And the Blackest Chi Omega Award Goes To...

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally posted by ilikehazing
First, I am not sure which race or who coined that the Black neighborhoods were ghettos. What a far cry from where it originally came from! The Jewish Ghettos in Warsaw(was it not?) where the Jews were forced to live in far below sub-standard conditions until they led the revolt. I've never figured out Southern dislike for Jews, probably because I've never met one.

Second, the Black commercialization of "poor culture" is the one thing which keeps African-American issues in the spotlight, and what seems to be the only way. It has used the race card before but it highlights problems within the black community without using it for the most part. The vocal Black leaders such as Sharpton and Jackson cannot highlight black problems without playing the race card.


Both.

What's worse than one dead baby nailed to a tree?
One dead baby nailed to ten trees

What's worse than a hundred dead babies in the back of a dump truck?
One eating it's way to the top.

"Ghetto" historically means nothing more than a neighborhood consisting of one ethnicity. There are Jewish ghettos, Italian ghettos, Black ghettos, etc. Some of these neighborhoods are characterized by poverty, degradation, and stigma. This is how the phrase "ghetto" became a negative associated with particular groups.

As was stated previously in this thread, it isn't what these words REALLY mean as much as it is what people THINK these words mean and what images come to mind when they think up qualifications to win these awards. If a "most ghetto" award is nothing more than a cover-up for a "most wanna-be black person" award then that's easily offensive. Things do not have to be overt in the form of minstrel shows for people to be able to grasp the point, although some GLO chapters have also condoned the modern day equivalent of minstrel shows.

Lastly, please refrain from speaking on "African American issues" and the "Black community" until you have demonstrated a well-read and well-articulated ability to approach this issue from more than ONE angle (i.e. the ridiculously named "race card").