Being Black

Just being a good person is the way to go. In the end no one says “She was good… for a black girl.” “He was nice… for a white guy.”… Well maybe someone does but they’re not a good person.

I hate reading posts like this..takes me back to high school when my class put on a black history month program and there were negative comments from white people such as "the indoctrination is in effect." My school was pretty much half black/half white & it was in the country, so there were a bunch of self-proclaimed rednecks who never explored any type of diversity...It just became annoying..pretty much as I've seen so far in my menial 18 years of life: Whites want blacks to get over slavery and racism, blacks want whites to get that racism still exists and always will(which is true, the KKK has come through my neighborhood and slashed my aunt's tires...also spray painted "N|GGER" on my school building)...etc..and stuff like this sucks, debates like these suck because they'll never be resolved. EVER. But all in all, like..just live life and be you, you just can't please everybody, ever.

Racism will always exist, but its not only towards blacks. It is towards every single race. I don't want black people to forget about their history, but in todays world, they shouldn't act like white people still owe them. Slavery was a horrible thing and I am very happy that it is in the past and still not going on. It is great how everything evolved. Racism will never end, but we can try and prevent it as best as we can.

I understand completely what you're saying..it is for every race..I just haven't really experienced it in my schooling with every race..there were like 4 Asians and 6 Hispanic people at my school..lol. If everybody could just work to be postive, life would be a lot better.

Racism can definitely flow in any direction. However, the difference is that the white man has not been as crippled by it as the minorities have. Thus it seems a bit hypocritical of them to call racism when they have been the ones oppressing others for centuries. Yeah they might face a bit of trouble today but, honestly, that’s not too bad in comparison.

Ummmmmm about the comment that said that the white man can’t support any “agenda” I’m not sure if I’m misinterpreting this or not so I’m not going to address that.

Am I understanding you correctly? Are you saying that because "the man" was predominantly racist back in the day that now any white man loses their right to claiming that they are being discriminated against? This is what I mean when I said that “discrimination flows both ways” (and I hope you don't take this the wrong way Tammi) but this mindset is what begets discrimination of any type and any capacity.

I think we need to shed that type of mentality and simply strive to better ourselves and quit making a crutch out of the discrimination card. And yes, I’ve been discriminated against…I’m not one to sit there and make myself out to be a martyr, I’ll just prove them wrong by being successful.

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Am I understanding you correctly? Are you saying that because "the man" was predominantly racist back in the day that now any white man loses their right to claiming that they are being discriminated against? This is what I mean when I said that “discrimination flows both ways” (and I hope you don't take this the wrong way Tammi) but this mindset is what begets discrimination of any type and any capacity.

I think we need to shed that type of mentality and simply strive to better ourselves and quit making a crutch out of the discrimination card. And yes, I’ve been discriminated against…I’m not one to sit there and make myself out to be a martyr, I’ll just prove them wrong by being successful.

No actually you understand incorrectly. I was not stating that they lose any rights. I was referring to previous statements about how racism can be directed at ANY race and why it seems exaggerated to others when a white man claims to be oppressed when others are in the same situation as them. I don't necessarily hold these opinions, I was just stating how it is viewed by others. If you looked at my other posts you would see that I don’t hold any of these views and that I don’t care what color anybody’s skin is personally. I just know a good bit of the historical and social implications of how it plays a role in everyone’s lives today.

I am not sure if you were implying something or not but I have been discriminated against as well but I have and will NEVER use race as a crutch. I know of the hardships stacked up against me. I was raised to never make excuses for myself and to be a strong individual. Implying otherwise was unnecessary.

I don't think blacks can oppress white people in the same way as the other way round, because white people still have the balance of power on their side in the wider social context. A black person can discriminate against a white person though. I suppose it depends on whether we are defining racism as needing that imbalance of power or not.

"When a group of people has little or no power over you institutionally, they don't get to define the terms of your existence, they can't limit your opportunities, and you needn't worry much about the use of a slur to describe you and yours, since, in all likelihood, the slur is as far as it's going to go. What are they going to do next: deny you a bank loan? Yeah, right." Tim Wise, a (white) anti racism activist.

Even if one black banker turned the white person for racist reasons, they could just go to the very next bank.

I'm not saying white people are bad or black people are saintly or anything.

I'd say individuals can be racists (not matter their race) and groups can be oppressive. Certainly there are black people who are racists. That comes down to personal belief. But, yes, that individual's personal belief is not nearly as powerful as a group of people with power deliberately holding down another group based on skin color or nationality or whatever.

But I don't think being black and hating white people because they're white is a very constructive solution to the wider problem.

What does it mean to be black? Is it more than a race? Someone told me I am 'rubbish at being black'. I live in a mainly white area, my friends and everyone around me is therefore mostly white. Racially, I identify as mixed race/latino/person of colour/black depending on whatever I want. I'm a happy go lucky boy. Why do I feel so bad that someone told me I am apathetic and not doing what I should? I just try to be a good PERSON, I don't think too much about being a good black person. Sometimes I guess I would like to know more people my own race so I don't feel a little different ffrom time to time, but I don't like to say it because it sounds like I am ungrateful for my lovely friends, when really I love them, and it isn't their fault we don't live in a diverse area. I hope it is not bad. I just interested in some thoughts because this is a forum of people cleverer than me! I hope I cause no offence. xxxxxx

Black is actually the sum of all colours, it takes every colour to make black. And white is the absence of colour.

Ummm... lovely thought but scientifically inaccurate... completely backward, in fact. White is the composite of all colours which is why white light can be split through a prism to see the spectrum contained therein. Black is the absence of colour.

For that matter, I don't think I've ever seen a truly black person. Most who identify as being black (by whatever nomenclature they've chosen) are some shade of brown. My office is somewhat like the UN... we have folks of all ethnic and racial background but, unlike the UN, we actually get along well!