extend it to blacks.”
This is not a racist article its simply about how whites think. I got a little emotional when I read this because I understood entirely where the writer was coming from. I feel as if I have to watch what I say most of the time when I’m around white people. I cant be my true authentic self when I’m around white people because it may scare them.
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I don’t disagree with it but I think it’s really naive and small-minded to that ONLY whites act this way. I’m gothic, an atheist, and of east african descent. I get judged looked down upon from being different. Some of the most ignorant judgement homophobe anti-thinking xenophobic bs things I’ve heard came straight from black and white people’s mouths. What creeping it that they basically said the same thing in different wording.
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Racism – To judge someone or a group of people based on the color of there skin.
This thread is RACIST. Clear and Simple.
We all bleed red and breath the same air.
Maybe we can stop celebrating what makes us different and celebrate what brings us together.
I will not look at you at a black woman, but as a woman. A human being. So please, If you are going to judge some one. Do it by the way they act or hold themselves in public. Not by color.
I am white, a medic, a human. Would you think I would ever treat any patient different because of the color of their skin?
No.
I learned to love my fellow man but only hate those who do bad, not who was born different.
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Human:
You say you are not racist and yet you want me to turn a blind eye to white racism. How odd.
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@ abagond,
I just don’t understand how WP can overlook the “coincidence” that we are the only ones who ever say stuff like human just did. I mean shouldn’t that tell you something?
Only white people say that sh*t! Take the hint already.
@ Human
If everyone is human to you why can’t you take the word of POC that racism exists? Could it be because you don’t trust them? But why? They’re your fellow human beings and we’re all the same right? Why don’t you celebrate our togetherness by actually listening to someone who isn’t white?
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@ Human:
Just curious: Where did you learn to talk like that? Is there like a course you can take or a book you can read? Or is it something your parents or teachers taught you?
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I call it the missionary mentality.
It’s not some wisdom that he came up with, after years of experiences. I would say this pseudo-philosophy was a necessary condition that he had to develop in order to barely do his job.
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Abagond.
I grew up around many races. I have friends of all color. My best friend is black, my fiance is hispanic. My co workers at the fire house are of many different ethnics. I am not blind to the world around me. Racism is very real. I understand your frustration. I been treated different as well and called many names and looked down upon. I grew up in a hispanic community and judged for the color of my skin, not because of my actions. I also understand that every race has both been subject to racism and feeling of superiority. I wish many could think the way I do. Imagine a world without racism, without hate. I am not trying to shun you in anyway. Speak your mind, never let anyone stop you from doing so. Just know that I was a bit offended by your post. I do not feel I am superior to anyone in anyway. I just want to live life and be happy and help my fellow man. My brothers and sister. My fellow Americans. My point… Maybe take a second chance and look at the world around you. Yes there is racist hate mongers out there, but there are plenty of loving caring people as well. Like I said before in my earlier post. We are all human beings, people. We breath the same air and bleed red. I am not trying to make any personal attacks towards you or anyone else. Just speaking my mind. I hope you have a fantastic Christmas and New Years.
JGreyden
That is a low blow. I do my job very well and love it. I am currently over seas assisting our military with medical support. The last thing that is on my mind would be this thread. I stumbled upon it while I was doing a search for a computer game called “white and black” and just amazed how people have been subjected to racism. I am not trying to correct nor tell you that the subject at hand is wrong. I now have a label on my head because of the color of my skin but not because of my actions. I understand you only have a one track mind but you know the harsh cold reality. This is a 2 way street. Don’t you think others of different races feel the same way you do? So instead of sitting on a computer all day and crying “poor me” how about you let your voice be heard. I praise Dr Martin Luther King. The man followed his dream and spoke his mind. So while I am at work today “barely” doing my job as a Lead Medic, supervisor of 3 camps and half a country. Maybe you can re read my comments I have posted. I am not, in no way attempting to change any ones mind. I am not trying to shun anyone. I am not trying to say who is better or point fingers.
I just want everyone to live at peace with there fellow man.
The real reality, It will never happen…
So, I leave on that note and will remove myself from the mailing list. I shall shun myself for I know attempting to speak peace to anyone is a “troll” fight waiting to start. Happy Holidays everyone and Happy New Year.
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I agree with Human. I have noticed that people in general don’t like to hear about the bad in one’s group and will justify their group’s actions. Abagond, I can tell you that I have had many Blacks like down on me for being gothic or not being a Christian or for having any “blackness”. How is it any different than when whites or other look down on me? At the end of the day, it’s still degrading. Human beings are petty and ones with low self image will try to find ANYTHING that’s different from yourself to feel special. I believe if this country was segregated, there would still prejudge.
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@Human
Oh, Forgive me, Human for i have sinned. Why don’t I follow MLK lead, you say ? Hmmm…
Seriously, my intent was not to diss the quality of your work. I should have used “just” instead of “barely”. But the fact that you work with the military where that kind of generic mindset is encouraged only confirms my suspicions .
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JGreyden,
That’s right. I am also paid $230,000 A year to do so. Imagine that?! lol
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My edGod that is so sad. Why does everyone have to be white or act like a white person. Surely people can be liked, accepted and respected for being themselves. Whatever your background attempt to be a good person and stop thinking in colours.
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I take it that this site is just a joke.
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It’s not often that you can find a post like this one, that hits you right in the gut. The problem is that we as blacks should not care what whites think of us and we should strive to return the perception that they have of us, right back at them. “I’m not talking about leaving the country or anything like that” but we should demand strong communities, families and relationships from our own people. Why has this been unsucessful in the past? Simply put! “Uncle tom’s”. We’ve been our own worst enemy since slavery ended. Now that we can afford a middle class life style most blacks i know think that we’ve made it! They no longer support any African American movements, political parties or association so long as they are prospering as a individual. This is not a rant i am merely asking the Black readers here to open there eyes to what most white Americans already have there eyes open to. Please do not relate this to friends or family members who are white but to total strangers! And witness, witness the “soft core racism” that many whites American will portray towards you.
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3997 said:
“Now that we can afford a middle class life style most blacks i know think that we’ve made it! They no longer support any African American movements, political parties or association so long as they are prospering as a individual. “
I agree with that.
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To Those People Who Have Written Comments or Will Write Comments,
Please do not use your derriere to think with. I have read all the writings and it is nothing, but a bunch of moaning and groaning of imbeciles trying to be scurrilous towards others. For the intellectual or analytical, there is only one human race. There are other ethnicities. Also people see the façade of superficial people in their behavior. A person is known for his or her character with good intent. So if you want to act as a dilettante in life, you will have a spiraling life. Dilute bad thoughts and take it from there. Also, saying “white people” is not correct, “caucasian” is correct. The whole human race is albino under the pigment of the melatonin in the skin. I hope I have enlightened some people.
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Interesting topic but it misses the point, it points out the racist inner thoughts of white people and fails to distinguish how black people are any different. It appears to be rousing case of a distinction with out a difference.
Everything said here is equally true when you reverse black for white and white for black.
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I can give you some personal factual reasons why white people in my family are racist. My aunt was raped at gunpoint by two black men while in college. When I was in high school our house was burglarized by some black kids who lived up the road, while doing so they threw our cat out the second story window for kicks. They got a year probation. Several years ago, I worked in a retail store with a 8 month pregnant black lady. One day she punched me in the face behind the counter, supposedly as she would claim in court for no other reason than she was hormonal. She was found guilty in court because it was all on tape but the black owner of the store would not fire her beacuse she already had 4 kids whose various fathers were in jail. I was expected to work along side her after being assaulted without provocation. When the majority of traumatic events in one’s life involve people of a certain race, it tends to skew one’s thinking. I can totally understand why a black person who was treated unfairly at work or harassed by white police would distrust or even dislike white people in general before he got to know them. Why can’t a white person feel the same way?
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@ alicia
I’m genuinely sorry to hear of your ordeals. Nobody deserves to be victimized.
Here’s the takeaway. I actually have been harassed by White police officers, especially as a teenager. I was accused of cheating on my english papers, in high school, for no other reason than that the writing was deemed too good for me to have written it. I’ve had to leave certain restaurants, more than once, because no waiter ever came to my table. The guy who broke my car window and stole my stereo, years ago, turned out to be White. I have heard similar stories from Black friends and family all the time that I was growing up.
And then, of course, I can open up a history book and read about years of systematic terrorism, intimidation, and cruelty, to a Black population that was effectively helpless to prevent it, or fight back.
And yet, I work with White people everyday. Some of them I count among my friends. I’ve had friends of mine marry White guys. And I don’t hate “White People” collectively for the actions of the White individuals who have done me wrong. Each new person that I meet get’s a fair chance to make an impression based on their own character and values.
It doesn’t matter what has happened to you in the past, or who was responsible for it. There is no understandable excuse for racism. None.
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@Alicia
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“And then, of course, I can open up a history book and read about years of systematic terrorism, intimidation, and cruelty, to a Black population that was effectively helpless to prevent it, or fight back.”
True, but also true is one doesn’t have to open a “history” book to read about systemic racism. It is STILL very much in the here and now, although it’s a bit more refined than yesteryear. Many of those who are deemed as “other” see and experience it in its countless and ever changing forms.
@ Alicia
“Why can’t white people feel the same way?”
White people have never experienced systemic-institutional racism. This is basically known as “white privilege.” The privilege is usually invisible to a great many white people. So when you speak about “why can’t white people feel the same way” it is NOT THE SAME thing. It’s like comparing a pumpkin to a grape seed. Racism goes well beyond individual (and group) acts of meanness. Perhaps you’ll believe and understand it better if you hear it from a white guy:
“Racial bias on the part of black folks, even the most vicious and unhinged bigotry on their part, is pretty impotent. King Samir Shabazz hates white people and thinks “cracker babies” should be killed. And yet what kind of power does Shabazz have? None. He is in a position to kill no one, and if he were to try he would go to jail. Forever. That’s not power. Power is when you can deny people jobs, housing, health care, decent educations, or their physical freedom via the justice system, thereby wrecking their lives. And there are virtually no black folks–and certainly no black folks wearing berets, fake-ass military uniforms and carrying nightsticks–who can do any of that. But there are white folks in positions to do those things, and who do them with or without bigoted intent regularly, as I have demonstrated in previous essays and books.”
Tim Wise
http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/07/white-racism-is-worst-racism.html
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Your a fool, the things you learnd are nothing more than racist sterotypes. Take a step back and see my son, we are all but one. Your false statements do nothing more than stir the pot of haterd. It’s people like you who will destroy the earth and the remaining good people on it.
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whats wrong with being a racist in america anyway? this is a “free” country or is supposed to be. hehe. a person should feel free to be what ever they want. if they dont want to hire/socialize/support a black/white/texan that should be their right. hell, it would seem people in all races like slavery as long as they personally are not the slave. abagond, you are a grand wizard, and i love you for it. express your self, and if you wanna look in one direction then i say march on :).
