When Whites Just Don’t Get It

[orangeblossom]

I'm totally with you on "the blacks" of any other "the's". I in a went to a talk at The Heritage Foundation (I was forced to for work), af the speaker kept using terms like that when talking about women, specifically black women on welfare.

It was so uncomfortable, though one of my coworkers did call him out on it though. Our group organizer apologized to us for the presentation after the fact.

The whole notion of anti-white racism being a bigger problem than racism against people of color, give me a break. Does the problem exist, sure if does, but it is not a bigger problem.

White people are tired of hearing about it, because it's true, what many thought was this post-racial society, is in fact, not. It is uncomfortable to confront inequality and harsh treatment based on race. Then, of course, there are the O'Reilly's of the world who think black people are money-hungry race baited looking for a jsnce to point out their perceived injustices, so they can use for said money.

[bronxgirl]

It's disheartening to hear the disparities that still exist and how willfully ignorant many white people choose to be to avoid responsibility. Sadly I'm not surprised to hear how many white people don't think racial disparities exist, but I am surprised to hear how many people think anti-white racism is a problem.

[ijack]

I don't really get the Jesse Jackson quote - does that mean he thinks a white person wouldn't rob him?

[Deleted]

The thing about the anti white racism is that it really doesn't harm anyone outside of some unpleasant encounters. I mean really, so Rasheed in accounting doesn't want to invite your waspy ass to his Ramadan celebration. Big fucking woo.

But when is the last time you didn't get a promotion because you were white or your son was arrested for looking white and hanging out on a street corner? Has anyone ever been given a harsher sentence because they were white?

I mean really, people.

[readyin07]

Sept 1, 2014 12:17:44 GMT -5 @helenabonhamcarter said:

The thing about the anti white racism is that it really doesn't harm anyone outside of some unpleasant encounters. I mean really, so Rasheed in accounting doesn't want to invite your waspy ass to his Ramadan celebration. Big fucking woo.

But when is the last time you didn't get a promotion because you were white or your son was arrested for looking white and hanging out on a street corner? Has anyone ever been given a harsher sentence because they were white?

I mean really, people.

I can't lie and say that I don't guffaw at the idea of the threat of anti-white racism, but this kind of thinking is problematic too in other ways. It makes me think of the MLK quote "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Is it the same threat? No, of course it isn't and I won't pretend it is, but any kind of racism becomes systemic and divisive and shouldn't b dismissed lightly.

[NitaX]

What I'd really like is for people to stop dismissing these issues. I get real tired of random ass FB updates from white folks that ignore these issues as if black folks just made that shit up.

[readyin07]

Sept 1, 2014 13:04:56 GMT -5 NitaX said:

What I'd really like is for people to stop dismissing these issues. I get real tired of random ass FB updates from white folks that ignore these issues as if black folks just made that shit up.

Curious how people think we can better educate "white people" who think racism doesn't exist today...really how do we do that? It is hard to understand it when you don't live it. 

I went to to a wealthy private school (I was one of the poor folks ). The minorities that attended school with me were all from wealthy families and  I think we were all taught the whole idea of "color blindness" which I know now from my life experiences is not the way to discuss race in America. But I will never forget driving in a pretty wealthy area with two male friends who were black and noticing cops up ahead. And my friend told the driver to turn at the corner so we wouldn't have to "get into it." I was clueless and they were like yeah, we are two black dudes driving with a white girl in a nice part of town, at night, in a brand new car. That is going to attract some attention we don't want. It opened up a long discussion about racism and  what it was like to be black that I had never thought about before. But not everybody gets that chance so how do we do it?

[Deleted]

Sept 1, 2014 13:02:21 GMT -5 readyin07 said:

Sept 1, 2014 12:17:44 GMT -5 @helenabonhamcarter said:

The thing about the anti white racism is that it really doesn't harm anyone outside of some unpleasant encounters. I mean really, so Rasheed in accounting doesn't want to invite your waspy ass to his Ramadan celebration. Big fucking woo.

