"White Privilege Conference" In Colorado?

[Nova]

Boy, I can remember that I hated being different growing up. I can see it was a blessing in disguise because I grew up seeing the good, bad and the ugly of both races and am able to now integrate somewhat successfuly into both cultures as an adult. Being able to see both sides of the coin is a benefit I never realized as a child.

2luv, I realize there are few similarities in being a racial minority and being gay and I'm not trying to conflate the two.

But your post could speak for me as a gay man, almost word for word.

 

[Nova]

I think it may be best if I take a breather from this whole issue for a little bit before I get too out of hand, as I very easily do at times.

We all have those days, WR. We certainly do. Take your break and I'll know you aren't "conceding" the argument.

 

[Paladin]

Did you literally type the exact words as I was adding them to my post above? (Except you used a kinder emoticon, of course.)

That is scary. I don't know we like each other well enough to be "say things at the same time" friends, do you?

You know what they say about great minds...

Anyway. Have a great weekend.

 

[Nova]

You know what they say about great minds...

Anyway. Have a great weekend.

You, too, Pal. As you go, I'd like to reiterate that it was never my intention to denigrate your intellect or your moral behavior. I'm sorry if my posts the other day weren't clear in that regard.

 

[Cypros]

You could be right, maybe they admit whites, I don't know and I will say it again, I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE, but what I do know is that I graduated just a few short years ago, and before we graduated we had college day, where college recruiters came and stood up one by one, talked to us about their colleges, programs, etc. and the Spelman recruiters pointed out that they were a black college, they never said anything about admitting whites.
Why, if they admit whites, and obviously whites would be the minority there, isn't affirmative action used at these schools?

The case of the Black colleges is a perfect example of the "white privilege" concept. Such colleges were created in the past because it was the ONLY way for blacks to achieve a college education. The fact that they continue to be identified as black colleges demonstrates their differential status. Whites are allowed to attend, but they do not (in any significant number), despite the good reputations of the schools.

If you actually took the time to visit these schools, I bet that you would see plenty of students there who appear "white". In america, you are black if you have even the smallest amount of "black blood". That is due to the historical efforts to oppress and separate out anyone who was not "pure white".

 

[White Rain]

The case of the Black colleges is a perfect example of the "white privilege" concept. Such colleges were created in the past because it was the ONLY way for blacks to achieve a college education. The fact that they continue to be identified as black colleges demonstrates their differential status. Whites are allowed to attend, but they do not (in any significant number), despite the good reputations of the schools.

If you actually took the time to visit these schools, I bet that you would see plenty of students there who appear "white". In america, you are black if you have even the smallest amount of "black blood". That is due to the historical efforts to oppress and separate out anyone who was not "pure white".

Your comment was quite confusing. Are you implying that many black students there "appear white" or that white people there probably have black blood in them somewhere down the line?

 

[IrishMist]

Your comment was quite confusing. Are you implying that many black students there "appear white" or that white people there probably have black blood in them somewhere down the line?

If you actually took the time to visit these schools, I bet that you would see plenty of students there who appear "white". In america, you are black if you have even the smallest amount of "black blood". That is due to the historical efforts to oppress and separate out anyone who was not "pure white".

I can't speak for Cypros, but my take on it was that many black students appear to be white.

 

[reportertype]

Do you know why Spelman and Morehouse were created?

Morehouse - created way back when to educate newly freed male slaves. I am sure there weren't a whole lotta White folks knocking down the doors to get in and study. The institution has just evolved from that phase. It wasn't built to keep Whites out.

Spelman - created to educate Black women as teachers to newly freed slaves and their children and then to train nurses. I am sure it evolved the same way as Morehouse.

Good post. And let's not forget that as late as the 1950s, black students who wanted to attend a certain school were spit on and threatened and had to be escorted by the National Guard. So I think it makes perfect sense to have "black" schools.