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@ Deuce
How about stop signs and crosswalks?
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I agree with you. Very insighful written! Thank you for sharing! I’m Asian I’m been looked at with so much hatred by a dark-skinned kiwi not too old, not too young but I just opened the door for her to show that I don’t have anything against you, having a open-hearted see if she has any friendliness in her so. She’s been so caucasianized. With the brown hair.
Discriminates other races and sizes…
But true, nobody should’ve taken it that way. It shouldn’t ever be an understanding. If only the history had justice? Had ‘The Secrets’ scrolls distributed to all of us evenly, then maybe there would be more equity in the world.
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OK, here is my experience, and I know this will make me sound like one of those white racists you describe, but please do hear me out. I grew up in Eastern Europe (I.e. only saw Blacks on TV), and moved to Michigan about 5 years ago. As a born-again Christian, I firmly believe that we are all the same (we all bleed red), and I was aware of the prejudice against the black people in the States, so I decided firmly to not “follow the crowd”, and make my own observations. I should mention that I speak non-accented English (gifted in the area of languages) so the white folk who don’t know that I wasn’t born here act completely normal around me, and some even talk against the “damn foreigners”, which to me just sounds funny, but that’s another topic.
Well, after 5 years of living in a Michigan town with a fair sized black community, this is what I observed: unlike Asians and Latinos in Michigan, who are for the most part culturally well adjusted, blacks speak with a separate accent, which, I believe, makes it really hard to treat them as the rest, even if it’s subconscious. I compare it to talking with someone white from out of state, like Alabama, or New England, even though American, they just don’t sound like “your people” from the Midwest, and you just tend to view them almost as foreigners. Besides the accent, most blacks tend to stick together, and rarely mingle with whites. for example, I have a buddy who is heavily into magic card games, and goes to a local shop to play in tournaments. He says there is only one black guy who is into the stuff, while there is a lot of Latinos, Asians and Arabs hanging out there along side the whites. I know, that might be a seemingly insignificant example, but I think it illustrates the point.
OK, now comes the “touchy stuff” I worked with a few black guys, and have a black uncle-in-law. At first I tried not to notice this, but, eventually it really started to bug me how obsessed these guys were with racial issues. Kinda to the point of seeing racism where it didn’t exist, and constantly bringing the history up, almost trying to swerve every conversation in that direction. For the most part, the white/Latino/Asian crowd I hang out with never brings this stuff up, one way or another, so this really makes the blacks stand out more than other groups (and frankly, it’s kind of annoying).
So, basically the feel you get with all races except for blacks here in Michigan is that we all view each other the same, and the skin color, seems as meaningful as the eye color, or the hair color – that is not at all.
The one exception to the mentioned experiences I had with blacks was a half-black guy I went to college with. He spoke “white”, was a regular computer nerd, and never stood out from the crowd. So I guess it’s his speech and the way of life that make him “more acceptable” to the rest.
So all in all, I still want to believe that I’m not a racist, mostly because of the way I relate to Latinos and Asians. I honestly think that the black community needs to take some steps, and integrate into the mainstream culture in order to be treated like others.
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@Michigander:
I may not be black, but your comment doesn’t jibe with me at all. Black people are constantly criticized for whatever they do, actually, no matter what they do and yet people like you have the nerve to say the black community has to take steps to be treated like others in order to fit in? Are you for real?
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I hate white people! You are right they think they are so much better than everyone else. It is almost irratating because you know how these people feel, but they have to keep their feelings to themselves. Sure they can’t come out and say how much they don’t like blacks or any other race. If white people dislike blacks so much, then why are there white trashy women always after black men? Why can’t they leave black people alone? Why are they always trying to be like black people?
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It is time for us to leave white America. We have Atlanta. Baltimiore, DC, Philly, detroit. Let the whites and mexicans have the rest. Until we have freedom we will be slaves. Don’t buy white!! Dont buy Chinese! Rise up. Support you’re community!
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Forty million Blacks crammed into 5 cities? I dont think so….
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Make that 4 cities and the District of Columbia…I think I’ll stay in NYC.
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here is a website that cracked me up. http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/.
sry if it doesnt post as a one-click link, i dont know how to do that. if you have to type it in, im sure your fingers wont notice. 🙂
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I hate all white people because that are all prejudiced haters.
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lets be honest, every single issue that anyone faces on a global scale in the 21st century, must be seen in its proper political social and economic context, with this in mind what global system has absolute control over the political social and economic systems of the world? the global system of white supremacy racism. if you and anyone is honest it is clear.
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prejudice and racism are different things, yes some black people are prejudice, i may be one of them in many ways. yet black people can not be racist. racism is a system that has the ability to control the very ability of another person to provide for families to secure empolyment housing proper education proper healthcare controls the media distribution of wealth policy judicial system the water the food the resources the very structure of the society in which we live. what group of people have that control and why? colonialism.
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I think we should always share our feeling,openly and honest! I am a person who hate’s when someone call me a raciest. I have been discriminated on all my life,I know how most whites think because,I have study them for the reason noted earlier in this article,to servive.I use to work with one white man his first name is fred,when ever i had a event at my house he would come always alone,so one day he gave a bad report about me that was a complete lie,when I confronted him I call him a raciest,his first reply was how can you call me a raciest,all the parties I’ve been to at your house,that what I wanted him to say because all the parties he have had at his house,I have never been invited,he could not explain that,I was the person who made that department run I was a supervisor who train him to be over the department.this is a small example of thing we put up with as blacks.And we already know that how racism is displayed, but denied by the whites.But because I reject racism,and fight it does not make me a raciest,I have been jail,shot at,ran from my home,fired from job,denied the right to bye a gun, not because I am a crimnal,but because my skin is black,and what funny I was a deputy sheriff when my right to bye a gun was denied,so the N.O.L.A. SHERIFF dept.allowed me to carry a gun under their name,but I could not carr it home!.Their is one thing that might make me a raciest,if a white person has no handicap,and can not be on top in life,I consider that to be a lazy person,because nothing stands in their way!
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prejudice and bias are not equivalent to racism….Racism will never go away because blacks will not let it go away….If racism went away we would have nothing or no one to blame but ourselves for our problems and shortcomings….There would be no room for this type of biased and idiotic article. The author appears to be the real racist here..How you would begin to know what all white people think about blacks is beyond me. I think your article did what you set out to do and that was to paint a stereotypical painting of all whites as being racist and us blacks being a helpless and unsuspecting victim. what you did was let the world know that you yourself are a racist and want other blacks to follow suit. Yes, i am sure there are racists in America but to try and put that on an entire race of people is just racist. So if you are looking to clean up racism in America it would be best to start with what is in your own heart and mind….Matthew 7:5 – You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye
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DAVE. I’m English and black, I lve in England, it seems to me that to say all white people are racist is a wild statement. I am married to a white woman (as are lots of black americans – women and men – are ) my wife isn’t racist. Though there is a conseption that white people and other people of colour ie, asians, indians, japanese etc,place themselves above black people. This I believe was exported around the world from America by white americans, up until WW2 when americans came to Europe there was no colour bar over here, granted there weren’t alot of black people living here (though it can be traced back hundreds of years that black lived here, even in roman times.) However getting back to my point that racism was imported here by white american forces personel, my mother who is white and obviously married a black man (my father) has told me stories of American Gi’s causing racial tension in towns and cities where they where based and English people defending black soldiers even to the point of being called ‘nigger lovers’ something they had never heard of before the americans came here, unfortunately it took hold and there is an element of white superiority, this is endemic in the police force and the armed forces.
Even so I still don’t agree that all white people are racist. I could go on about this for ages but I’ll stop now.
Sometimes you can perceive something that isn’t there, maybe you should really listen to what you are saying, if what you are saying is what you believe then all people regardless of race are RACIST.Are they really.
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I’m not gonna give you website links and cold hard facts but what I will give you is my own individual opinion. I’m not gonna blame Caucasian, African -Americans, or any other race, ethnicity or creed. Its not my place because as a young black woman I am above no one. So here me out. I think everyone has their biases, prejudices, and racial tensions /anxieties really. No ones completely to blame or completely innocent. We all had our radical leaders, and when I say we I mean people of all colors, whether they were spouting peace or war whether it be mental, verbal, or racial. History is written bu the winners and when comes down to the New World people of Anglo decent won, with whips, ships, and my goodness prejudice and discontent for those who were different! People don’t like truth, and since Caucasians won the so called ‘war ‘, the full and honest to God truth will never be known unless we master time travel 🙂 . So the Americans of today only know what our ancestors left us or forgot to cover up and when it comes down to it, white folks failed when it comes to being race friendly to those who don’t look or act like them. And things such as Jim Crow laws, segregation, lynchings, Kkk etc has given white Americans a bad image. Sad yes but its true, and groups like the Black Panthers, as we like to say here in NYC, Brooklyn made the situation more hot! Yes the Black Panther have good intentions, I’m all for black is beautiful, I’m black and I’m proud! But as a nation built of immigrants and immigration, whether forced or not we need to stop the BS -ing (LOL) !! Yes respect and understanding will be fundamental to stop foolish racism, bias, and misconceptions on everyone who makes America well America, BUT!?! Everyone in the New World (or the Americas) since I have no clue about peoples of African decent in Europe, Africa, and Asia struggles with race well enough to really make a difference, has to seriously understand that by moaning and groaning and writing blots about one another will help. As a society America is lacking in the area of discussion and as a society we must progress. How? No one knows jonone here (none that I’m aware) has precognitive foresight so only time can tell. This as a blog was interesting and you hitnon some very risque points /topics, not all will agree but people talk or in this case type . That fact wont ever change. So for all the people who feel that blogs and vlogs will help I say keep doing what your doing. Cheers to you abagond, if this helps and you feel it helps others who are of Colorado and have been subject to Caucasian racism, then keeps doing this! Its likely you’ll never meet me and im not Jesus, Buddha, Zeus or any God or thing you may hold in exclusive high regards. I’m not asking anyone on here to take my opinions seriously if you don’t want to. I am asking for all to consider my logic on such a hush -hush subject. That maybe we just gotta let things take their course and hope, pray, and wish like hell society and humane views on such things that are quite low and petty compared to things that will affect all humans like global warming, etc. I follow a notion that goes like this “fight for what you believe in as it don’t necessarily have to ne right but when things are fine and simple leave things as they are “. Its human nature to over complicate things if you ask me, and since a lot of people of all race and creed seems to follow ‘nothing can be simple so we have create more and look underneath the underneath ‘ thus creating more problems for everyone and thing, things like racism and cultured hare survive. Since the thoughts of Europeans who settled America were ‘ these slaves we took forcefully couldn’t possibly be human since they don’t talk, dress, think, or act like we do!’ And the vicious cycle continued and became more. Everyone is different, generalising a whole ethnicity, race, or culture would be illogical and founded on quite idiotic and depending true acts of human cruelty …… or not. I have said my piece. Please don’t judge or berates for giving my own opinions, everyone is entitled to opinions. Thank you for taking the time for reading this. 🙂
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Spell check is a B! Please excuse typos and the such when I said the the stuff about moaning and groaning and blogs its supposed to not help. At least not the whole of the situation. Thank you.