But when is the last time you didn't get a promotion because you were white or your son was arrested for looking white and hanging out on a street corner? Has anyone ever been given a harsher sentence because they were white?

I mean really, people.

I can't lie and say that I don't guffaw at the idea of the threat of anti-white racism, but this kind of thinking is problematic too in other ways. It makes me think of the MLK quote "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Is it the same threat? No, of course it isn't and I won't pretend it is, but any kind of racism becomes systemic and divisive and shouldn't b dismissed lightly.

Then you're missing the point.

No one is saying it should be ignored. Only that it's the systemic racism that needs to be combated and you can't do so by saying well, there are black people out there who don't like white folks, why don't we care about that?

I do not have the words to go further into why this is fucking stupid as shit and why there is no way in hell racism against whites is at risk of being systemic. 

[readyin07]

Then I agree that I am missing the point. Listen, I don't think that anti white racism is a pervasive problem that needs its own task force. It doesn't keep me up at night. But to say big woo bc Rasheed doesn't invite the white person to his Ramadan party BC HE IS WHITE...well that is the attitude that has race relations a mess in this country. Small things become big things, No, it is not keeping random white dude from getting a job, it is not a "big" problem in and of itself and of course I do not think this is going to lead to anti white racism becoming a systemic problem in America. But I am also one who thinks that you have to cut racism off at its roots anywhere and everywhere you find it.

[Deleted]

Sept 1, 2014 14:18:14 GMT -5 readyin07 said:

Then I agree that I am missing the point. Listen, I don't think that anti white racism is a pervasive problem that needs its own task force. It doesn't keep me up at night. But to say big woo bc Rasheed doesn't invite the white person to his Ramadan party BC HE IS WHITE...well that is the attitude that has race relations a mess in this country. Small things become big things, No, it is not keeping random white dude from getting a job, it is not a "big" problem in and of itself and of course I do not think this is going to lead to anti white racism becoming a systemic problem in America. But I am also one who thinks that you have to cut racism off at its roots anywhere and everywhere you find it.

"The problem is that white people see racism as conscious hate, when racism is bigger than that. Racism is a complex system of social and political levers and pulleys set up generations ago to continue working on the behalf of whites at other people’s expense, whether whites know/like it or not. Racism is an insidious cultural disease. It is so insidious that it doesn’t care if you are a white person who likes black people; it’s still going to find a way to infect how you deal with people who don’t look like you. Yes, racism looks like hate, but hate is just one manifestation. Privilege is another. Access is another. Ignorance is another. Apathy is another. And so on. So while I agree with people who say no one is born racist, it remains a powerful system that we’re immediately born into. It’s like being born into air: you take it in as soon as you breathe. It’s not a cold that you can get over. There is no anti-racist certification class. It’s a set of socioeconomic traps and cultural values that are fired up every time we interact with the world. It is a thing you have to keep scooping out of the boat of your life to keep from drowning in it. I know it’s hard work, but it’s the price you pay for owning everything."

- Scott Woods

Racism is not "oh, I just don't like ________ people."

[Deleted]

Oh and this one:

"We have made enormous progress in teaching everyone that racism is bad. Where we seem to have dropped the ball… is in teaching people what racism actually IS."

- Jon Stewart

[blink]

I hate when anti-white racism gets thrown into discussions. It always seems to be used as an excuse to downplay systemic racism or to equate them. Maybe I'm wrong, but it always comes across ultra-privileged to me, like the only reason we need to care about racism nowadays is how it affects white people.

[Deleted]

Sept 1, 2014 14:57:24 GMT -5 blink said:

I hate when anti-white racism gets thrown into discussions. It always seems to be used as an excuse to downplay systemic racism or to equate them. Maybe I'm wrong, but it always comes across ultra-privileged to me, like the only reason we need to care about racism nowadays is how it affects white people.

It always strikes me as an argument against making things too equal. It seems to be couched in terms that suggest that now that we've given other races some measure of equality, they are using it to persecute whites.

[StrawberryBlondie]

"There's racism against white people too!" always sounds kind of like "I have black friends!" to me.

