You May Not Be Able to Say How You Feel About Your Race

[Tank]

You May Not Be Able to Say How You Feel About Your Race

ScienceDaily (Oct. 7, 2010) â€" A new study from the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis looks at how much African Americans and whites favor or prefer their own racial group over the other, how much they identify with their own racial group, and how positively they feel about themselves...

Interesting. Social pressures causing stress, we still have a way to go to get over the effects of melanin and other fundamentally meaningless differences.

[PoopShoot]

There are huge divergences in culture between the two groups.  There is little biologically different, but the cultures are in many ways worlds apart.

[Ultima22689]

I'm not surprised, the culture makes it so being Black is like a job. Whenever I hear about someone on TV but race isn't specified  it's common for someone to go "is he/she black"? Whether it's positive or negative, race seems to be so involved in black culture, even if they won't admit it.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Race is involved from both "sides", and pretending otherwise is nonsense.

[Will]

I couldn't possibly care less about skin pigment. Race is a mostly artificial construct put in place as an excuse to dehumanize in order to subjugate. In reality, all people are equal as a matter of simple deduction.

Culture, on the other hand, is very much real and unfortunately has become intertwined with the artificial construct of race. The result is this strange "be true to your melanin level" garbage.

[Ultima22689]

I couldn't possibly care less about skin pigment. Race is a mostly artificial construct put in place as an excuse to dehumanize in order to subjugate. In reality, all people are equal as a matter of simple deduction.

Culture, on the other hand, is very much real and unfortunately has become intertwined with the artificial construct of race. The result is this strange "be true to your melanin level" garbage.

QFT, that's what I was referring to when I mentioned being black has been turned into a job by the culture. If you don't adhere to the culture, being religious, full of racial pride, liking what everyone else likes,  etc then people put you down for not being black. I'm sure this is the same in various cultures.

[radicalaggrivation]

I couldn't possibly care less about skin pigment. Race is a mostly artificial construct put in place as an excuse to dehumanize in order to subjugate. In reality, all people are equal as a matter of simple deduction.

Culture, on the other hand, is very much real and unfortunately has become intertwined with the artificial construct of race. The result is this strange "be true to your melanin level" garbage.

QFT, that's what I was referring to when I mentioned being black has been turned into a job by the culture. If you don't adhere to the culture, being religious, full of racial pride, liking what everyone else likes,  etc then people put you down for not being black. I'm sure this is the same in various cultures.

Well as a Black atheist, I can tell you that the Black race is expected and expects themselves to be religious, pretentiously proud about our race, and to adhere to our social limitations. For instance Blacks that I grew up around would look at me like I was crazy for listening to rock and roll. One time I had someone tell me that acoustic soul music (James Morrison) was "White people" music. That is such a negative and pejorative statement in Black culture. To be accused of liking things that "White people like". This statement is out of the ignorance of the critical role that Black musicians played in creating rock and country, country being universally viewed as white music (which is ironic because the American cowboy is based around Spanish hacienda traditions and the music it's self being an offspring of blues). We wedge ourselves into these rigid categories because we have forgotten who we are. We have also forgotten just how artificial our differences are. People fail to understand that these are just social subdivisions used to keep us fighting for scraps, while the rich use all of us. I have learned that my race does not define me. I won't allow it to. I won't allow something imaginary to dictate my life, like what White and Black people are expected to do.

[Will]

Obviously a lot of black people (and to a slightly lesser extent, Latino people, Asian people, etc.) have lived under the white power structure for many, many generations and hostility rightfully developed. People were kidnapped from Africa and forced into slavery by racist Americans and Europeans who were living under the false assumption that white people were in some quantifiable way superior to all other "races". I'd be pissed, too. Not only that, but despite the fact slavery is now illegal in the United States, racism has still made the process of black people on average becoming equal in society and economically very, very slow. Even today, in 2010, we're only now getting our first real generation of black millionaires retiring. Not only that, but we still see inequality across the board.

I'm white. My dad is white, my grandparents are/were white, my great grandparents were white and likely going back hundreds if not thousands of years the majority of my ancestors were white Europeans. Neither I nor my immediate ancestors were victimized because of their skin pigment. I am not living in the aftermath of my family being enslaved. I'm not living in a society where I have a 16% likelihood of going to prison because of my pigment. I'm not living in a society where I get pulled over because people of my pigment are not expected to drive nice cars or be in predominately wealthy neighborhoods.

In short, I can understand why non-whites have become wedged into these racial cultures. Whites, on the other hand, have absolutely no excuse whatsoever. "White culture" is simply a very sly way of saying "we want to stay in charge and despite the mountain of evidence we still think think we're inherently better".

I'm glad you've moved beyond race, radicalaggrivation and ultima. It's a concept which promotes hatred and inequality.

[Tanker]

How about this. It's considered inapropriate for white people to take pride in thier race or history (outside of the south) mostly because of views like Will's. I'm sorry Will but you seem almost ashamed that you are white. I'm not talking about being proud White people have subjugated other races that is wrong and frankly stupid. There is alot more to white people and white culture then keeping white people in power. We are hardly 2 dimesional power mongers. My history is a rich mix or English, Irish, French, Russian, Jewish, Italian, Geman, Austrian, Finnish, Danish, Swedish, ect ect (I'm hienz 57). I am proud of this rich and diverse ancestery. Yet many would look down on me for saying so.