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Of course there isn’t ‘as much racism against blacks in England, they are too busy kissing white buttocks! Kerchief heads are alive and well and international it would seem. I have figured out a way to end racism; Let’s all get together and collectively kiss the white folks’ buttocks, maybe they’ll stop being racist! Can I hear a collective “Yes sah, massa, yes sah”!
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@ D Enamu
Just b/c SOME Americans are more open (although not open enough) about race than the British does not mean they are more racist. Having lived in various countries, including the US and UK, I can attest that Britons are equally (if not more) racist. Since Britons have not had to confront race issues as much, I THINK they are many years behind. The British remind me of many southern Americans…very polite, but reticent as to race.
And, I disagree with you that “blacks” are as racists as “whites” b/c African Americans, on the whole, have NEVER treated European Americans iniquitously….not even close!!
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Well I’ve really got something going. I did say that there is racism in England, but you are obsessed with it you can’t have a conversation without it being mentioned. To say that we kiss the white mans buttocks is crap, we walk tall we don’t bow to the whiteman you black Americans even give into them by calling yourselves nigger, that would never happen here, also to say black is beautiful and you are proud to be black just shows that you feel inferior, I’m black but I’m proud just to be me not because I’m black you don’t hear whites saying they are proud to be white(well I’ve never heard anyone say that) just be proud for who you are not for what colour you are. What you need to do is to show some dignity hold your head up and show them that we black people are better than that. We have had a tormented history but we have come through it all stronger and for the better. Remember the song “Something inside so strong” by Labri Sifri, and think of Nelson Mandela he suffered but survived and is’nt bitter, if you let their comments bother you then they have won if you join in their game they will win. Black people have been on this earth longer than whites, remember they descended from us and that’s their problem they can’t accept that.So don’t think I’m a yessa man just beacause I’m not shouting about whites, name calling gets you nowhere.
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@Dave Enamu
“Blacks” don’t “give into them by calling [themselves] n___”. This is what you, like many others misunderstand. SOME (certainly not all) African-Americans have taken ownership and possession of that word, which used to be used by “whites” only. Now, whites in America are afraid of using that word in public (particularly if “blacks” are present). Only blacks in America are “permitted” to use it, and they have changed its definition beyond the scope of its original derogatory meaning (e.g., “that’s my n___” can also mean “that’s my friend”).
Now, I personally don’t use the word (like most other Americans I know), but I do respect that SOME African-Americans have taken ownership of it from whites.
Also, I caution you about falling into the habit of stereotyping all African-Americans, and you certainly have no right to lecture them on “dignity” and perseverence, as many African-Americans have shown evidence of both.
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resjan, as you state that you don’t use the “N” word yourself shows that you are as uncomfortable about it as I am, as I don’t know any black Americans I only get my views from blogs such as this and they seem to say that there is an obsession with racism (maybe you can enlighten me I’m open to suggestions) and by saying things such as black is beautiful and I’m black and proud seem to me to be a little sad, now maybe not all black americans say these things but the impression I am getting is that it is quite common.I feel that if you have to say these things then you are giving in to racists, you are what you are just be proud of yourself.
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@D Enamu
I don’t get your point. I choose not to use the n word, but it has nothing to do with comfort. There are many words I feel comfortable using but do not use. For example, I choose to use the word, “drunk” over “inebriated,” but I am perfectly comfortable using either word. In other words, the n word is simply not a part of my day-to-day vocabulary.
“Black is beautiful” and “I’m black and proud” are not commonly heard in African American conversations these days, but I personally don’t think there’s anything wrong in saying either.
“Black is beautiful” was popularised in the early 60s when the institution of segregation and denigration of blacks was alive and well in America, and blacks were fighting for basic human rights. The legendary “Godfather of Soul” James Brown had a song, “Say It Loud, I’m Black and Proud” in ’68. In subsequent years we saw huge achievements in the African-American community, and blacks en masse began to embrace their natural features and heritage.
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resjan, My point is that if your contempories use the “N” word to each other so to show whites that it is’nt offensive anymore and that it has been given a new meaning then why don’t you and all black Americans use it. My feeling is that you don’t because it still offends. I’m not trying to start an arguement here I just don’t understand that by using a word that offends most black people in the world can be justified by using it to other black people, why not use sambo or uncle tom as well, does saying coloured offend that’s what white people used to call us. I’m sure these achievments would have happened anyway- though it was an alright song I don’t think James Brown can take the credit (joke) well maybe he can – There isn’t anything wrong in saying “Black is beautiful” I agree, so long as it’s said in the context I have a black car and it is beautiful (no really I do have a black car) I’m glad to say the phrase never took off over here I’m also glad you say it’s not said so much over there. Well it’s late over here and I’m going to bed I’ll say goodnight my friend or should I say my nig no maybe not.
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I like your post, Chante
Resjan and D Enamu, you both make some interesting points (Resjan, I almost said a similar thing that you did on another thread at almost the same time you did)
There is something coming out on these threads, a distinct differance in opinions from across the oceans. Europe and England are saying they dont really agree with or want the aproach of America as far as the issues of “race ” and “racism”…now this is an observation, not saying who I think is right…I have my own opinion , which I dont need to state to make this point, but, it is interesting to note that this is happening in a notable way on these threads….
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@D Enamu
You still don’t seem to understand. Blacks who use the N word are not using it to show white people anything. They use it for their OWN PURPOSES. I know…it’s something many white Americans don’t quite understand either.
I’m sorry, but All African Americans don’t talk the same way. Personally, I don’t use that word b/c I find no reason to use it. It’s just not a part of my culture, unlike some people who use it regularly. Yes some people may get offended by the n word, but that has nothing to do with MY choice if to use it (I can’t speak for others).
I hope you understand the context out of which “black is beautiful” et al came. Prior to the 60s, blacks were the subject of scorn in America, were legally oppressed, blacks constantly called names, mocked on television and film etc. So “black is beautiful” et al were quite appropriate for that time IMO.
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First off…I’m white. Second, I can’t necessarily disagree with nearly everything you are saying. It IS shameful, and I’ll be damned if I haven’t caught myself having those kind of thoughts. The thing is, this is a learned reaction. I grew up in a racist area with absolutely no one that lived there that wasn’t white. So, you mostly just hear stories. Other peoples racism. You hear sterotypes and every terrible racist joke you can think of.
So then, when you find yourself talking to someone of another race, you have to reconcile all these things that you’ve always heard with whats right in front of you.
We live in a cannibalistic culture. That’s the long and the short of it. And everyone fears what isn’t exactly like themselves. That’s human nature, unforetunately. But that doesn’t mean we need to actively abide by it. Racism is fear, in a nutshell. So, what will it take to shake this fear? Lots and lots of time. These things are usually passed on by people who simply don’t know any better and stick to what they were taught by their own parents. It’s ignorance. And as much as I would like to say that you can cure ignorance…in most cases you simply can’t.
So, the one thing we can do is…much like any seemingly incurable disease…don’t pass it on. This goes for everyone. Don’t teach your children the hate…don’t pass on the fear. Reaching people with those deeply ingrained racisms simply does not work.
I see things where Iran states that Israel is an afront to their being. In other countries, these racisms are considered normal. There is no talks of how it is wrong to hate others. It’s everyday life. Here in the states, hate crimes are one of the most abhorrent things imagineable. We ALL agree on that. We’re ALL on the same page that racism is bullshit at the end of the day. And that considered…maybe we’re on the right track. Don’t mistake me…it’s still going to be a long road. But we’ve two choices. We either admit how things are, and travel this road together…or we just sit here and let the grass grow around us.
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Done this one, I think I’ll call it a day though we speak the same language something is lost in the interpretation.
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I’ve read quite a bit of this blog before reading this particular article, so I think that I get where the author is coming from. I agree with a lot of the author’s points and found a lot of the other posts really interesting (people should read them before just commenting based on this one post I think as they are very varied). The main feeling I get after reading this particular post is sadness that the author has experienced such racism, and believes that the majority of white people in the US are racist (it may be true but I have no idea as I can’t read everyone’s mind). Having lived around the world since I was a kid, I have seen that people everywhere can be prejudiced against people who are different from them. Some of that is racism, some is class or religion based, or even just nationalist. I have even lived in the US for a short time and met a white person who expressed racist views about black people quite openly to me (I’m white from UK originally), which was very surprising and made me very embarrassed as they assumed I would agree. I also met other people who were appeared to be more subtly racist against me as I am white. I hope that people can get something positive from reading this post. You have to experience racism to realise that it is totally useless. I will try to be less prejudiced generally after reading this – I assume that I am quite open to everyone but I guess I do feel more comfortable with people that I can identify with. Hope this makes other people reflect rather than just react.
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Almost all white Americans are racist. Is that not stereotyping? Or does the “almost” makes that an observation.
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i a so dumbfounded…this article is 100% correct. i have never lived in the united states. but living in poland for a very long time of my life where there are a just a few black people, this is so true. i am only 21 years old but through my teenage years, living here this issue affected me really bad. i am african. They always think they should be better than u in every single way and so i have to proof everything i do to be extra ordinary before it is recognised by them. This article would be understood by only africans, african americans and and africans in the diaspora. underwise, white people will read it a thousand times but will never undrstand or agree to it. but the truth is, that is the truth.
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No one should take it personal. i am not viewing it as racism. but the question is, with my experiences and how it affected me as a growing kid, how will i not agree to another black person sharing the same experiences? no one would believe me, but i consoled myself, by saying…oh these people, that is how they are..it was the only way i delt with it. i was only a teenager. i hate sharing this experience now that i am an adult cuz i have already dealt with it. i like white people cuz i grew up with them. those, i am better-looking than, cant take it cuz i am black, those i am richer than , the same. those i am more intelligent than, cant take it as well. cuz subconciously, they think it is not pssible. they shd at all cost be more intelligent than me, better looking and richer. i dont call them racist. i call them subconscious racist. cuz it might not be their fault. i wish they all read this article to conscientise them.
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To be quite honest with you, the extent to which I judge a person based on their appearance is the way they are dressed combined with the way they are carrying themselves. You can tell quite a bit about a person from this observation. If I see a black man wearing a South Pole jersey with “shorts” down to his shoes and his ass sticking out, I’m going to be thinking he’s unintelligent, classless, and shady. I’m not going to be saying to myself “I think I’ll get to know this guy, see what kind of person he is before I make up my mind”, because he’s showing me what kind of person he is. He’s effectively wearing his heart on his sleeve.