[mx27]

Sept 1, 2014 14:46:20 GMT -5 @helenabonhamcarter said:

Sept 1, 2014 14:18:14 GMT -5 readyin07 said:

Then I agree that I am missing the point. Listen, I don't think that anti white racism is a pervasive problem that needs its own task force. It doesn't keep me up at night. But to say big woo bc Rasheed doesn't invite the white person to his Ramadan party BC HE IS WHITE...well that is the attitude that has race relations a mess in this country. Small things become big things, No, it is not keeping random white dude from getting a job, it is not a "big" problem in and of itself and of course I do not think this is going to lead to anti white racism becoming a systemic problem in America. But I am also one who thinks that you have to cut racism off at its roots anywhere and everywhere you find it.

"The problem is that white people see racism as conscious hate, when racism is bigger than that. Racism is a complex system of social and political levers and pulleys set up generations ago to continue working on the behalf of whites at other people’s expense, whether whites know/like it or not. Racism is an insidious cultural disease. It is so insidious that it doesn’t care if you are a white person who likes black people; it’s still going to find a way to infect how you deal with people who don’t look like you. Yes, racism looks like hate, but hate is just one manifestation. Privilege is another. Access is another. Ignorance is another. Apathy is another. And so on. So while I agree with people who say no one is born racist, it remains a powerful system that we’re immediately born into. It’s like being born into air: you take it in as soon as you breathe. It’s not a cold that you can get over. There is no anti-racist certification class. It’s a set of socioeconomic traps and cultural values that are fired up every time we interact with the world. It is a thing you have to keep scooping out of the boat of your life to keep from drowning in it. I know it’s hard work, but it’s the price you pay for owning everything."

- Scott Woods

Racism is not "oh, I just don't like ________ people."

exactly.

"racism" is not synonymous with "dislike" or "hate."

the word racism gets thrown around so much these days, it has damn near lost all meaning for some people.

[ijack]

Sept 1, 2014 15:30:53 GMT -5 mx27 said:

Sept 1, 2014 14:46:20 GMT -5 @helenabonhamcarter said:

"The problem is that white people see racism as conscious hate, when racism is bigger than that. Racism is a complex system of social and political levers and pulleys set up generations ago to continue working on the behalf of whites at other people’s expense, whether whites know/like it or not. Racism is an insidious cultural disease. It is so insidious that it doesn’t care if you are a white person who likes black people; it’s still going to find a way to infect how you deal with people who don’t look like you. Yes, racism looks like hate, but hate is just one manifestation. Privilege is another. Access is another. Ignorance is another. Apathy is another. And so on. So while I agree with people who say no one is born racist, it remains a powerful system that we’re immediately born into. It’s like being born into air: you take it in as soon as you breathe. It’s not a cold that you can get over. There is no anti-racist certification class. It’s a set of socioeconomic traps and cultural values that are fired up every time we interact with the world. It is a thing you have to keep scooping out of the boat of your life to keep from drowning in it. I know it’s hard work, but it’s the price you pay for owning everything."

- Scott Woods

Racism is not "oh, I just don't like ________ people."

exactly.

"racism" is not synonymous with "dislike" or "hate."

the word racism gets thrown around so much these days, it has damn near lost all meaning for some people.

This is really, really what everyone needs to learn. But people are so blind to it that it's infuriating.

[kirra]

Sept 1, 2014 14:48:56 GMT -5 @helenabonhamcarter said:

Oh and this one:

"We have made enormous progress in teaching everyone that racism is bad. Where we seem to have dropped the ball… is in teaching people what racism actually IS."

- Jon Stewart

I've learned most of what I know about racism from lurking on this board. 

I was taught that racism is bad, and that it's treating people badly because of their skin color, and in history classes we were given examples of racism in the past, but they were all just that- past examples. I did learn more in some of my literature classes in college, but it was still pretty limited.

[aurora]

Sept 1, 2014 14:46:20 GMT -5 @helenabonhamcarter said:

...

