The OFFICIAL Anti-Racism Thread

[navane]

Originally posted by VirtuousErudite
You would be surprised. This happens quite frequently. Many older whites will place money on the counter instead of handing it to you in your hand even when you are specifically holding your hand out for the money. It's happened to me before and other friends of color (not just AA) who happen to be working at a cash register. Also not so many years ago during the days of segregated restaurants/stores blacks HAD to place their money on the counter and whites in turn placed the change back on the counter because white employees refused to touch their hands. Just as a side note it's funny how some common experiences have obvious racial overtones for blacks and miniorities but whites just "don't get how this is an example of a racism experience". I guess it's all about perception and experience.

Thank you, for your helpful reply. I see what you are saying. I did mention that possibility in my original reply and it sounds like it could be what's happened here.

Though, for me, I don't think it's a case of, because I'm white, I "don't get how this is an example of a racism experience." It's more of a, "I come from a very ethnically diverse place and we don't seem to have this type of situation very often." I am very fortunate to have grown up in Southern California to parents who were accepting of other people. If I am ignorant about the racial overtones in something like the example given, it's because of very innocent reasons. And really, isn't it a positive sign of the times when whole groups of people don't "get" why someone wouldn't want to touch another? Wouldn't it be great if it was a non-issue for everyone? It's getting there and I for one am glad!

Thanks again for your positive reply.

.....Kelly

[DeltaSigStan]

Originally posted by navane

I'm from San Diego, CA; a pretty diverse place. My high school had a large and diverse population.

Just off topic, which high school?

[VirtuousErudite]

I'm not exactly sure what your question in navene but if I'm reading correctly you are asking if it's possible for whites to be oppressed. I definately agree that many ethnic groups/religious groups have faced persecution within this country. The thing is that although you may recieve comments about being Polish, looking at you I or other members of the community do not know you are Polish until you share that with us. You have the ablity to "blend" into community so to speak. I or other African-Americans and minorities to not have this ability. We go through life on a daily basis being "different" from the majority of the people around us in power. I can only speak for myself but as a black woman I experience rascism on a daily basis, most of the acts are subtle, small and not worth the time it would take for me to confront them so I let them go but at times I do experience overt rascism. The sad thing is most young, white American's have this belief that rascism does not exist. You yourself said that slavery was abolished many years ago and that society is doing it's best to move forward. The very fact that you couldn't understand what the black woman was talking about when she spoke of the money situation shows me that you have not faced the daily harassment and rascism many African American's go through. I promise you if you ask 10 African American's about the money situation that at least 7 will tell you simliar incidents have happened to them. It's all about experiences. I would just like to say that rascism does not begin and end with slavery. Rascism exists today just as much as it does today and I challenge you to listen carefully and look closely as you are out today and see if you hear any comments that migh be just a little disparaging about African-American's or other minorities, or if you go into a store and notice a customer of color being followed. You may be surprised at what you find.

The best way I can describe it is by sharing the story of a white male who decided he wanted to find out if rascism truly existed anymore. This was in the early 90's. He purchased a wig and got treatments to make his skin darker so he could live as a "black man". He originally planned to live as a black man for 3 months and to record his findings. He lasted for about 3 days before stopping the projected because he just couldn't take the consistent acts of hidden and overt rascism he felt on a daily basis.

[navane]

Originally posted by DeltaSigStan
Just off topic, which high school?

Madison High School.

Madhouse c/o 95!!!!

.....Kelly

[Honeykiss1974]

Originally posted by VirtuousErudite

The best way I can describe it is by sharing the story of a white male who decided he wanted to find out if rascism truly existed anymore. This was in the early 90's. He purchased a wig and got treatments to make his skin darker so he could live as a "black man". He originally planned to live as a black man for 3 months and to record his findings. He lasted for about 3 days before stopping the projected because he just couldn't take the consistent acts of hidden and overt rascism he felt on a daily basis.

Hmmm, a modern day experiment/version of the book, "Black Like Me". Interesting....

[navane]

Originally posted by VirtuousErudite
persecution within this country. The thing is that although you may recieve comments about being Polish, looking at you I or other members of the community do not know you are Polish until you share that with us. You have the ablity to "blend" into community so to speak. I or other African-Americans and minorities to not have this ability. We go through life on a daily basis being "different" from the majority of the people around us in power.

Yes, absolutely. Because my ethnic background allows me to "blend in" with other white people I don't feel singled out. I agree with you on this.

Though, on an amusing side note, when I was in high school, I was really dark. I had Mexican classmates who didn't realize until the week before graduation that I wasn't Mexican! I also had MANY black people ask me if I was half-white and half-black. I have since become much lighter for some reason.

I would just like to say that rascism does not begin and end with slavery.