Unfortunately, the black race really does nothing to dissuade these misconceptions about themselves, as a race I mean. I don’t judge every black person the same way, I look at how they are carrying themselves, indicative of how they want to be seen. Likewise, I don’t give every white person the “benefit of the doubt”. I don’t associate with white trash, never have, never will. Most white people of class and intelligence are like I am. You don’t know how “we” think, except in one regard: that we don’t think of ourselves as white, we just think of ourselves as people. We don’t act on behalf of our entire race, we don’t have spokesmen, and even though we have been known to oppress, we also happen to be the traditional liberators.
There’s one thing holding black people back: black people. Stop making excuses.
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Go on…tell me more.
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LOL @ all these white people replying, trying to hide their white guilt. YOU people have no idea what its like to be a person of color yet you act like you do. You guys have no idea what it’s like to gawked at, followed around, questioned or stopped for no reason. Or have to deal with glass ceilings.
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Please do a post on why white people think or feel the need to come to blogs like this to either derail, act angry because we have to validate or feelings about them to them or spew hate
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Everyone needs a hobby. These white folk who resort to this behaviour do so because of this. They should take up knitting or gardening. But they need some ego boosting. Hence they resort to these types of posts.
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It’s mostly the simpleton whites who feel that Blacks have absolutely no right NOT to love, worship, adore and speak admiring of whites.
These types become confused and enraged when Blacks are not busy blaming each other for the effects of white racism.
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*admiringly
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Wow. I stumbled upon your blog while killing time this weekend. I have been on the recieving end of racism, generalizations, and snide remarks about the colour of my skin. I have been taunted for dating people outside of my race. WHY are we still on this colour foolishness? How long am I going to be punished and stereotyped based on the pigmentation of my skin? Why do people hold me accountable for heinous things that other whites in history have done? How do people expect the world to change if we just trade hate all of the time? There are actually published research studies that indicate that whites are now the most discriminated against race in the entire world. I have never judged someone based on the color of their skin, ethnicity, or culture. Why is it happening to me all the time? And why is it that you think it’s ok to generalize all white people, as in your articles about “how white people think”?
WHY does one race have to be better than the other? I’m pretty sure if we both cut ourselves, we’d bleed the same blood.
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@ Lynette
I did not say ALL white people. I was very careful about that.
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This is nice. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
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Average african-American IQ: 85.
Average IQ of a white American: 102
This is why you guys fail so badly in society – it’s not your fault, you’re just stupid.
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@TT
I guess you have nothing better to do than insult the intelligence of Blacks. Many Blacks have made it and become successful in the world. And IQ doesn’t prove whether or not someone is stupid or smart.
Maybe you are the stupid one here.
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@Adeen, I feel these people think if they shout it loud enough it will eventual become true. Still it is his fault he likes to be ignorant.
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@tt No sir the ignorant and stupid one is you.
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I think to some degree the author’s opinions about the number of racist white (“almost all”) is biased. I have gotten to see it from both sides for over half my life (I’m almost 60). That being said, I would put that number at about 2/3rds of those who self identify as white. Our country is, however, moving backwards in this regard since the election of a black president has brought the sheets back out of the closet for many. There are 2 types: those who acknowledge it and the majority who are in self-denial about it. When we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. Sadly, for the United States it’s already started in this arena. Even sadder when you realize that the concept of “race” was made up and doesn’t exist biologically. There are no different races of people. It’s all been a lie. People just refuse to see it.
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I think that racism is a disease a son of the disease of ignorance.if someone of a different race I be it even if just one or two people you hurt you are then infected and you can choose to do one of two things try to heal it but always have a small scar of racism or embrace it. My step dad is a different race than me. He’d call me the little white bitch and it was hurtful he tell me I was responsible for the plight of his people becuse I was white and would beat me for it. i thought but I’m six I had nothing to do with that at all.his family treaded me the same way. Now when I see a person of his race I think oh I’m a white bitch to you huh. And when I hear about the atrocities committed buy white people I think you blame me and I had nothing to do with it. But yet I look at my brothers as my equals they are the same race as my step dad they look identical. I try t to assume colored people are more like my brothers than my step dad but it is hard.it came around in a big circle from my experience with being harmed for my race. Mabey that can give you some insight into being a white person. God bless.
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While some white people would be afraid to admit to a story like mine becuse they don’t want to be demonized by the word racist hence the thou protest a little two much I feel as we could all heal from this discussion so feel free to think of me in anyway you please I’m not racist but I have racist thoughts sometimes I am human.
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Although not all white people have gone though what I have . some aren’t infected.so society sees it as being always deliberate not always the case.however sometimes sadly it is.they embrace and spead the pain.
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This article is completely false. You just writing it, proves you more racist than those you accuse. Your not only insinuating that all whites are terrible. Your also saying that they’re basically simple minded. While yet contradicting how blacks are not. I don’t think that white people are racist. Nor do I think all black people are. But based on what I see as a Native American. Is that almost all have a hate for white people. Like they should be blamed for the actions of their ancestors. Once again. I’m Native American. I see many things in south bend. But whose to blame? Yourself! Open your mind… Quit blaming whole races for the imperfection of the world. It’s only the same thing your accusing them to be. Just because you have color. Doesn’t mean your opinion on the topic is the right opinion. Nobody knows about being treated badly, like my native. And still yet. Not blaming a race. It’s the individual you can tell that is. Like the person who made this article. Quit blaming the white race for your attitude. Isn’t a black man president? How could all whites be so racist. If a black man is president. Open your mind. Once again. I’m Native American.
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Just FYI. The things that you listed are NOT racism. That’s called prejudice and it comes from the area you live in. I’ve lived near the IN/MI border my entire life and when I was growing up, there weren’t many black families in the area. The ones that were in our area, were great. BUT since there weren’t many families, if there was a large group of black people, it was almost a garuntee that something bad was gonna go down. They would come from south bend and other local areas where gang activity was normal. As they have added more government housing in our area, we have had more and more riff raff come into our town. In all colors. The government housing did open a doorway for a lot of black families to move into our area from Chicago and south bend. Because it was better here for them. But when troublesome relatives, friends, “baby daddies” and others followed, our town went to crap. What we have now, instead of the nice respectable black families who once lived here, are gang banger wannabes and thugs and their “baby mommas” who live solely off the government. This HAS made me prejudiced. At 17 I went to Georgia for a few months and had a lovely case of culture shock. I felt like a minority there in comparison to the amount of black people that live there. It took a few weeks before I adjusted but also was a big eye opener. I didn’t have a problem with the race, but I was so used to the kind of black people who lived in my area, I was immediately wary of them. There just weren’t many respectable ones around my hometown. Growing up, I had a doctor who was a large black man. I saw him for over a decade and loved him to death. I never had that feeling with him because he never looked like someone who would be out to cause trouble like the majority of blacks in the area. I have a few black friends and they are all awesome. However, even THEY see things the same way as I do in this area. Every single black friend I have, is married to a white person because its hard to find nice respectable black ones here. 3 black women and one black man who feel the same way as I do. And again, this isn’t racism. It’s prejudice. I don’t hate all black people but I am wary of ones who dress, act, and talk a certain way. Because those are big flags around here.
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Anyone that says blacks are poor I always say “Yeah that’s exactly why my grandparents have a house that is almost a million dollars, right” or “That’s why my grandparents house cost more than your paycheck”
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Real talk…all the things that I have always thought,always knew but you just revealed it and exposed it so clearly…
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Racism should be embraced by people of afro descent. It is good you admit to being one. None racist afro people are stupid at worst, naive at best.
It only takes a bird one scare to know that cats are dangerous and to be wary of them – does that mean all cats will chase and kill the bird? Probably not, but the bird is not going to risk it either way. Yet after all you african americans have been through still many don’t hate white people and others? That is just stupid to me and lacks honour and appreciation for your ancestors.
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And Olivia Pope’s father just threw those exact words, “Twice as good,” in her face on Scandal tonight. The white people I was watching with thought he was talking about gender, because of course they don’t have that other thing whispered in their ears from as early as they can comprehend it.
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@ Absurdist
The GIF set is already on Tumblr:
http://abagond.tumblr.com/post/63068601393/twice-as-good
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And on YouTube:
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UIgqUguMBg#)
From what I have gathered about Olivia Pope second-hand, I agree with almost everything her father says to her in this scene.
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Black people are also racist because i used to work at a mall and everytime it was a black woman she would boss me around and give me a attitude but if it was a black girl working the cash register they would have been nice. This always bothered me so i was extremely nice and polite when all the black woman would come up and they still had a problem with me and treated me like a slave. I had nothing to do with that era in history.
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Please, Blacks in America are the most catered to and coddled people on earth. Whites spend billions on Blacks and Hispanics in terms of food stamps, welfare, section 8, Medicaid, prisons etc., at OUR expense. Blacks and Browns also have preferences in government aid, college enrollment, business loans , government jobs etc. Hell, American Whites spend billions on Brown illegals at our expense, no non-White would do that for Whites illegally in their countries. Blacks and (Browns increasingly) will NEVER stop playing the victim and trying to keep American Whites on an eternal guilt trip in order to keep Whites pandering to them.
What do Blacks do in return for all this? Well, they turn any neighborhood they move to into a crime ridden slum, attack Whites at a rate 40 times the reverse and constantly hate on Whites.
As a White, I’m fed up. I think the best solution is a divorce, Yep, that’s right. Blacks need to go back to Africa, that way, you can live in your own Black society and not have to deal with the “evil White devil”. Browns back to Mexico and Asians back to their countries. We’ll all be a hell of a lot happier if we just go our separate ways.
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You forgot to say Whites go back to Europe. this would leave only First Nations people and only those with a high blood quotient.
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Ah Herneith you beat me to it lol!
“As a White”
“Browns back to Mexico”
I just got some serious douche chills from that. At least these online lunatics are good for a laugh.
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This is so ignorant and outwardly racist towards white people its appalling. Maybe you should stop victimizing yourself and realize you are being the racist you’ve grown to hate. You are COMPLETELY contradicting yourself; you write about how ‘racist’ white people are, and then you say how since you are black, I will automatically think you are loss moral or rich than I. Maybe you have an ill education of history, but that my friend, is a racist statement towards white people. How are you going to write a column about why white people are so racist, when you yourself are obviously racist towards white people? This should not be on the internet as you are clearly such a victim to society. (read with extreeeeeme sarcasm)
By the way, I should be in the category your listing.
-im white as can be
-born in Ohio and raised there
-should be republican but I am not
-goes to a Jesuit University (LMU) that mainly consists of white kids.
Maybe you should talk to real people before you write such a rude, incorrect and outwardly racism article about another race.
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Well, at least those who are over 80% white ancestry or identify as Euro-American – they can go there and whine.