"The problem is that white people see racism as conscious hate, when racism is bigger than that. Racism is a complex system of social and political levers and pulleys set up generations ago to continue working on the behalf of whites at other people’s expense, whether whites know/like it or not. Racism is an insidious cultural disease. It is so insidious that it doesn’t care if you are a white person who likes black people; it’s still going to find a way to infect how you deal with people who don’t look like you. Yes, racism looks like hate, but hate is just one manifestation. Privilege is another. Access is another. Ignorance is another. Apathy is another. And so on. So while I agree with people who say no one is born racist, it remains a powerful system that we’re immediately born into. It’s like being born into air: you take it in as soon as you breathe. It’s not a cold that you can get over. There is no anti-racist certification class. It’s a set of socioeconomic traps and cultural values that are fired up every time we interact with the world. It is a thing you have to keep scooping out of the boat of your life to keep from drowning in it. I know it’s hard work, but it’s the price you pay for owning everything."

- Scott Woods

Fantastic quote. Thanks for sharing it.

When I hear people complain about anti-white racism I always assume they're referring to affirmative action. (To be clear, I don't view affirmative action as racist, but I do think there are people who do.)

[cinnamoncox]

Sept 1, 2014 13:04:56 GMT -5 NitaX said:

What I'd really like is for people to stop dismissing these issues. I get real tired of random ass FB updates from white folks that ignore these issues as if black folks just made that shit up.

Seriously. If one more person on my Facebook posts an article from goddamned three or four years ago about a white guy who was beaten by a cop I'm going to unfriend all the dumb asses once and for all.

(And usually when a cop beats a white guy, he was high on meth, not minding his own business, or even just getting flip)

[racegrrl714]

Sept 1, 2014 14:48:56 GMT -5 @helenabonhamcarter said:

Oh and this one:

"We have made enormous progress in teaching everyone that racism is bad. Where we seem to have dropped the ball… is in teaching people what racism actually IS."

- Jon Stewart

I can't like this one enough.

[downtoearth]

I always think I understand the basis of racism and the social and economic inequalities that are the result and the basis of racism until I read more about it. Plus the entrenched racism from not being able to relate is the worst. Why can't we bridge this gap?

"Some straight people have gradually changed their attitudes toward gays after realizing that their friends — or children — were gay. Researchers have found that male judges are more sympathetic to women’s rights when they have daughters. Yet because of the de facto segregation of America, whites are unlikely to have many black friends: A study from the Public Religion Research Institute suggests that in a network of 100 friends, a white person, on average, has one black friend."

[NitaX]

Sept 1, 2014 13:23:49 GMT -5 readyin07 said:

Sept 1, 2014 13:04:56 GMT -5 NitaX said:

What I'd really like is for people to stop dismissing these issues. I get real tired of random ass FB updates from white folks that ignore these issues as if black folks just made that shit up.

Curious how people think we can better educate "white people" who think racism doesn't exist today...really how do we do that? It is hard to understand it when you don't live it. 

I went to to a wealthy private school (I was one of the poor folks ). The minorities that attended school with me were all from wealthy families and  I think we were all taught the whole idea of "color blindness" which I know now from my life experiences is not the way to discuss race in America. But I will never forget driving in a pretty wealthy area with two male friends who were black and noticing cops up ahead. And my friend told the driver to turn at the corner so we wouldn't have to "get into it." I was clueless and they were like yeah, we are two black dudes driving with a white girl in a nice part of town, at night, in a brand new car. That is going to attract some attention we don't want. It opened up a long discussion about racism and  what it was like to be black that I had never thought about before. But not everybody gets that chance so how do we do it?

Is it my job to educate white people? Because let me tell you, I get tired. The onus always seems to fall on the minority group to prove some slight exists. Each time we trot out articles or say something happens it's dismissed. Instead, we're thrown into discussion about how black folks are racist too.

It you want to better educate people - that quite frankly starts with white folks figuring out how to explain it to other white folks. We didn't create the construct, so why we're the ones who have to tear it down confuses me. We've systematically chipped away at a number of things - but that final construct - the one that comes from the community who created it, needs to be the one who finally says - my fellow white folks - we're fucking shit up and not making it better. 

