The Help

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

I think I may have to side with Lane on this.

I didn't know there were sides.

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

I spent a large chunk of my life in very diverse cities and neighborhoods, but when I moved to one predominantly-white community, things that I thought were common sense (being an African American) weren't. It's not that they were actively ignoring some things -- they had no idea said things existed.

I consider that sad and pathetic. This isn't about common sense.

LOL. I find this discussion funny because it isn't as though we don't know WHY this exists. We already know there is a great deal of social class and race segregation in this country that results in BOTH actively ignoring (those whites didn't accidentally end up in predominantly white communities---message) and unintentional ignorance. WHY doesn't make it less sad and pathetic.

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

For me personally -- I have always been exposed to Hispanics/Latinos in my life, but had no idea of a lot of the struggles that the group has had to endure. As an A-A, it's never been on my radar. It wasn't until I was consistently around Hispanics/Latinos that I took a harder look at some of the issues facing the group. I wasn't "not interested" in the culture -- I just wasn't aware.

I am glad that you learned something new. Is there any particular reason why you were unaware that Blacks aren't the only group in America that has had struggles?

Rhoyaltempest and I aren't talking about the struggles and experiences of Black folks that are mostly confined to the Black community. The experiences of Blacks in this country, dating back to slavery, has become such a big part of American history and even present race relations between Blacks and whites. American and international discussions of race and ethnicity, and specifically pertaining to Blacks, have become relegated to discussions of slavery, Jim Crow, and Civil Rights Era, as though those define what being Black symbolizes. There are people all around the world who have at least heard about what this "powerful capitalist nation" has done to different groups of people. Hell, I have had people from other countries ask me how Blacks could be proud to be an American.

It's one thing to not be too familiar, it's another thing to be totally unaware. It's great to learn new things but whenever I learn things that I think I should have already learned, I think critically about what my lack of knowledge means.