But Multiracial Americans with no more than 50% from any racial group would not have a continent to return to. What to do with them if they start whining? Create homelands for them?
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What she states about whites assuming things about non-whites. I agree with this. I am spanish and Puerto Rican. I get mistaken for an Indian from India or a Hawaillan. They even assume they know a persons age without asking. I’m short 4 Ft 8 in height. I’m 38 yrs old. it makes no sense for white people younger than me to assume I’m as young as them. I also notice some whites assume women are into themselves when they know nothing about the person period to making these assumptions. It’s true they go around assuming I’m into myself because I’m exotic looking, and they know nothing about me. During my high school years I was very plain looking and had acne. They really need to get a brain. I also notice how when I was in my 20s I got mistaken for a teen because I was short, and of course white people walk around acting like you’re gonna steal from them. I also don’t like the fact that alot of white men are naive and seem to think they are smarter than alot of females and that includes their mothers and grandmothers. I’ve actually heard white men actually state that they thought they were smarter than their mom or other older female relatives. It makes no sense that they are smarter than their mother or any other female in their family since these people lived before them and experienced decades they know nothing about. So its like a white guy who is 26 yrs old will actually thinks he’s smarter than his mother, even though his mother lived before him and had John F Kennedy as a president and saw footage of the presidents assassination and she experienced the vietnam war, saw tv shows like That Girl, Dragnet, and Hogans Heroes, and heard music like The Doors, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The monkeys, Aretha Franklin and so on. They should try to learn something from their mother instead of assuming they are smarter. My grandmother is 79 yrs old. I actually took the time to learn something from her. If it wasn’t for her I would have no clue who singers Connie Francis, Nat King Cole, Little Richard, The Big Bopper, Fat’s Domino, or actors like John Wayne and Clark Gable were or that movies cost 25 cents back in her time and candy was a dime. I even recall one time being at a grocery store and a white man with his kids was actually telling his kids to stay away from black people. It seemed to bother them, I even had a white man call the office making biased remarks about how he was treated unfairly when in fact it was blacks who were treated unfairly. This man obviously lived back in the day when blacks suffered injustice and were treated poorly. So this man feels guilt about this, but he tries to turn it around and make it look like whites suffered the injustice. Whites didn’t have to go to bathrooms that said colored only. whites were allowed in any restaurant. Whites were always claiming back then to be a more inferior and smarter race. They even tried to keep blacks uneducated by not allowing them to go to public schools with whites and hispanics. My grandmother was there back then. She said the school she went to only had whites and hispanics. No blacks. She even said blacks were not served in restaurants. She worked in a restaurant in Texas at age 15, and she said the blacks that came to eat had to eat in the back. While whites sat in the front of the restaurant. My grandma still uses the N word to refer to blacks, and even feels that blacks feel the world owes them something. Even soul singer Janis Joplin got heat for making a statement as a teen on the news about how she was all for blacks having equality. She said kids at her school made a big deal out of this after seeing her make these statements on tv. She said they were just upset because alot of them probably felt the same way but didn’t have balls to say anything. It is true that older whites may be racist towards blacks because they were there when segregation existed. One old white lady was talking to a young guy who worked at the book store, and she was telling him about how colored people were treated back then. She didn’t seem to have a problem with blacks herself, but You could tell she felt a little uncomfortable about talking about it.
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This website is racist. White people don’t care about black people who all they do is complain about the way white people treat them.
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Oh so many truths. The Author is merely depicting her experiences with White people. Whilst some words could be changed- ‘All White’ Some White’ whatever, you’re missing the essence of her post which basically proves her point that you will never see nor understand where she is coming from. I do, luvvie 🙂
I have spent the best part of 3 compelling hours reading each and every post. Wow! There have only been 2 White people I recall who gave intelligent responses and you know what, they were the ones who admitted there is an actual problem with their INSTITUTIONALIZED thinking- a learned behaviour from their forefathers, passed through their generation ( and perhaps to the next of White folk) that is actually PERPETUATING this ‘mysterious’ problem to the blind. Why else I think their responses were intelligent, because, only upon admittance/ acknowledgment can one offer solutions. Yes they were the only 2 to show a hand of BRAVERY through self reflection and objectional thinking to allow an open discusssion on the problem, thus carrying US ALL to a solution or enlightenment.
The only way we will ever eradicate this nonsense racism is by doing exactly that- dropping the ego, forgetting self and looking at one another objectionally ( understanding history helps here too). THIS is going to be particularly hard for those who’s core self esteem derives from white supremecy. You guys, we have no time for- you’ll either pick it up before too long, ( via your peers/ behavioral thinking) or die trying/ not trying. In the latter case it’d be too late and therefore of no dire consequence. It is the ones who understand we ” have to deal with White people on a daily basis, so…have learnt to think like them ” ( unquoted from White responder ) hence of bloody course we understand how they think ” better than they do” ( unquote from White responder). In essence it will take ” holding open that door that little longer just so that you know I mean no harm” ( unquote Kiwi responder), from Whites in order to move us forward.
To think Affirmative action, the formation of Black groups would become completely unnecceassry ‘if that door were held open that little bit longer, wider.’… Please have a heart. A real one. Not the type of heart that travels to Africa for a gap yr and comes back believing you have a magical empathy for all disadvantaged (Black) folks…. We find this again dehumanizing and thus this mysterious problem perpetuates further…
On the other hand I do believe the Author depicts more institutionalied racism than a real belief system held by White individuals. Meaning your white friend can feel genuinely love for you, yet support a system ( nor batter an eyelid) to the instituationalised racism that fills our Black eyes everyday through the media, at work, at home watching TV. Every bloody day. From reading about that Black face that has done wrong ( no mention of the good a Black has done), to negative, fashionable ‘Black’ music ( we all know is powered by white folks), to fighting every fucking day with myself that I am fully aware I am perpetuating a system that it not designed to better Black me, but I MUST if I am to fucking EAT!. Yes everyday we must deal with White people. Rather, deal with the White Instituationalised Racist System, that is Capitalism itself.
Capatalism is the real foundational problem, built on an economic power which NEEDS greed to prosper and with that, naturally some losers. Those at the bottom of this economic hierarchy have the hardest longest flight of steps to climb. But in truth, I cannot offer another system. What we can do however is look at another’s situation without the ego more readily. Small steps. It’s a system, that others have rightly pointed out, effects ALL races. And this is why I believe the Author thinks everyone is racist- ‘you have to be if you live in America-you cannot escape it’ ( unquoted).
To give up Capatalism for an American, for anyone in the Western world, I think, would be like asking a cat to bark. It just aint gonna happen, so for now folks can we all be a tad more inquisitive and seek answers, even if it makes you feel uncomfortable, ask away and do without the finger pointing and closed minded ‘it has nothing to do with me.’ Thanks.
Oh and to the lady talking about the whites taking up space thing- well here in the UK it’s more a class thing. The higher up the class ladder you perceive yourself to be the more ok it is to be socially and subtly rude like this- it’s kind of like an exertion of power for white people- they do it to each other. Things are much much better now. There’s almost a will for rich Whites to be seen as poor..Being Black/ adopting Black culture and with that atleast one Black friend is considered ‘cool’ ‘and in the know’. What makes me laugh is when I see Blacks trying to do the same, but I can completely understand why they do! Everyone’s gotta Eat…
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To answer your question ‘Why are white people so racist” it’s because they need to feel superior. The reason they need to feel superior is because they know they are inferior.
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Whites live as far away from blacks as they can, This is because Blacks lower the quality of any school they go to, blacks do a huge anount of crime, they are loud & rude talk in movie thearders ect. Any place blacks go they look for trouble, All so we are tired of hearing blacks saying whites owe them! We owe you nothing most blacks fail at life because they refuse to work hard and conform to socity
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@kiwi
Lol.
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“thearders”
“All so”
“socity”
WTF man
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The US could really have a serious racial dialogue if people got past their hurt feelings for just ten seconds.
My eyes almost rolled out of my head reading these #notallwhites comments. Jesus…
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The majority of blacks lower the quality of life for everyone around them. If you don’t live in a area like a large city ware you see how large number of blacks act, live. Then your realy don’t have any idea how the majority of blacks act. Blacks ruin every thing!!!! It’s 95% of them!! Not all but the vast majority. I want nothing to do with them. Because of how they act. No matter how good you are to blacks . Give them a job, cash advance, ride home, they all ways will In the end try to cheat you!!! 95% the time. This is why I don’t deal with them. No other group of people act this way. They refuse to conform to socitys norms and live like good people. They got to keep it real!!! Like real scum bags! Come to any of the 5 boro of ny. You can’t tell me it’s not the majority.
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a area
ware
realy
boro
socitys
Whites can be average, mediocre, less than, stupid or just plain ole dumb as a rock (think George Bush) and still be given the benefit of the doubt, right Keith? Because 95% of white people in NYC are just – terrific. LOL
The wonders of white privilege!
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@Keith
It’s not the majority because if I am not mistaken the majority live in the south. Even so you have not actually met 95% of black people to know what they do 95% of the time and so on.
Not to mention if blacks bother you so much then why are you on a black blog?
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@ Irishmen 92
I deleted your comment for using a racial slur.
https://abagond.wordpress.com/comment-policy/
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This is very true. I am Hispanic who describe myself because of my skin color and hair as black and I had noticed that while I am perceived as Hindu by some white people, they behave differently when they realize that I am Hispanic and even more when they notice I see myself black.
But, then I also noticed that black people in America are just the same to the point that I would say; it’s an American thing.
Racism is rooted in the heart of American people, and it may take another decade or two to banish.
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@GManon
That’s because people in the U.S. are socialized to see race in similar ways. Every country will have its own way of categorizing people. I think it will take a lot longer than a few decades to change.
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I agree with this post
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@Speak Out
“Every country will have its own way of categorizing people. I think it will take a lot longer than a few decades to change.”
I’m not nearly as optimistic as you. Given the poor health of our planet and the ever growing population the future may see a downturn in social cohesion in diverse societies. So yes, future race relations may change, but that doesn’t mean the change will be what you might call an improvement. The Human race is not improvable any more than cats and dogs are improvable. We are not fundamentally different today than we were 50,000 years ago. We are not above or outside of nature, super-natural forces are not at work, there are no cracks in our souls or strange differences between us, there is not a grand plan that we are working toward, we are just and only human and everything we do is natural – everything, even the bad stuff. And that is because we are incapable of being other than we are, as we have evolved to be.
Are we more moral now than the Greeks, are we smarter than the Egyptians? Are we more creative than the Ming? Are we more honest, more kind, more giving, more loving, more anything? No, we are the same, dressed up in a lot of technological gadgetry.