No many how many times I say - I need to be careful in dealing with police; I need to keep my receipts - it falls on deaf ears. Today, I was a little worried that my fishing around in my big ass purse to find my phone while holding a product would have someone think I was trying to steal the product. While I'm standing in my suit on my way to work to get some dayum motrin, I'm worried someone might think I was trying to steal a bottle of pills because I was opening my purse to get my phone to Google an ingredients list. That's real life. And that's a real construct that I worry about being thought to be a thief in a store because I'm black. 

Personally, I don't think anyone cares to destroy that final construct. Because everyone equates racism with crosses on fire and the KKK. But, I think the more uncomfortable notion is to really look in the mirror and ask - how do I continue to play a role in this? Not with hate - but with silence. Silence allows this stuff to thrive. If you don't ever discuss it, then you keep it alive and well.

[Deleted]

Sept 2, 2014 11:29:13 GMT -5 NitaX said:

No many how many times I say - I need to be careful in dealing with police; I need to keep my receipts - it falls on deaf ears. Today, I was a little worried that my fishing around in my big ass purse to find my phone while holding a product would have someone think I was trying to steal the product. While I'm standing in my suit on my way to work to get some dayum motrin, I'm worried someone might think I was trying to steal a bottle of pills because I was opening my purse to get my phone to Google an ingredients list. That's real life. And that's a real construct that I worry about being thought to be a thief in a store because I'm black. 

Personally, I don't think anyone cares to destroy that final construct. Because everyone equates racism with crosses on fire and the KKK. But, I think the more uncomfortable notion is to really look in the mirror and ask - how do I continue to play a role in this? Not with hate - but with silence. Silence allows this stuff to thrive. If you don't ever discuss it, then you keep it alive and well.

See and this is why I don't like carrying around cloth bags in stores that are not grocery stores. I feel like if I stick this pattern in my little tote bag while I'm browsing, sure enough some fool is going to think I'm trying to steal shit. Even though other people do it just fine and it's becoming a generally accepted practice. I just cannot bring myself to do it because I worry about being accused of stealing.

[callie]

Sept 2, 2014 11:29:13 GMT -5 NitaX said:

No many how many times I say - I need to be careful in dealing with police; I need to keep my receipts - it falls on deaf ears. Today, I was a little worried that my fishing around in my big ass purse to find my phone while holding a product would have someone think I was trying to steal the product. While I'm standing in my suit on my way to work to get some dayum motrin, I'm worried someone might think I was trying to steal a bottle of pills because I was opening my purse to get my phone to Google an ingredients list. That's real life. And that's a real construct that I worry about being thought to be a thief in a store because I'm black. 

My youngest sister in law, who is white, was in town some months ago and we went shopping together. She picked up a ring in Urban Outfitters she was thinking about getting and put it on her finger while she roamed the store. It was no biggie to her to do so and I just sighed to myself thinking as a black person that is something I could never do. I would have to purposefully be showing the ring in full view, or not just walk around with it at all, if I don't want to be stared down by the sales people working there. 

[meshaliuknits]

Sept 2, 2014 11:33:57 GMT -5 @helenabonhamcarter said:

Sept 2, 2014 11:29:13 GMT -5 NitaX said:

No many how many times I say - I need to be careful in dealing with police; I need to keep my receipts - it falls on deaf ears. Today, I was a little worried that my fishing around in my big ass purse to find my phone while holding a product would have someone think I was trying to steal the product. While I'm standing in my suit on my way to work to get some dayum motrin, I'm worried someone might think I was trying to steal a bottle of pills because I was opening my purse to get my phone to Google an ingredients list. That's real life. And that's a real construct that I worry about being thought to be a thief in a store because I'm black. 

Personally, I don't think anyone cares to destroy that final construct. Because everyone equates racism with crosses on fire and the KKK. But, I think the more uncomfortable notion is to really look in the mirror and ask - how do I continue to play a role in this? Not with hate - but with silence. Silence allows this stuff to thrive. If you don't ever discuss it, then you keep it alive and well.

