These are great videos to watch regarding White Privelage.
Check them out! It's one series with 5 parts. An absolute must-see!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAljja0vi2M Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOVJ6QwFmDI part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-E4aqOs1_0 part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsylE79Hm30 part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQEjWybFhac part 5
Hiroshima and Nagasaki...
When Racism and Foreign Policy Collide
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
GMA race discussion
Hey folks! Just wanted to sign on for a quick discussion and to add my contact info.
I saw an interesting clip on Good Morning America today. Robin and Diane had talked to a group of youngsters 10 years ago and went back to their hometowns recently to talk to youngsters again about race. I'm not sure where they were 10 years ago. There was a remarkable difference in the attitudes of the kids regarding race and their attitudes in general. It was lovely to see. Of course, not a scientific or even unbiased discussion in the least but I think it did show that some attitudinal change has occurred in 10 years. (its on their website today, 4/2/09) The down side is, I think that it would give most the idea that there is nothing to work on, that since kids are not sounding racist, then we've solved the problem. Maybe so, but I don't think so. I do think that things are better but that institutional bias is there and we must continue to work on that less obvious stuff. Its the same in every area of institutional bias. Let s not stop now!!!
so that's my little soapbox for the morning. Now my email is ladyhawksoars@gmail.com.
my pledge on Saturday was to watch for my white privilege and look at the race mix around me. I had to get xrays at UTMC on Monday. I noticed that there was a good mix of people in the patient category. I spent a bunch of time there a couple of years ago with an accident victim and did see a great diversity of patients. That's a plus. There are a great many on staff that are diverse too. I know that there have been issues around homophobia on the campus and there are inequities in what is offered to gay employees and their partners. It would be interesting to really see the numbers of the employees and their racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Maybe we can learn something from this site....
more later!
peace out!
I saw an interesting clip on Good Morning America today. Robin and Diane had talked to a group of youngsters 10 years ago and went back to their hometowns recently to talk to youngsters again about race. I'm not sure where they were 10 years ago. There was a remarkable difference in the attitudes of the kids regarding race and their attitudes in general. It was lovely to see. Of course, not a scientific or even unbiased discussion in the least but I think it did show that some attitudinal change has occurred in 10 years. (its on their website today, 4/2/09) The down side is, I think that it would give most the idea that there is nothing to work on, that since kids are not sounding racist, then we've solved the problem. Maybe so, but I don't think so. I do think that things are better but that institutional bias is there and we must continue to work on that less obvious stuff. Its the same in every area of institutional bias. Let s not stop now!!!
so that's my little soapbox for the morning. Now my email is ladyhawksoars@gmail.com.
my pledge on Saturday was to watch for my white privilege and look at the race mix around me. I had to get xrays at UTMC on Monday. I noticed that there was a good mix of people in the patient category. I spent a bunch of time there a couple of years ago with an accident victim and did see a great diversity of patients. That's a plus. There are a great many on staff that are diverse too. I know that there have been issues around homophobia on the campus and there are inequities in what is offered to gay employees and their partners. It would be interesting to really see the numbers of the employees and their racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Maybe we can learn something from this site....
more later!
peace out!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Pondering White Pride
I am sure many folks have seen this email forward before, and I think it deserves a response. Often, as white folks who disagree with him, it is easier to dismiss it and say, "it's not worth getting into" but perhaps a thoughtful response is in order. So I have copied it here for reference and my response follows various points in bold blue italics:
This is great. I have been wondering about why Whites are racists, and no other race is. Ist point: We need to be clear on what a "racist" is. A racist is someone who exercises power or privelage over others of a different race. Due to the social constructs racism has built (versus the non-existant biological differences between us) we as white people have benefitted from racism, i.e. have certain privelages. In that sense, another race cannot be "racist" without reversing the entire American social construct. However, I think the real meaning of this statement is talking about discrimination. Anyone, white or a person of color, can commit acts of discrimination against the other.
as a result of Proud to be White - Michael Richards makes his point...Michael Richards better known as Kramer from TVs Seinfeld does make a good point. This was his defense speech in court after making racial comments in his comedy act. He makes some very interesting points...Someone finally said it... How many are actually paying attention to this? There are African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, etc. And then here are just Americans. Great point. Exactly. To be American equals white. Ironically, he is admitting here that white is the norm by which everyone else is measured.
You pass me on the street and sneer in my direction. You call me 'White boy,' 'Cracker, ' 'Honkey,' 'Whitey,' 'Caveman' ... And that's OK.But when I call you, Nigger, Kike, Towel head, Sand-nigger, Camel Jockey, Beaner, Gook, or Chink ... You call me a racist. Hmm...well, it's important to recognize the meaning behind those names and words. Many of those words against people of color have historic context that represent or promote hedious acts of violence and domination done against an entire race of people. However, I think it is also a matter of individual response as well, on both sides. I, as a white person, do not take offense at the white names, nor would i use the others.