There seems to be an almost communal guilt among white people for the crimes of people in the past and present whose skin is a similar shade. This can be seen in the trend of political corectness. Have you noticed how the most politicaly correct speakers always seem to be white? For instance Most of the black people I have known have reffered to themselves as black while most white people refer to black people as "African American". Neither is wrong but there seems to be a growing awareness by whites to not be insulting and to be more cultural sensitive. These attempts often seem to me as exessive, akward, and hollow.


I don't feel guity that some white people kept slaves. I never have and never would keep slaves and as far as know no one in my family has so why should I feel guitly that they wouldn't have tried to enslave me. That and slavery is hardly a white invention or was only kept up by white people in recent history. Throughout history people in power reguardless of race have owned slaves. These slaves were thoses who lacked the ability to prevent thier slavery. I would guess the racism came after enslavement. It so much easier to justfy slavery if you convince yourself you are better then the slave. While I don't have numbers at a guess I don't think most ( all ancient) Roman, or English, or Chinese, or Greek, or Ottoman slaves were African. Most African slaves were not "kidnapped from Africa and forced into slavery by racist Americans and Europeans" they were kidnapped by greedy Africans who didn't care what happened to people who wern't of thier tribe or clan. Then sold to greedy racist American, European, African, Arabs and anyone else who thought that because they could buy people they should. Many Africans and Arabs actully owned white slaves (treaty of tripoli anyone) Yet you won't find many Africans who feel bad about this. "You did it too" or "you did it first" are not good arguments slavery is wrong and always has been.

Slavery is never right or justified, but just like original sin is an illogical idea, so is being guilty of all a races crimes because my skin color matches thiers. I empathise with those who are opressed because they have more melanin in their skin then I do. It's a horrible reason to hate or oppresse someone but I'm not sorry I'm white in fact I'm glad. However If I were to state this in public everyone would assume I was racist. I'm not and I trully hate racism. I will admit to ignorance but not intentional or malicious ignorance.

I think Louie CK states part of my point well.
[youtube:4qgrxyqz]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4f9zR5yzY[/youtube:4qgrxyqz]

[TheWilliam]

Louis CK and Bill Burr state everything well. since we lost Carlin and Chris Rock is in his own league, those are my top two right now.

and on the subject.

I agree with what someone else said, being black IS a job (socially)

a job that I quit and won't return to.

as far as on the job, it's mostly speech, especially in the south.  If you don't talk a certain way, then you're not "real"

after a while it becomes like speaking a different language.  a language of which horrific grammar, made up words, modified words, and forced exaggerated accentuation rule the court.

*disclaimer*

I'm not a black person that hates black people, I'm just a bored nigga that turned in my ghetto pass and won't be applying for a new one next season.

[Tanker]

Louis CK and Bill Burr state everything well. since we lost Carlin and Chris Rock is in his own league, those are my top two right now.

and on the subject.

I agree with what someone else said, being black IS a job (socially)

a job that I quit and won't return to.

as far as on the job, it's mostly speech, especially in the south.  If you don't talk a certain way, then you're not "real"

after a while it becomes like speaking a different language.  a language of which horrific grammar, made up words, modified words, and forced exaggerated accentuation rule the court.

*disclaimer*

I'm not a black person that hates black people, I'm just a bored nigga that turned in my ghetto pass and won't be applying for a new one next season.

I've heard that a common catch 22 amoung some black communities is that everyone is trying to get get rich and get out but if you do your not real, or just a tom, or an oreo. It seems so silly that if you do well for yourself or suceed that now you are somehow less black. Unless you suceed in a "proper" black role like rapper or athlete, ect then you sold out. Would you say the view is common? If so how common?

[TheWilliam]

the economic side is more common with those born before the 80s.

I assume their stubborn bitterness comes from being the children of parents who were around before public racial discrimination was outlawed

a lot of those born from the late 80s to early 90s are more college bound, but not to advance their minds or for the university experience, but only to give them grounds to request a larger salary when entering the job market.

so they have degrees and apply for upper management positions but talk like idiots and are totally boring in a conversation about anything outside of reality shows and sneakers.

I've only been called a "Tom" (to my face) one time in my life.
this was when I was a fast food crew member about 5 years ago, and this other black dude wanted wednesday off so he could play basketball, and he wanted to trade a shift with me,
I declined to trade the shift but offered to take his shift and just get more overtime because at that time was saving up to move into this house.

we riffed over it for about 60 seconds and then he just said "TOM!!"

and my response was

"So you'd rather play basketball than work and make money when you just had to borrow money to pay your rent"

he walked away, I got the overtime and now in 2010 he's 30 and I'm 27.
.....and he still rents a bedroom (just the bedroom) and I moved forward to salary and live in this house.

fuck em.

[Tank]

Please excuse my cultural ignorance, but why is 'TOM' an insult?

[Ultima22689]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Tom


Yep, wow, so many black atheists here, so others are real! I thought I was a robot in an experiment, built by top secret agents or something. People regularly berate me for what TheWilliam described. My favorite genre is progressive metal, I think Gucci Mane is a piece of hot doo and I don't listen to any form of R&B, Hip Hop or rap. Not because i've got some reason to but I simply don't like the sound. I've gotten into fights on the bus because people would hear the music because I was playing so loud my headphones gave it off. The sad part is what TheWilliam said about college. It's very true, many seem to be just as bad as those who don't go to college, incredibly shallow and obsessed with being in the self destructive culture.  What's even more amazing is when they feel sorry for me and try to re-blackify me which involves two steps, getting closer to sky daddy then doing black things which i'd rather not go into describing.

[Tom62]

Shit, my name is Tom and I am an uncle   .