 

[Nova]

I can't speak for Cypros, but my take on it was that many black students appear to be white.

My take as well. I'm sure many shades of skin color are well represented at Spelman.

 

[Cypros]

I can't speak for Cypros, but my take on it was that many black students appear to be white.

Why would someone be black if they "appear to be white"?

 

[IrishMist]

Why would someone be black if they "appear to be white"?

To use your words:
In America, you are black if you have even the smallest amount of "black blood."

 

[Cypros]

To use your words:
In America, you are black if you have even the smallest amount of "black blood."

Yes. That is a totally arbitrary rule imposed by the ruling majority in order to establish and maintain "white privilege".

 

[IrishMist]

Yes. That is a totally arbitrary rule imposed by the ruling majority in order to establish and maintain "white privilege".

I'm wondering if it's still like this. At the very least, isn't it in the process of change?

And, in what context does it apply? A box on a form somewhere? Is there an option for "mixed"?

 

[Cypros]

I'm wondering if it's still like this. At the very least, isn't it in the process of change?

And, in what context does it apply? A box on a form somewhere? Is there an option for "mixed"?

It appears to apply right here on this thread. Who are YOU talking about when you say "blacks"?

 

[IrishMist]

It appears to apply right here on this thread. Who are YOU talking about when you say "blacks"?

LOL! I've been trying very hard to stay out of this thread! I was just trying to help another poster understand something you wrote by giving her my impression! That's all.

*backing out of here slowly*

 

[White Rain]

LOL! I've been trying very hard to stay out of this thread! I was just trying to help another poster understand something you wrote by giving her my impression! That's all.

*backing out of here slowly*

That poster is me, I think, and I am seriously drunk at the moment, so other than this I am posting NOTHING.

 

[IrishMist]

That poster is me, I think, and I am seriously drunk at the moment, so other than this I am posting NOTHING.

I have always thought that not posting when drunk is the best way to go

 

[GlitchWizard]

I think that most blacks "realize that they are not the poor, little suffering oppressed minority they once were" and acknowledge that civils rights has come a long way. The sarcastic tone in that sentence alone, let alone the entire post, proves that you don't consider their past suffering to be that serious. And I don't hear all blacks or even the majority of blacks bitching that they are victims of whites all the time.

At the risk of burning in "white people are horrible, blacks are awesome" hell fire -

I don't consider their past sufferring to be that serious. (anymore)That horse to beat died 200 years ago and it's time to turn the page in the history books and move on to CURRENT sufferring of blacks. Not the crap they are whining about in large numbers but the REAL issues. (Rather, ones that SHOULD be important to them, but RELATIVE inaction shows it's not so much.)

1. Gangs and the deaths they cause.
2. Drug related deaths, be it drugs themselves or dealing.
3. Starvation in this country right here, right NOW that needs all the attention.
4. The emense prison population that is black, are REPEAT offenders- who are actually VICTIMS of their neighborhoods, their parents, the areas they live in that need cleaned up to stop breeding these prison bound kids and start breeding kids who can have a chance.

We have a country where everyone really does have a chance - if their upbringing gives them access to it. The color isn't the issue - it's the access to the education. If you live in a gang neighborhood and eat your cheerios with your big brother's machine gun on your breakfast table, are exposed by mama to speak that gutteral crap that isn't english, even if you have an IQ that is off the charts smart - you don't have access to the steps to suceed. But where is the person helping you out of that situation? He's at some judge trying to get reparations for your great great great great great great great great great grandfather's slavery so he can use the money to... do something other than give you any help.

Sorry charlie. It's not my whiteness keeping you away from succeeding, it's people putting their efforts into things that happened 200 years ago that they feel is more important than your future.