See and this is why I don't like carrying around cloth bags in stores that are not grocery stores. I feel like if I stick this pattern in my little tote bag while I'm browsing, sure enough some fool is going to think I'm trying to steal shit. Even though other people do it just fine and it's becoming a generally accepted practice. I just cannot bring myself to do it because I worry about being accused of stealing.

Noooo. Can't do that. I keep those tucked away in my (giant) purse and don't pull them out until the register. Only the little hand baskets.

[NitaX]

Sept 2, 2014 11:51:21 GMT -5 callie said:

Sept 2, 2014 11:29:13 GMT -5 NitaX said:

No many how many times I say - I need to be careful in dealing with police; I need to keep my receipts - it falls on deaf ears. Today, I was a little worried that my fishing around in my big ass purse to find my phone while holding a product would have someone think I was trying to steal the product. While I'm standing in my suit on my way to work to get some dayum motrin, I'm worried someone might think I was trying to steal a bottle of pills because I was opening my purse to get my phone to Google an ingredients list. That's real life. And that's a real construct that I worry about being thought to be a thief in a store because I'm black. 

My youngest sister in law, who is white, was in town some months ago and we went shopping together. She picked up a ring in Urban Outfitters she was thinking about getting and put it on her finger while she roamed the store. It was no biggie to her to do so and I just sighed to myself thinking as a black person that is something I could never do. I would have to purposefully be showing the ring in full view, or not just walk around with it at all, if I don't want to be stared down by the sales people working there. 

Know what just happened to a friend of mine? She was shopping and looking at some designer handbags. She asked a clerk about a particular bag and was told it wasn't in stock. She said ok, and kept it moving. The clerk called security and security stopped her because the clerk thought she stole a purse. Security made her empty her purse to prove she hadn't stolen anything. She was just black. That's it. Just some black lady who probably couldn't afford a designer handbag and had to steal it. 

[downtoearth]

Sept 2, 2014 11:29:13 GMT -5 NitaX said:

Sept 1, 2014 13:23:49 GMT -5 readyin07 said:

Curious how people think we can better educate "white people" who think racism doesn't exist today...really how do we do that? It is hard to understand it when you don't live it. 

I went to to a wealthy private school (I was one of the poor folks ). The minorities that attended school with me were all from wealthy families and  I think we were all taught the whole idea of "color blindness" which I know now from my life experiences is not the way to discuss race in America. But I will never forget driving in a pretty wealthy area with two male friends who were black and noticing cops up ahead. And my friend told the driver to turn at the corner so we wouldn't have to "get into it." I was clueless and they were like yeah, we are two black dudes driving with a white girl in a nice part of town, at night, in a brand new car. That is going to attract some attention we don't want. It opened up a long discussion about racism and  what it was like to be black that I had never thought about before. But not everybody gets that chance so how do we do it?

Is it my job to educate white people? Because let me tell you, I get tired. The onus always seems to fall on the minority group to prove some slight exists. Each time we trot out articles or say something happens it's dismissed. Instead, we're thrown into discussion about how black folks are racist too.

It you want to better educate people - that quite frankly starts with white folks figuring out how to explain it to other white folks. We didn't create the construct, so why we're the ones who have to tear it down confuses me. We've systematically chipped away at a number of things - but that final construct - the one that comes from the community who created it, needs to be the one who finally says - my fellow white folks - we're fucking shit up and not making it better. 

No many how many times I say - I need to be careful in dealing with police; I need to keep my receipts - it falls on deaf ears. Today, I was a little worried that my fishing around in my big ass purse to find my phone while holding a product would have someone think I was trying to steal the product. While I'm standing in my suit on my way to work to get some dayum motrin, I'm worried someone might think I was trying to steal a bottle of pills because I was opening my purse to get my phone to Google an ingredients list. That's real life. And that's a real construct that I worry about being thought to be a thief in a store because I'm black. 