Oh, of course not! I specifically mentioned slavery in my post because, in the example I cited, the young black woman I was speaking to told me that white colonial slave owners were the root cause of all the trouble and that I must be somehow genetically related to them. She was presenting a very narrow definition and I was using it to illustrate that point.

Rascism exists today just as much as it does today and I challenge you to listen carefully and look closely as you are out today and see if you hear any comments that migh be just a little disparaging about African-American's or other minorities, or if you go into a store and notice a customer of color being followed. You may be surprised at what you find.

Again, I am in agreement with you. I never intended to assert that racism has been solved - I hope that's not how my post came across.

This isn't meant to be a "once when I was in third grade I once had some black friends so I'm ok" comment or anything. But I do wish to address your suggestion that I try and look closely at how an African-American person goes about their business. My father is a widower. A couple years ago he started dating an African-American woman. And, hey, they're still together and she lives in my house. So, it's not like I'm a total ignoramous or something. I have been out places with Arnetta and whatnot. At our house we don't care what people think of us being different races but that's another thread. Edited to add: My elderly Polish grandfather? He's a widower too and he has an elderly Filipina girfriend!!!

I am not black. I am not asian. I am not hispanic. So, unfortunately, I can never truly and fully understand what you experience. The best I can do is engage in honest dialogue and try to come to an understanding. I hope we are achieveing this today.

Again, I really wish to express my appreciation for the honest and non-bashing discussion. Thank you very much.

.....Kelly

[smiley21]

Originally posted by sugar and spice
I think there is a definite difference between the deliberate ignoring of an outstretched hand and the customer just plunking change down because the cashier is busy ringing things up or bagging them or whatever. I do this all the time and it has nothing to do with the cashier. And obviously throwing money is an entirely different story -- how weird. And rude.

This is a really good idea for a thread, by the way.

That actually happens to me from time to time and I work in a coffee shop. So there is no reason to really put the money on the counter next to my outstretched hand, cause i am not bagging anything.

[Lisa Fishman]

Racscism really upsets me. I have seen it in peron several times. I've seen the Klu Klux Klan many times. I have had a hate newsletter on the steps of my dorm on campus. Neither of these acts were targeted towards me per sey, but it was scary none the less. Some one called me "Jew girl" to my face. Those are the type of people who are knieve. They don't know what someone Jewish or any other minority is like because they have never met anyone like that. I am NOT defending these people, I'm just saying that chances are they have NOT been exposed to different kinds of people.
I have also seen swasckia stickers in a city park before. Pretty creepy. I tried to peel them off the lamp post that they were on.

[Optimist Prime]

White people invented chitlins, well haggis, which is the same thing, only sheep. I had chitlins before, but then they told me what they were and how they made them, and then they made more. What white people do, or at least, what these white people did, was take deer bacon (which is bacon only made from a deer and is very salty) and wrap it around the chitlin. I hope I helped bridge a gap.

[Optimist Prime]

oh yeah, the point of my last post was/is that we really aren't that different. We do the same things, live in the same culture, and share the same history. Why? because America is a melting pot. If something in another American's history then it should be considered part of my history, because I'm American too. Everyone should know who invented the street lights and elevator and also the lightbulb. We should unite, becuase really when you get right down to it, it doesn't matter if what ethnicity, nationallity, religion or sexual orientation some one is. We are all humans and should treat each other with understanding and compassion.

[FuzzieAlum]

The problem with racism, as silly as it may sound, isn't so much that really obvious stuff, the KKK and the swastikas, etc. I think most Americans believe that is "wrong," and overt racists like that really are a minority group. I don't mean to belittle that kind of problem - these people can do real damage - but their kind of racism isn't considered acceptable by most people. And in that sense we have come a long way - I just don't see slavery being legalized again, for example.

The bigger problem is the little, pervasive racisms that people who aren't experiencing them don't even notice. Like that study that obviously "black" names were a detriment on a resume. Or using phrases like "JAP." Or saying things like, "I don't think of you as [insert racial group here] - you seem white to me." Because they are subtle, many people won't notice unless they're directly affected. It's not as obvious as, say, slavery, or wearing a KKK robe. The problem is I think that lots of people think that unless they've noticed something themself, it doesn't really exist.

I try at least to think that if most of a group are perceiving something, they're probably not mass hallucinating. I don't always agree when an individual says something is racism, but on a mass level, if 4 out of 5 dentists agree, so to speak, they're probably on to something.

[Dionysus]

That was very accurate.

Originally posted by FuzzieAlum
The problem with racism, as silly as it may sound, isn't so much that really obvious stuff, the KKK and the swastikas, etc. I think most Americans believe that is "wrong," and overt racists like that really are a minority group. I don't mean to belittle that kind of problem - these people can do real damage - but their kind of racism isn't considered acceptable by most people. And in that sense we have come a long way - I just don't see slavery being legalized again, for example.