Can't people see, dead people aren't sufferring, so it's NOT as important. What is important are the people are sufferring NOW. It's not whitey 200 years ago! It's neighborhoods that need attention NOW, it's school systems that need attention NOW, it's parents that need attention NOW, it's kids that so TOTALLY need attention NOW-

Don't black groups care about the kids alive TODAY? There would be an IMMENSE number of people fixing the problems if they'd change their focus from "gimmie reparations for something I wasn't there for" to "please donate time, energy and money to cleaning up this problem we have now."

*stepping off soap box* *shaking head*

 

[Vegas Bride]

I wanted to make a comment about DWB. Last year I was driving in the middle of the night for an early morning flight. There was very little traffic in the town and I wanted to get a cup of coffee but was not familiar with where the convenience store was so I turned left when I should have turned right. I drove around the block to go in the right direction. Now a police car was parked on the side of the road and saw me do this. I was not speeding, used my turn signals etc in the correct way and my car had no problems such as lights out etc.
The police officer got behind me and quickly pulled me over. I was surprised because as I said I was doing absolutly nothing wrong! Right away he wanted to know what I was doing, just why was I there? I kept my cool and explained what I was doing, but I admit it bothered me the way I was questioned when I had a very innocent reason for being where I was. If it had been during the day I never would have been noticed. My car is neither fancy or expensive. Now if I was a minority I guess I could have felt then that I was pulled over because of that reason, but I'm a white middleaged woman so I can't use that for an excuse. The truth is I was in an area where I caught the eye of a young police officer who felt anyone driving around at 3 a.m. was suspicious. My impression of him was he was a jerk who was to filled up with his own importance but I kept that impression to myself while we talked. I do understand a person being upset if they are pulled over for no reason, because I certainly did not like it when it happened to me, but I don't believe we can blame race for it, there are many reasons it can be and if we just play the "race card" then our eyes are not open to reality.

As for needing to feel guilty for what our gggggg-parents did, that has never cut it with me. Slavery did not just happen here in America, I am of scottish-irish descent and you know what, many years ago there was slavery over there! I have no doubt I have ancestors who were abused and very poorly treated. As far as I have been able to find out I have no ancestor who was a slave ownder, they settled in the north and I had ones who fought for the north during the civil was and atleast 1 who was a pow during that time and I'm sure suffered greatly.
During my years I have worked with many black, white, hispanic and a few people from the middle east. What I have learned is no matter the color, you're going to find good people and you're going to also find people who are an , IMO it's not because of the color of their skin, it's because of what's underneith the skin.
Color of skin is not the only way to discriminate, we all judge others on a daily basis on so many different levels. Should a homely woman be given more chance towards a job because she's at a disadvantage? My brother was rejected for certain training in the airforce because of his partial colorblindness, should I organise a protest?
Why don't I ever hear Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton mad about an injustice done towards a non-black? Isn't injustice towards anyone wrong?
I know I'm rambling here but just wanted to chime in a little.

VB

 

[Cheetah]

I don't see anyone anywhere talking about what was done 200 years ago. Slavery existed....and comments like Imus's re-open old wounds...that's all. I look at it this way, if I choose to listen to a rap song, then I expect that I may here references to ho's and the "n"word...I don't expect it when discussing a woman's basketball team on a radio show, that makes the difference. I don't see how Imus's comments can be compared to what rappers do. It's a totally seperate issue.


As far as slavery..My gg grandfather had a huge plantation in North Carolina, he owned over 300 slaves. I was taught that black people were different. I remember asking my grandmother when I was five if black people had the same color of blood as us...and she said yes! Of course, then I had to ask what the difference was between me and them. I never understood her answers but now realize that she grew up in a totally different time. She was the ONLY one in my family who didn't threaten to disown me (some did) when I started dating a black man. I guess my point is...I was never colorblind. I started writing poetry when I was six and my first writings (which I still have) were about equality and justice. I still write about those things as if I lived a life of oppression. I see it and I feel it. Don't know why. I'm a ghostwriter (for now) and if you heard some of my lyrics (maybe you have) you would never believe a white person wrote them.