Personally, I don't think anyone cares to destroy that final construct. Because everyone equates racism with crosses on fire and the KKK. But, I think the more uncomfortable notion is to really look in the mirror and ask - how do I continue to play a role in this? Not with hate - but with silence. Silence allows this stuff to thrive. If you don't ever discuss it, then you keep it alive and well.

Call me CEP focused, but at a BBQ over Labor Day we got on the subject of the Siamese cats in Lady and the Tramp being terrible stereotypes and soon the conversation changed to Ferguson.  I felt like I had to be the one leading the conversation about Ferguson and Michael Brown.  I was defending how scary that situation is for black people and how much racism is still alive.  Long story short, it was slightly uncomfortable at first talking about racism in a very white state to some semi-country types (parents of our friends and a couple dudes who are probably conservatives) who didn't quite get that it was a big deal, but I felt like I was channeling NitaX, HBC and Sou and others to explain and put the situation in perspective for them.  Seriously, without this board I have very few black friends and so I totally value the ability to gain perspective here and spread that IRL. 

[downtoearth]

Sept 2, 2014 12:14:49 GMT -5 @soudesafinado said:

Sept 2, 2014 12:12:13 GMT -5 NitaX said:

Know what just happened to a friend of mine? She was shopping and looking at some designer handbags. She asked a clerk about a particular bag and was told it wasn't in stock. She said ok, and kept it moving. The clerk called security and security stopped her because the clerk thought she stole a purse. Security made her empty her purse to prove she hadn't stolen anything. She was just black. That's it. Just some black lady who probably couldn't afford a designer handbag and had to steal it. 

A store in S.C. accused my friend of stealing some shoes and security chased her all out into the parking lot (she didn't realize they were talking to her!) and she sued them. And won.

I can't like this b/c it pisses me off that she had to get an f-ing lawyer in the first place.

[Deleted]

I remember a friend of mine in college was black and very wealthy (she was really good friends with my roommate but we were friends too). My family is probably upper middle class/Obama-rich but I was one of the poorer ones at my undergrad, lol. so this girl was really rich. She made one comment one day about shopping and about how she didnt always get helped when she went into stores, or clerks kept a closer eye on her than on me, and things like that. I was shocked and it never would have occurred to me, since all I thought was "but you have so much more money than me!" The other stuff just wasnt in my head. so clearly white privilege, but after we had that discussion, I could see what she meant, and when I went back to working retail after college I had it in mind so it had a positive effect in that regard, because I actively worked to avoid/overcome any subconscious prejudices I may have had as a manager. Does that make sense?


Re: the article. I think this quote sums up so much:
"We fail those boys before they fail us."

You so often hear crime stats trotted out, or incarceration rates, murder rates, all that kind of thing - but this quote is what so much of it boils down to. There is a lack of understanding for how the system sets people up to fail, or for how hard it is break out of the cycle of poverty. And then you have Ben Carson, and everyone says "see? if he could do it, anyone could do it." So that sets up more of a disadvantage IMO.

[ESF]

Too often, education on historical events skips the part where we connect the dots. Kids are typically taught history as a series of isolated events, and rarely does the discussion tie things to present day. Even many great nonfiction books on important historical topics don't always examine the event for the impact it has on us today. This is a huge part of the problem. Because I think that many Americans might acknowledge that there's some inequalities in the system, but they don't see those inequalities as the result of centuries of formal and informal policies, many of which still persist. So it's, "oh well, those poor black kids in the ghetto, let's fix that and give them a charter school", instead of stepping back and looking at the bigger picture as to how that happened in the first place, and what current policies are contributing to the persistence of black urban poverty. People like easy solutions, and explaining how the legacy of Jim Crow etc is at fault for the state of schools in urban, predominately black areas doesn't work as a soundbite the way "teachers unions!!!!ELEVENTY!1" does.


I will also add that should the middle class continue to be economically stretched and shrink, there will be more racism. People see ending inequality as a zero sum game, and like they will have to give up something (i.e., money for their kids' schools) to give black people something. As resources become tighter, that becomes less and less appealing.