Race Relations

[shrewsbury]

the average black person does not know their heritage. It's not our fault. Our slave masters had no desire to teach it to us

first off YOU NEVER HAD A SLAVE MASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

second most blacks do not come from slavery, and thirdly, most slaves were sold to whites by the black themselves

and why you are at it, why don't you google oberlin ohio and oberlin college.

the first black college grad? guess what, oberlin college and when you ask, how about 1863!!!!!!!!!!!!

first black college president? oberlin college

biggest celebration of the year? juneteenth, which is the celebration of the end of slavery

look at the oberlin/wellington rescue

our schools or more racially intergrated than most innercity schools.

so don't blame all the whites, it is wrong

[BGT Masters]

To be perfectly honest the average black person does not know their heritage. It's not our fault. Our slave masters had no desire to teach it to us. However most white people know that they are german, irish, italian, etc. So to say that we are proud to be black is the pretty much the only thing that we can say.

I never say I am proud to be Irish or Croatian, I'm proud to be what I am an American. It is nice to know a few generations ago some of my family came from over seas, but to me all that matters is where I was born and where I call home. Which is the United States of America, be proud of that. On my mother's side I can't trade any farther back than her. Thats it and it doesn't bother me at all.

Regardless of when you got here or how you got here, there are plenty of people that would trade places with you who don't enjoy what we have. Me personally find the people who cry about racism the most are generally (not always) the most racist people. Its just strange to me if I were to say I'm proud to be white just because I'm white. Be proud because you're a good person, a hard worker, a good parent, not just because of the color of your skin.

[shrewsbury]

Regardless of when you got here or how you got here, there are plenty of people that would trade places with you who don't enjoy what we have. Me personally find the people who cry about racism the most are generally (not always) the most racist people. Its just strange to me if I were to say I'm proud to be white just because I'm white. Be proud because you're a good person, a hard worker, a good parent, not just because of the color of your skin.

great post!

[Wickabee]

I never say I am proud to be Irish or Croatian, I'm proud to be what I am an American. It is nice to know a few generations ago some of my family came from over seas, but to me all that matters is where I was born and where I call home. Which is the United States of America, be proud of that. On my mother's side I can't trade any farther back than her. Thats it and it doesn't bother me at all.

I do agree with this, except that I am proud of my heritage beyond Canada. I'm proud of what my forefathers have done, because I'm proud of who I am and wouldn't be the same me if not for them (if that makes sense). I would say you should be as proud to be Irish and Croatian as you are to be American, of which you should be as proud as I am to be Canadian, and I'm very proud to be Canadian. As proud as I am to be German and Scottish.

first off YOU NEVER HAD A SLAVE MASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First off, I get what veggie was saying and I'm pretty sure that wasn't what he meant.
You raise a good point though. One part of my family lost a lot of land because of WWII. I don't consider it "my" land that was taken away because it wasn't. I don't think I should get anything in return for that land because, well, that's kind of how things happen sometimes. I choose not to identify with it at all, but rather the struggle my family went through during WWII. I don't focus on what was lost, I focus on what was accomplished. I have to admit that, from where I stand, African-Americans tend to focus on what was lost, not what has been accomplished. Correct me if I'm wrong on that.

[BGT Masters]

My being American trumps all else. I've never been to Ireland or Croatia, probably never will. No one still alive in my family has been there. Though again its nice to know my heritage it doesn't hold me back or make me feel like I am missing something in my life. I have Irish and Croatian bloodlines to me that doesn't make me Irish or Croatian anymore than it makes someone who has had a family member who played in the NFL a pro football player. I guess I just look at it differently.

[Wickabee]

My being American trumps all else. I've never been to Ireland or Croatia, probably never will. No one still alive in my family has been there. Though again its nice to know my heritage it doesn't hold me back or make me feel like I am missing something in my life. I have Irish and Croatian bloodlines to me that doesn't make me Irish or Croatian anymore than it makes someone who has had a family member who played in the NFL a pro football player. I guess I just look at it differently.

That's totally fair and I'm not by any means saying you're "wrong" but I do think you should be proud of that past, at least to a degree.
The way I see it, I'm proud to be a Canadian, first and foremost. On 1 side of my family I'm third generation Canadian and for a few generations before that they were American and before that Scottish. On the other side, though, I'm first generation, as my mother was born in Germany. Maybe it's because I'm a little closer to that heritage than you maybe are, but I'm proud of both sides, for, if not for them being who they were I wouldn't be who I am and I am more proud just to be me than any nationality or race. I just keep sight of the fact that my nationality and race (among other things) is part of who I am.