The bigger problem is the little, pervasive racisms that people who aren't experiencing them don't even notice. Like that study that obviously "black" names were a detriment on a resume. Or using phrases like "JAP." Or saying things like, "I don't think of you as [insert racial group here] - you seem white to me." Because they are subtle, many people won't notice unless they're directly affected. It's not as obvious as, say, slavery, or wearing a KKK robe. The problem is I think that lots of people think that unless they've noticed something themself, it doesn't really exist.

I try at least to think that if most of a group are perceiving something, they're probably not mass hallucinating. I don't always agree when an individual says something is racism, but on a mass level, if 4 out of 5 dentists agree, so to speak, they're probably on to something.

[2017law]

I am your average, white-Jewish girl from NY. So what, right?
You try getting into Law School with those stats and see where it gets you.
I have watched my non-white friends, with lower grades, lower SAT scores, and less activities get into schools when I haven't. My younger sister was rejected from U of Florida b/c she was your average, white-Jewish girl and they didn't need any more of those. Her friend is a Hispanic-Jewish male, with lower scores and less activities and he was granted admission. UF has some diversity issues.
I am very proud of who I am and where I am. Law school is no piece of cake, but it annoys me that some of the other students feel as though they are "entitled" to something b/c they aren't white. Most of my family was exterminated in the Holocaust. I have relatives from Israel, to NY, to Australia, to Russia and back. My family has never asked for anything and doesn't feel as though anyone owes us anything just b/c we're Jewish. As long as people go around blaming others for what ails them they have an excuse to never go further.
Until the day I die I can say poor me, my family was gassed to death and put in ovens, therefore I can sit on my ass and make the world around me pay for it.
That's a shitty way to live and I won't do it.
Currently I am taking a Human Rights class in an effort to make the world a better place. I have seen the suffering of millions and do what I can to change it. But as long as there is ignorance in this world, nothing will change. People need to understand that it is our differences that makes us all the same. Unfortunately it's those differences that scares people and creates racism.
~C

[VirtuousErudite]

Originally posted by FuzzieAlum

The bigger problem is the little, pervasive racisms that people who aren't experiencing them don't even notice. Like that study that obviously "black" names were a detriment on a resume. Or using phrases like "JAP." Or saying things like, "I don't think of you as [insert racial group here] - you seem white to me."

I agree with you 100% on your whole post but you were really right on when you said this. I have seen several blacks on this board say that their white friends don't "see them as black" and I have even had a white person say this to me. My question is , Why don't they see you as black because , guess what YOU ARE my friend. You are different and that is not something that is negative or needs to be ignored. Is it because these so called friends associate being black with negatives such as speaking improper english, wearing a certain type of clothes or behaving in a certain way? And when they make these comments do you stop them and say, hey you are way off or do you help perpetuate these stereotypes by not speaking up? I am an African-American female who makes great grades, speaks proper english, plays the violin, and wears clothes from the Gap and if someone where to say to me that they didn't think of me as black I'd kindly remind them that blacks have accomplished many great things in this country in the areas of academia, public service, government, and the arts just to name a few, and they need to let those sterotypical notions of what is black go. Someone telling you that they don't think of you as black is not a compliment but an indication that they hold some strange notions of what being black means. Don't just sit there passively and smile but use that as an opportunity to educate your "friends".

[sugar and spice]

Originally posted by 2017law

I have watched my non-white friends, with lower grades, lower SAT scores, and less activities get into schools when I haven't. My younger sister was rejected from U of Florida b/c she was your average, white-Jewish girl and they didn't need any more of those. Her friend is a Hispanic-Jewish male, with lower scores and less activities and he was granted admission. UF has some diversity issues.

I think most schools have some diversity issues.

I go to the University of Wisconsin. For those of you who don't remember, it's the school that pasted a black man's face into a sea of white ones on an application booklet in order to make the school seem more "diverse." Right now there is a huge push to get more minority applicants at the school, and while I think that's a good idea in theory, I'm not sure the school is going about it in the best way. Not only do minorities get higher consideration when they apply to the school, but they also get much higher consideration when they apply for any campus job or position of authority that puts them in the public eye -- RA, tour guide -- and there are huge amounts of money spent on multicultural programming, a number that is probably disproportionate to the number of minorities at the school. (We also have people called "multicultural liaisons" and "LGBT liaisons" who are students paid to put on programming aimed at minorities, and they organize things every month, which I think is a good idea in theory -- but hardly anybody shows up!) This really creates a culture of division between the "majority" and the "minority," which I think is more harmful than not having enough minorities in the first place. It leads to a lot of bitterness and increases the attitude that most of the minorities couldn't get into the school in the first place without the help of their skin color, and that they "don't really deserve to be there," which makes the campus atmosphere towards minorities that much worse.

There needs to be a better way to go about improving the diversity of our school -- this can't be the best way.