Tolerance of diversity may be a virtue but it isn’t a requirement for survival and it will be promoted or shed as circumstance dictates- as our most recent extreme example ISIS shows or even a more moderate example, America’s treatment of Blacks. There’s one world, there’s one piece of pie and the number of people trying to divide that pie keep’s going up. You can ask people to share, and give and show charity, but if they think sharing means one less piece of pie for their family, friends and kinship group, the sharing stops.
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@biggiefriez
That’s one way of viewing the world. There are others that are different. Right now we have the values of coloniality and capitalism dominating the entire world. Before the Europeans came to the U.S. Native Americans had very different values on a lot of things. There are and always have been a minority of people who act diametrically opposed to the values you describe to the point of giving up their lives for others. One thing for sure is that nothing will change at all unless we work for change.
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@Speak Out
“That’s one way of viewing the world. There are others that are different.”
That’s right. There are other points of view other than my own. Christians for instance might not agree with my assertion that humans are merely a part of the natural world and not separate from it. They might not agree with the evolutionary connotations associated with that idea. There are perhaps millions if not billions of people that would argue my point that there are no super-natural forces at work in the world. However, as you might have gathered from my post, I don’t agree with those people.
And yes, many people have given their lives for others, but that has nothing to do with how masses behave. Yes, individual Germans saved a few Jews, yes some slave owners freed their slaves, but no, those people did not stop the genocide nor did they end slavery.
If my understanding of the world and my point of view are European colonial/capitalist then so be it. I’m fine with that. I enjoy reason and logic, Darwin, Freud, Voltaire and Marx. I like the rational US Constitution and its separation of church and state. I don’t want dream catchers, crystals and sweat lodges determining my fate.
You and I have ‘diametrically opposed’ ideas about humanity and the natural world. And that’s fine because it doesn’t matter.
In the words of Richard Dawkins, whom I’m sure you also don’t agree with:
“Humans have always wondered about the meaning of life…life has no higher purpose than to perpetuate the survival of DNA…life has no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind pitiless indifference.” –Richard Dawkins
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How can you generalize or even begin to calculate the racial paradigms/ perceptions of other people as if it were fact? your entire argument collapses the moment you begin projecting your insecurities and your OWN racial stereotypes onto your subject. Your idea is something that is definitely worth exploring, though your approach screams incompetent. Learn to perceive things without neurosis getting in the way.
.
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Who thinks blacks are cool ?ive read at before ….strange thing to say that blacks are ..cool…how ??you must not understand cool ….yo
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Quote:
“White people generally give each other the benefit of the doubt, but they do not extend it to blacks.
If you are black you are constantly doubted in their eyes. They think you are:
less moral than you are,
less hard-working than you are,
less talented than you are,
less trustworthy than you are,
less honourable than you are,
less intelligent than you are,
less rich than you are,
less well-read than you are.”
———————————
Where do you come up with this? I generally dislike all strangers. How do you know what white people generally do? I don’t even know that, and I’m white. This is basically hate speech with the intent of drumming up anger at whites.
If I were to write the some shit about blacks on par with this, it’d be censored immediately – and I think yours ought to be.
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Thanks for your thought, yes, thought, I doubt you do it plurally!
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You seem to be an uneducated fool. Your obviously a racist against white folk, and definitely have some psychological problems. You are generalising… All white people are not alike, similarly dare I say it, not all black people or Hispanic or Asian people are the same. You are ignorant and potentially stupid, and your argument encompasses all that is wrong with society. Everyone thinks they are better than you because your arrogant and unintelligent. I hope you can look at the world differently.
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@ Harry
I never said all Whites. I was very clear about that.
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@ Abagond
You probably know that Harry has to imagine you said “all whites.”
If he didn’t imagine this “ALL” then he might be excluded as an individual, and he would then have nothing to be offended about.
But “all” includes Harry. And that’s grounds for Harry’s feelings to be offended.
Without all, no offense.
With all, every offense.
“All” is quickly becoming the most seen, yet unstated, word in the English lexicon!
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You seem to be an uneducated fool. Your obviously a racist against white folk, and definitely have some psychological problems. You are generalising… All white people are not alike, similarly dare I say it, not all black people or Hispanic or Asian people are the same. You are ignorant and potentially stupid, and your argument encompasses all that is wrong with society. Everyone thinks they are better than you because your arrogant and unintelligent. I hope you can look at the world differently.
I enjoy being an uneducated fool, it’s fun, especially when responding to jackasses such as yourself. Being mentally deficient, I’d like to know how one can be ignorant but ‘potentially stupid’ at the same time? I quite enjoy being arrogant and stupid, everyone needs a hobby. But I do look at the world indifferently! Being clueless and oblivious has its’ perks. Sound familiar? Who are you referring to by the way?
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Honestly not trying offend you, but this is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read. Let me just point something out, you explain what white people think, correct? Are you white? If yes, apparently you are racist. So why would you even write this? If no, then what makes you think you have ANY idea what white people think? Saying that all white people are racist, IS RACIST! I’m a 14 year old white girl, who lives in a small town with not many black people. I treat them EXACTLY how I treat any other person. This made me pretty angry. Apparently I’m racist. Apparently I have NO IDEA what I think even though I’ve been thinking every thought that has ever appeared in my mind, and not a single one has been about how I’m thinking that I’m better than black people. You know why racism won’t go away? Because nobody ever drops it! Judging because of someone’s skin color is the definition of racist, yet that’s exactly what you’re doing in this post.
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@Abagond
Look, at you Abagond, baiting white people in such a cruel manner.
Reading the comments, I can still feel now the mental anguish their brains were registering as you accused them of racism, and all their fancy ‘we are all equal’ idealism was being tested to the limit.
Such was their mental anguish that many could not even take it, an automatic reset was pressed and they reverted back to good ol’ racism.
@ToAllWhitePeople
Live your truths. If you are not racist, then you are not racist. ‘Racism belongs to inferior minds’. Do not seek acceptance.
You have White privilege, of course you do, you live in a White society. Accept that fact and move on.
You have no choice to. What else are you going to do? Impoverish yourselves to prove you do not have it?
And then what? You will simply be called White Trash.
@ToAllBlackPeople
Black people live in a White society. White people have white privilege. Such is the way. What is to be done about it?
Trojan-Horse policy: acquire capital and pass on knowledge from under their nose.
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@ Sydney
Please reread the beginning of the post. I did not say ALL Whites nor did I claim to have psychic powers.
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Note that Sydney seems to be Asplund.
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I don’t know what Asplund means, but I don know that your post says “Whites”, “White People”, and “White Americans”. Even though you do say that “Most” at the beginning, you say those other words/phrases that apply to ALL white people. Not just “most”. Also, where did you get this information? A poll? A survey? A lie detector test? Or did you just infer or believe this to be true? If it’s the first one, I would like roses that research. If it’s the second one, that is unfair to post online because it most likely isn’t true, and it just gives “most” white people a bad reputation.
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@ Sydney
Right in the first paragraph I say, in italics:
Notice: No claims of telepathy. No claims of sociological research. No claims that what I say applies to ALL Whites. I state that it is “my take” about “the broad middle” of “white Americans”. That sets the scope of the post.
It would be tiresome and awkward to put “most” or “many” before every use of “Whites”. Nor is it required by the rules of English.
For more on the “not all Whites” thing, read this:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2011/12/17/the-not-all-whites-argument/
If you are interested in the sociology of racism, check out Eduardo Bonilla-Silva. The following post is based on his research:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2011/10/31/colour-blind-racism-the-four-frames/
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@Abagond; You should refer Harry and Sydney to that post you did about Reading While White. They seem to be pretty butt hurt.
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@ Sydney @ Harry
As Mary suggested:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2010/04/02/reading-while-white-this-blog/
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Whatever. This argument is so freaking stupid I’m not even gonna waste my time with it. You implied all of these things and don’t even care that it’s offensive. So have a Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas.
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@ Sydney
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/the-feelings-of-white-people/
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That “article” is ridiculous. If I offended you, I would apologize. I wouldn’t try to make you feel stupid. And the fact that you aren’t white, doesn’t mean anything! Even if you were white and you posted this, I would still be offended. You and people like you are the reason why racism won’t go away. BECAUSE YOU WILL NEVER DROP IT! I just tried to end this stupid debate, yet you had to carry it on by talking about how white people’s feelings don’t matter. Those posts you commented in reply to me, are racist and hippocritical. If I wrote this same thing and replaced the words with black, I’m 100% sure you would be offended too.
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If I wrote this same thing and replaced the words with black, I’m 100% sure you would be offended too.
Nope. I would be grateful if you wrote such a post as it would confirm to me the topic of this post; ‘how white people think’.
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Sydney
Common sense would tell you that if you wanted to drop it you would just stop freaking commenting. You don’t want to drop it. You want to burden us with your “my feelings are hurt” bs.
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No, LOM it does not.
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LOM
You can scream no all you want, but this post is clear that it refers to whites and does not separate it on merit of political affiliation.
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Two pet lizards at the same time.
Who could ask for more?
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@ Lord of Mirkwood.
Nope. It applies to both White liberals and conservatives, most of them.
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@ Lord of Mirkwood
I mean what I said: White Americans. Most of the Whites I have had dealings with are Irish, Italian, German, English and Jewish Americans, especially in and near New York.
SOME Jewish Americans get racism and know what is going on, having experienced anti-Semitism first-hand. Apart from them, most of the rest are like you, wilfully obtuse.
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Unless a person truly loves Jesus and has taken on the Jesus mindset, they will almost automatically always have racist views and opinions because they will look at statistics and stereotypes instead of looking at the person’s heart. No need to try and change and twist anyone’s racist issues until that person comes to love like Christ. Even if black people are considered heathen in the bible like the “heathen nations” in Africa a true Christian will see that they are more likely to make it to heaven than anyone else that is rich and high classed in this world.
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@ Dawn
Some of the worst racists in the world profess to be Christian and love Jesus.
Do we share the same understanding of the word “heathen”? Here is more information about that word and its meaning:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2016/03/28/the-term-heathen/
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I have set in church were the white preacher spewed something racist. I heard him say that much of black peoples worship was not authentic worship just a bunch of emotions. I had to get my purse and my bible and my friend who visited with me remarked “You’re pastor is a racist” and I couldn’t argue he is a racist. I live in a city in where one of the largest Southern Baptist Churches was founded by a white segregationist. How Jesus like is that? I have watched Christian television and heard a well known televangelist spew “I don’t believe in the races marrying and mixing together .” Even Pat Robertson on the 700 Club is a racist all while trying to convert people to Christianity.
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It takes a Jane Elliott or a Tim Wise to break it down about whiteness.
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@Afrofem
“Some of the worst racists in the world profess to be Christian and love Jesus.”
Very true, I’ve met plenty of racist Christians. And to be blunt, I’m no fan of religion in general. However, the handful of Whites that have historically stood up to slavery Jim Crow, and Western Imperialism have tended to be religious people. Of course, perhaps that isn’t the case today.