Would I say It's "better" to be German than any other nationality? No...well, maybe the Dutch (j/k). But am I proud of my heritage? Absolutely because it goes a long way to making me who I am today.

[mrveggieman]

Well as for me first and foremost I am proud to be a child of God. Secondly I would identify with being black because I could pack up and leave the united states today or tommorrow but that wont change the fact that I'm black. Also some of you have bought up some good points. One of you suggested that blacks complain about what they had taken away from them instead of what they have. I tend to agree with you to a lesser degree. Yes we don't have it as good as others so that is why we must continue to struggle of our forefathers. Otherwise all the freedom fighters who died before me will have died in vain. Also @Shewrsbury you are correct I never had a slave master myself but I was referring to my forefathers who did if that is ok with you.

[shrewsbury]

[QUOTE]Also @Shewrsbury you are correct I never had a slave master myself but I was referring to my forefathers who did if that is ok with you.[QUOTE]

considering you complain when someone says the republicans did stuff for you that was 50 years ago and don't count, how does something that happened 150 years ago count?

the fact that my forefathers died to free the slaves and my president was murdered for doing so doesn't seem to count.
the fact that my grandparents and parents marched with and stood by, was persecuted for and made an outcast in their own communities to support civil rights, doesn't seem to count.

my people paid the price for slavery and didn't have anything to do with it, we have died, been jailed, outcasted, had our homes burnt died, and were labeled with negative conotations and we have never asked anything in return.

you think that if someone is white they were involved with enslaving the blacks, and if someone is black their forefathers were enslaved, and you are wrong on both counts.

AND

how do you not have it as good as i do?

[mrveggieman]

[quote=shrewsbury;11272059][quote]Also @Shewrsbury you are correct I never had a slave master myself but I was referring to my forefathers who did if that is ok with you.

considering you complain when someone says the republicans did stuff for you that was 50 years ago and don't count, how does something that happened 150 years ago count?

the fact that my forefathers died to free the slaves and my president was murdered for doing so doesn't seem to count.
the fact that my grandparents and parents marched with and stood by, was persecuted for and made an outcast in their own communities to support civil rights, doesn't seem to count.

my people paid the price for slavery and didn't have anything to do with it, we have died, been jailed, outcasted, had our homes burnt died, and were labeled with negative conotations and we have never asked anything in return.

you think that if someone is white they were involved with enslaving the blacks, and if someone is black their forefathers were enslaved, and you are wrong on both counts.

AND

how do you not have it as good as i do?

Again I was just referring to my history. I was not using it as a crutch or anything like that. When someone throws up what a republican did 50+ years ago as proof that they still care for black people I can only SMH. And yes I am aware that there were and still are a lot of white people that assisted us in the struggle. Hell there some white people that I would trust with my life and on the same token there are some blacks that I wouldn't trust to take out my trash. Shocker isn't it.

Also don't be naive about how things are. Yes I have a decent job, a roof over my head, been to college, have food to eat and a loving family but lets not be stupid and believe that in america in 2012 there are not certian neighboorhoods that if you and I both walked down the street about which one of us the police will stop, question and detain. Yes we as a society have came a long way but we have an even longer way to go.

[Star_Cards]

I'll start off with a question, instead of looking for a GIF:
If racism is wrong (which I think we all agree it is) why is it okay for non-whites to be publicly racist against white people?

In other words why, do we vilify someone like Michael Richards (and rightfully so) for his racist remarks but a black comedian can say as many asinine, racist remarks and be a hero?

Also, am I racist for asking these questions? (keeping in mind I'm not saying white people should be allowed to make racist comment, but that others should not be allowed to make such comments...publicly of course)

For me what michael richards did was directed at a person in the audience if I remember correctly. When most black comic make jokes about whites (ie. dave schapelle or chris rock) it's not directed at one person and it's typically not done so out of hatred. Personally I love jokes like that and there's not much funnier seeing schapelle dressed up like a white guy or just doing his white guy voice. For me I think it has to do with the fact that whites, as a whole group, are not being repressed or have not been repressed by these racial terms so there's a difference in people's reactions to it. I won't disagree that there is a double standard. There is. It's just a fact that certain groups can get away with things comedically that others can't and it doesn't only exist within racial boundaries. However, I'd caution anyone comparing stand up comedy to more serious topics. The tone and environment is different. I've seen white comic do "black" jokes that are funny and don't come off in an offensive tone. What michael richards did, standing on the stage and yelling the N word over and over wasn't comedy or anything close to it. Bottom line, for me, it's all about tone. Also some racial jokes make fun of the stereotype.

I will also say that there are black comics that get negative press for jokes. It's not typically for jokes against whites but tracy morgan was just in the news in the last few years for making insensitive jokes.