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@ Dawn
Ironically, your comment is biased against members of every other religion (and atheists/agnostics, for that matter).
“Unless a person truly follows Buddha’s teachings and practices mindful compassion for all beings, they will almost automatically always have racist views and opinions.”
See how that works?
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I went to a “white” church in my early teens in Maryland. When the state ordered mandatory desegregation of the schools, the church opened up a “Christian Academy” and had unqualified members of the congregation function as teachers, just so that their children would not have to go to school with blacks. I remember taking a tour of the school.
It really turned me off from going to church.
Several years later, I found myself having to walk about 5 miles home from the library just as it started to snow. A man stopped to pick me up to give me a ride. On the way, I found out he attended that church I used to attend, and he tried to see if I would be interested in attending his church. I told him that I used to go to that church, but stopped going, it was just too racist for me. “I attended that church for 5 years and never saw a single black person attend”. He then responded by telling me that they now had a black family in their church.
I did not accept his invitation.
But I had already seen plenty of that in my mother’s hometown in Alabama. They are even famous for racial violence straight after church Sunday service.
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/mothers-day-in-anniston/
It was in that town that I learned the word “heathen”, which applied to all blacks and to my entire father’s family as well. I would be a heathen too (ie, in league with the devil) unless I professed allegiance to their racist attitudes.
These were the “nice” Jesus-loving Christians I grew up with.
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Jefe said,
“the church opened up a “Christian Academy” and had unqualified members of the congregation function as teachers, just so that their children would not have to go to school with blacks.”
Same here
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Even some of the most virulent white supremacist profess to be Christians.
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@Dawn
“until that person comes to love like Christ”.
You do know that Dahmer was a born again Christian , right. So by your twisted Christian logic, cannibal Dahmer, is in heaven now and Einstein in hell.
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It is almost impossible to grow up in America without being racist no matter what color your skin is. Blacks can be racist too. I do agree with this.
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@Benjamin
There is some truth to that statement. Unfortunately that “handful of Whites” added very little weight to their side of the scales of justice. The other side was overloaded with Whites who used Biblical scripture to justify slavery, Jim Crow and Western Imperialism. I think that is still true today.
Religion seems to be a tool that can be used for positive or negative ends. Some of the most beautiful human efforts in history like art, music, literature, medicine and law have been inspired by religious belief.
Conversely, some of the the most depraved actions in human history such as war, genocide, torture, theft and wanton destruction have been sanctioned by religious fanaticism and opportunism.
I suppose all tools can be used to build or destroy.
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@Afrofem: Succinct and biting commentary in response to poster Benjamin.
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@Mary Burrell
I always crack up with laughter when I hear some White Supremacist say silly things like that.
They tend to gloss over the fact that it was European people (men) who traveled all over the globe and had a hard time keeping those pantaloons buttoned when they met other groups of people in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia and Polynesia.
Other people did not travel to Europe and “jump their bones” or forcefully intermingle with them.
They should stop being so hypocritical. Besides, people are people. We are all the same “race” in the dark.
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@Afrofem: Exactly.
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LOL
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Is it not racist to categorize an entire race as racist? Maybe at some point it’s an engendered part of humanity to group people together based on appearance, regardless of whether we know that to be right or wrong. That’s not specific to white people, that’s not specific to America, that’s a fact of the human psyche.
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“Is it not racist to categorize an entire race as racist?”
@ Boriole
Is it not racist for an entire group of people to call themselves WHITE and set aside for themselves all manner of privileges and benefits – while marginalizing and mistreating those who are deemed NOT-WHITE??
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@Fan
So true, so true!
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I think he meant black. 🙂
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Is it not racist to categorize an entire race as racist?
Everyone needs jolility and entertainments!
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You’re right of course. They are also so brainwashed from birth that they think they’re physically incapable of being dirty. I’ve worked in many companies and WITHOUT EXCEPTION the white male will be the majority of the individuals that either improperly wash their hands, meaning not using any soap, after using the restroom or not wash them at all… regardless of which they’ve done….eeeeuuwww. I make it a point to not shake hands with these Pigs wherever possible. This is an arrogance that repeats itself over and over again. Ironically, while most other races are comparatively cleaner, they are viewed by these arrogant Pigs as dirty! White people are also some sick bastards… mentally. Look at almost all of the really creepy murders that have taken place throughout the years… they’re all committed by these Sicko’s. There’s almost no redeeming qualities about the white races at all that are worth mentioning. History will remember them as a sick hiccup in human evolution. I hate saying this as my biological mother was white. I look Mexican but am not, a fact which I hated for many years before realizing that it was the white pigs who created this negative reaction to the Mexican race to begin with. While not being Mexican, and sometimes I wish I were, just to have a race I could call my own, I came to the realization that the Mexican nationals are wonderful people, much better than those born and raised in the U.S. All that being said, not all white people are bad. My wife and mother weren’t. While they can’t/couldn’t help they’re brainwashed upbringing, they’re not inherently bad. But when those characteristics are brought to light and pointed out, they’re the ones being persecuted…sick huh? That’s White arrogance
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@Mark DeLaVega
Mexicans are not a race. Mexico is a country and Mexicans are a nationality.
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it was no hot water yesterday someone had to have insulation all over them to get that job done
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“Racism is like a Cadillac, they bring out a new model every year.”-Malcolm X
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i was surprised diary was back up i guess herneiths site linked to it what is that flugelhorns so trogs etc noone is saying that all come on now or not me
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. I’ve worked in many companies and WITHOUT EXCEPTION the white male will be the majority of the individuals that either improperly wash their hands, meaning not using any soap, after using the restroom or not wash them at all… regardless of which they’ve done….eeeeuuwww.
You’re right. Many a time I’ve stood by the men’s washroom. I noticed the white men did not wash their hand whether they shook hands with the devil or took a dump. It is for this reason, I will not shake their hands or eat any food they prepare. Don’t get me started about other people and their filthy habits!
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@Mary Burrell
Loved that quote. Malcolm X should have added that they ride the heck out of that new model until the engine burns up.
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I stumbled upon a different post of yours by accident this morning, but have been poking around randomly (and some not so randomly). I did not read the 287 comments here because I decided this would be the last post I read for today before I read it, so I am commenting quickly as I have to “sign off” for now (which makes me think of AOL, and that I’m getting old and will feel ancient if you do not know what AOL is). Anyway, what I mean to say is that I hope I don’t get sent to the broken records department, but I feel very inclined to ask: what is your “definition” – not meant to be sarcastic; I mean a personal, loose definition for your own reference – of a non-racist white? Can you perhaps describe one, or have an example of one that you have met? This may seem to be like I’m abruptly changing the subject, but in reality it’s because I asked you for the definition of a non-racist white when I should have written something different, I don’t know if you have ever explored this issue here, but I think most of what you describe is actually prejudice rather than racism, by definition. I thought to bring this up because I clicked on a post I saw that I’ll have to read later, but the title was something about how black racism is different than white racism. When I just said “by definition” I suppose I am speaking from my place in the world; part of that is my education and career, social work, and I remember distinctly the class I had about the difference between the two terms, and that blacks (or any racial minority) cannot be racist – but surely they can be prejudiced. Also, I did not start this post with the fact that I am white because I did not want your eyes to start thinking about my question with any clue as to who or what I am, especially my race. So going back to my original question – and I will use racism in the terms that it is used on this blog (and most of America, unless you care enough to do research or you’re a social worker educated in a class called “Diversity and Oppression” where on the first day of class your assignment was to come up with as many examples as you could from the media of “white is right”) you know that not ALL white people are racist, as you said above “most.” I am wondering where I would fit in your eyes. I briefly saw somewhere the breakdown you had of types of racism, and in my opinion on the “liberal” end of the spectrum would be the typical “I don’t see color, I see the person” – actually while yes some are racism (or prejudiced), I think many are ignorant, but not necessarily racist. In the past, I have said things that equate to being colorblind. Then I got educated. I see color. Other than wearing glasses, I don’t have any vision issues. In fact, color is the first thing I see at least 75% of the time; 25% of the time I will first see that they have a Nintendo shirt that I love, or something that really stands out like 100 facial piercings that spell out “hello.” Do I think I am racist or prejudiced? As a whole, no; however, I have a few prejudices that I am aware of and address with myself. If I see something I don’t understand, I don’t assume anymore, I ask questions, including the hard ones. And that’s why I am here right now, and why my wife is going to kill me for being late. Oh, I’m a lesbian too – and Jewish – do those matter? Do they make me less racist? I’m actually kidding – because while I joke homophobia is the new acceptable form of prejudice, it’s not the same as race for many, many reasons – and while I feel like in my personal life that has overshadowed being Jewish by a landslide, it is my culture that *in my personal opinion* is very close – not the same, but close – to being a racial minority. Most of us are, and therefore look, white, so it is absolutely a different ballpark. We are a cultural minority, and many argue ethnic minority, and there was a time when I would be referred to as part of the “Jewish Race,” (Jews were not white, and to this day there are some people who say that if you are Jewish you are not white – the anti-Semitic people of course, but also argued by people who aren’t for a completely different reason) a race that is disgusting and subhuman, referred to as such on a daily basis, and deserve to die in the most inhumane way possible alongside my (estimated) 6-10 million friends. Those of us who are the children and grandchildren of the small group who just barely survived are more empathetic than I imagine you ever have or will know. Now I’m really late, and probably off topic, but hopefully you don’t throw me into the broken record collection because I still want to hear your thoughts about my original question. And because it took me 5 whole minutes to create an account for this comment, before I realized you could comment without having an account. 🙂 I apologize if any of this doesn’t make sense, repeats itself, etc. but while I normally proofread now I am running out of my door —
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Apologies accepted for this ‘short’ reply. I am off to see the optometrist!
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@ justanothervoiceweb
You ought to know that your communication skills need a LOT of work!
That is unless your superpower is Mass Confusion brought upon by an inordinate litany of words, that amounts to way too much unneeded/disorganized information.
I really hope your social work clients don’t experience THIS YOU on a regular basis.
I’m off to have my head massaged!
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@ justanothervoiceweb.
Dictionaries define words according to their common use, so I try to stick to that. When I do not, it leads to misunderstanding.
Without looking at a dictionary, though, it would be someone who does not judge people by their race, who does not jump to conclusions based on that, who does not stereotype, fear, hate or look down on people because of it, who is not made uncomfortable by difference, by otherness.
Sometimes Whites seem overly polite. That is racist too, though, as racisms go, it is hardly the worst.
“Not seeing colour” is, in my experience, racist. Most people who say that seem to be made uncomfortable by difference.
I have known only one White person in real life who did not seem racist. And, come to think of it, he probably did have family who died in the Holocaust. He seemed to openly accept everyone regardless of colour and seemed to be without pretension.
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@Abagond
“I have known only one White person in real life who did not seem racist. […] He seemed to openly accept everyone regardless of colour and seemed to be without pretension.”
I have only met three White people who did not seem racist. They were able to say simple “hellos” while looking me in the eye. They used plain, respectful English when addressing everyone (no vulgarities, phony dialects or slang). The one who was a toucher, touched everyone. They had no problem inviting me over to their home for a meal.
Those people are so very rare.
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@ Afrofem
Oh yeah, phoney dialects. And asking about Kwanzaa.
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@justanothervoiceweb: A lot of mental gymnastics and all that it amounted to was incoherent drivel. My head hurts trying to read that.
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@Fan&Herneith: I know right.
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@ justanothervoiceweb
You asked:
“I am wondering where I would fit in your eyes.”
No one can know you well enough from one post on an internet site to give a meaningful answer to that question.
However, you might want to think about what makes that question so important to you. It sounds like you may be seeking for validation from strangers that you are not a racist. What does it mean for you to be so needy as to pose such a question to an anonymous black blogger whom you have never met?
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In reply to quite a few of you, it was INITIALLY intended to be a short comment but ended up being a disorganized ramble, I agree. Instead you received stream of consciousness since I write in that manner, and then typically I would spend a lot of time editing my scrambled brain to make sense on paper. I also stated that I apologize if it ends up as such because I did not proofread it, therefore you received my stream of consciousness. I could have waited to comment so that this did not happen, but I did not realize that my writing style would be a source of criticism and the ONLY thing that several of you would focus on, completely ignoring the actual content. You can be as sarcastic and insulting as you would like if you had something of substance to say with it, but otherwise it was a waste of virtual space.
For the two people who actually had anything to say:
Abagond:
I think the most important thing you said was “who is not made uncomfortable by difference, by otherness.” That is hard to find, and this applies to just about any attribute of a person, race just being on of them. In regards to race, though, I think those few words were enough to answer my long question. Without going into my life story, I was very uncomfortable for most of my life due to how and where I was raised, until experience and near total immersion into the otherness virtually erased it, with room for a few exceptions (I do not like absolutes).
I think it is interesting that the one person you described may have family who died in the Holocaust. My grandmother was the only survivor of her family – 8 siblings / parents / cousins etc. and I think that her story had a direct impact on how I see otherness, race included. This is not universal, of course, just an observation of myself and a connection to the person you described.
Solitaire:
I did not mean where I, personally, would fit in the eyes of this blogger – though I see why it sounds that way from the wording. I have absolutely no need to seek validation from a random blogger. I am not presenting myself to any black person and asking for a final judgment as to whether or not I am racist. Nor am I asking this of Abagond, of course, but this was written to Abagond for a reason, in response to what I have read from Abagond; I do not consider myself racist (at least now that I have moved past the ignorance of colorblindness), and I agree with what Abagond has written about the different types of racists. Abagond presents that almost all white people are racist, so it leads me to question if there is something within myself that I need to explore. I don’t think I am any more or less special than anyone else. I do not need Abagond for validation, to be the voice of all black people, or to say “hey, you are one of the very few non-racist whites; congratulations, you are a good person!” The only thing you are right about is that this question was to benefit myself – not for validation, but for self-discovery. As a clinical social worker I was taught to regularly explore, and most importantly acknowledge my prejudices, in order to be an effective therapist. A bias that is left unexplored in the subconscious can have a severe impact in therapeutic treatment. With that said, I can care less if Abagond thinks I am a racist. What I want to know is if there is something I am missing if most whites are racist, yet I don’t think I am.
To spite my writing haters, I will leave this however long it is, and completely unedited. I’m sure I said what I intended to to within this comment, even if it is long-winded and scattered. If I need to write in a certain manner in order to be taken seriously and discuss a real topic of substance, then you are just not relevant.
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“If I need to write in a certain manner in order to be taken seriously and discuss a real topic of substance, then you are just not relevant.”
.
And you’re are just not – LUCID.
First impressions….
There are no special privileges doled out here. You can’t come here and lay out your confused mess and expect everyone to digest …. !
You may not like the way some of us responded to you, but you should consider it FAIR, HONEST and TRUTHFUL.
It would have been better to have waited/edited than to rush to write something most people aren’t going to understand.
Apologizing in advance (as in your first comment) does not make your stuff more palatable/acceptable/digestible.
In effect, the more you write, the less vindicated you appear in what you’re attempting to convey.
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Justonthervoice writes “Streams of consciousness” ect is bat sh*t crazy proves the post point perfectly.
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This person is just another white supremacist. Firstly, you demand to be taken ‘seriously’ after subjecting the readers to a long winded, jumbled diatribe. You are par for the course in that you demand Black people ‘engage, respond’ whatever, and cast whoever does not respond as you wish to your bs as irrelevant. You know what? Years ago, I learnt, gave up trying to ‘engage, debate and educate white people. Posters like you reinforce this time and again. It’s like michaeljohnbaker writes;
Justonthervoice writes “Streams of consciousness” ect is bat sh*t crazy proves the post point perfectly. This is from the horses mouth so to speak, a fellow white person.
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@michaeljonbarker: I concur Justanothervoice is bat sh*t crazy and he/she is the one the irrelevant one. What an imbecile.
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*he/she is the irrelevant one* ^^^typo.
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@ justanothervoiceweb
“What I want to know is if there is something I am missing if most whites are racist, yet I don’t think I am.”
“It leads me to question if there is something within myself that I need to explore.”
Well, I would say from the reactions of a number of regular black posters, the answer is yes — there are still things you are missing, still things you need to work on. I mean, you actually got a serious response from Herneith, who would usually just tell someone like you to take a flying leap to Uranus.
Personally I abandoned the “I do not consider myself a racist” mindset a long time ago. I find it more effective to work with the model of “I am a recovering racist.” With this mindset, I don’t have to ask anyone if there’s something I’m missing — because I already acknowledge that there is and I pay attention to my thoughts and actions in order to identify those things and root them out.
I do actually understand the feeling of “how is it possible so many white people are racist?” For example, what Abagond said above concerning white people asking about Kwanzaa — I’ve never seen that happen and was surprised when I read it. But I believe him when he says it, and I added it to my list of things to watch out for so if it happens in my presence I can challenge the white person who does it.
We all have a lot of baggage from growing up breathing white supremacy and floating in white privilege. Perhaps part of the problem comes from thinking of “racist” as an absolute that you either are or aren’t, instead of a continuum.
I also found this comment really interesting:
“With that said, I can care less if Abagond thinks I am a racist.”
Would you feel the same way if Abagond said he didn’t think you were a racist? Do you not care about his opinion either way?
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Instead of trying to reason out or justify your supremacism (i write in general), you should treat it as a disease or an addiction. There are certain triggers that occur that cause one to fall off the wagon or backslide into old habits, so to speak. When one recognizes the trigger(s), one can try to overcome them with self-education, or, give in to them. White people know they are racist, this is evinced in the way they react to being called out on it (by those who care to do so), or being called racist blatantly. Shoot, even the allusion of being called a racist evokes a gamut of responses. The first thing they can do is stop lying to themselves and become more introspective. Don’t get snarky with the ‘messengers’, those who kindly take the time and have the patience to respond to you.
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@ justanothervoiceweb
The addiction model is not a bad one. I wrote a post along those lines:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/how-to-tell-if-a-white-person-is-a-recovering-racist/
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justanothervoiceweb
If you really insist on calling your logorrhoeic rambling ‘streams of consciousness’, then you must be deluded and on a very bad trip of cheap horse. You should leave streams of consciousness to the masters like Toni Morrison, James Joyce and Samuel Beckett.
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I’m unsure why it’s just the whites who have to feel guilty when Hispanics owned the Majority of slaves in the Americas and killed many native Americans, as well as black people who owned slaves and killed native Americans. It’s not just one person’s guilt to carry… Being an Alaskan native I’m kind of confused as to why the need to have one race shamed for wrong doing in this continent, when it seems all had their hand in the cookie jar at one time..
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@Andrew
“…Hispanics owned the Majority of slaves in the Americas and killed many native Americans, as well as black people who owned slaves and killed native Americans.”
Cite some sources to back up your claims. Share some links.
Put up or shut up…Alaska “native”!
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@Andrew
when Hispanics owned the Majority of slaves in the Americas and killed many native Americans
Most of those Hispanics would’ve been White, as people from Spain are White.
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white and hispanic it is today on the form or non hispanic
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they called the block runner ‘white b*’ on the dorm i was in and he looked puerto rican but didn’t publicilly speak spanish, his haircut? it’s wierd but everyone has their characteristic style or whatever. this guy was like ‘very light skinned’ but noone says that
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🙂 (not all)
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well written post
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A black person thought I cared about what happened to black people in the USA by white people, but I said I don’t as that’s racist to assume anybody I’m related to or know had anything to do with that, because of my skin colour.
My ancestors were working class white people who fought for worker rights, and other things that now make western societies desirable places to live
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^^^ Cool story dude.
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Even though I agree withe this post. I live in the City of East Orange NJ and it’s been called by the Star Ledger/ NJ.Com one of the ten least diverse cities in New Jersey. The atmosphere here is very unwelcoming to anyone that is not African American. So as you stated in your post about white people at times it’s the same for other races that are the majority in any town. I’ve lived in East Orange for 55 years on and off and even before going to kindergarten I was treated bad and had to defend myself practically 3 to four times a week in school. Today it has gotten worst at time goes by. East Orange NJ remains a city that is not diverse nor does it apologize for it. You see everyday. People don’t say hello, when some other race comes into the community you see the difference in the manner citizen look at them . Unfortunately, I’ve learned to keep to myself and not speak because their is no use, their are exceptions to this awful behavior. I’ve have had good friends in this city but they are all gone today. The city needs a diverse sence starting with it’s Mayor, City Council, Police Department and also department heads in the city, down to city workers which look at you like you are an inconvenience when you go to city hall to conduct business or assistance. Mind you this small town yet Mayor’s salary is $141,000.00 a year and the largest city in the state Newark it’s Mayor gets paid less than our mayor.
Our mayor knows what’s going on yet has no intention to admit that their are huge problems when it comes to diversity in the city and city employees. You would figure as I do, If some wronged you with racist behavior you would make an example and not repeat that behavior In yourself and our city leadership. Be well
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Hello Abagond,
I replied to this post many years ago as an ignorant 14 year old girl. I apologize for the things I said and my lack of listening to your experience. I know my apology can in no way undo the offense I caused when I wrote those things, but I wanted to thank you for writing this article and putting up with ignorant people like myself, trying to educate us. I have grown a lot since I posted my original comments. I now laugh at the people who react like myself and try to educate bigots and be a good ally.
I hope you have a good night,
Sydney
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@ Sydney
Glad to be of service. It is good to know it is not all in vain. Thank you.
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