You say that whites commit a lot of violence against you... Uhh...yeah whites have, with the historical stats to prove it. Like the majority of world wars, world wide colonization, atom bombs, etc...
So why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live? Well, let's go back to my 1st point. We live is a white racist society. That means, by default, whites have the INSTITUTIONAL power. So through a historical series of housing laws and policies (GI Bill as an example), with the cooperation of businesses (red lining), a downward spiral was created. The haves lived in a safe little suburbs and the have-nots live in "ghettos", communities without adequate resources and thus prone to violence. Because of the inherent racism present in those laws and policies, the communities were cut along racial lines giving the illusion that if your black ( or anything not white) and live in the ghetto you are a potential criminal.
You have the United Negro College Fund. You have Martin Luther King Day. You have Black History Month. You have Cesar Chavez Day. You have Yom Hashoah. You have Ma'uled Al-Nabi. You have the NAACP. You have BET... If we had WET (White Entertainment Television), we'd be racists.. If we had a White Pride Day, you would call us racists. If we had White History Month, we'd be racists.If we had any organization for only whites to 'advance' OUR, lives we'd be racists.We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber of Commerce, and then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce. Wonder who pays for that??A white woman could not be in the Miss Black American pageant, but any color can be in the Miss America pageant. If we had a college fund that only gave white students scholarships. You know we'd be racists. Reality check here. First of all, we did do a lot of only white things, we called it Jim Crow laws. And today, we still do, but not explicitly. We don't need all those White only things because everything already exists to serve us. Again, ironically, his very point, proves mine.
There are over 60 openly proclaimed Black Colleges in the US . Yet if there were 'White colleges' That would be a racist college..In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching for your race and rights.If we marched for our race and rights, you would call us racists.You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, an d you're not afraid to announce it.But when we announce our white pride, you call us racist! When we do this, don't we usually clothe ourselves in robes and have burning crosses in the yard and ropes in our hands? But i'll come back to the white pride point. As for the earlier comments about marches...why would we need a race march when we already have (collectively speaking as a whole race) rights? And the number of colleges that will turn you away because you're white is...???
You rob us, carjack us, and shoot at us. And we drop atomic bombs on them, steal their land, rape and murder their women and children, call them savages, use their exaggerated face for our sports enjoyment, etc etc etc. Again, historic context and reality check here...
But, when a white police officer shoots a black gang member or beats up a black drug-dealer running from the law and posing a threat to society, you call him a racist.I am proud...No, I'm pretty sure the complaints come when a white police officer kills a black man for doing something (or being perceived to be doing something) that he otherwise would simplyhave arrested a white man for. It's about the over reaction (injustice).
But you call me a racist.Why is it that only whites can be racists? See point 1.
There is nothing improper about this e-mail.Let's see which of you are proud enough to send it on. I sadly don't think many will. That's why we have lost most of OUR RIGHTS in this country. We won't stand up for ourselves!BE PROUD TO BE WHITE!It's not a crime yet . But getting real close! It's ok to be proud to be white. But again, how to we demonstrate that? And why is it that those that do proclaim it, do so with the threat or action of violence against people of color? Are we proud to be white? Or is it that we don't understand "other" so we desperately try to keep the "other" down in order to feel good about who we are?
This is great. I have been wondering about why Whites are racists, and no other race is. Ist point: We need to be clear on what a "racist" is. A racist is someone who exercises power or privelage over others of a different race. Due to the social constructs racism has built (versus the non-existant biological differences between us) we as white people have benefitted from racism, i.e. have certain privelages. In that sense, another race cannot be "racist" without reversing the entire American social construct. However, I think the real meaning of this statement is talking about discrimination. Anyone, white or a person of color, can commit acts of discrimination against the other.
as a result of Proud to be White - Michael Richards makes his point...Michael Richards better known as Kramer from TVs Seinfeld does make a good point. This was his defense speech in court after making racial comments in his comedy act. He makes some very interesting points...Someone finally said it... How many are actually paying attention to this? There are African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, etc. And then here are just Americans. Great point. Exactly. To be American equals white. Ironically, he is admitting here that white is the norm by which everyone else is measured.
You pass me on the street and sneer in my direction. You call me 'White boy,' 'Cracker, ' 'Honkey,' 'Whitey,' 'Caveman' ... And that's OK.But when I call you, Nigger, Kike, Towel head, Sand-nigger, Camel Jockey, Beaner, Gook, or Chink ... You call me a racist. Hmm...well, it's important to recognize the meaning behind those names and words. Many of those words against people of color have historic context that represent or promote hedious acts of violence and domination done against an entire race of people. However, I think it is also a matter of individual response as well, on both sides. I, as a white person, do not take offense at the white names, nor would i use the others.
You say that whites commit a lot of violence against you... Uhh...yeah whites have, with the historical stats to prove it. Like the majority of world wars, world wide colonization, atom bombs, etc...
So why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live? Well, let's go back to my 1st point. We live is a white racist society. That means, by default, whites have the INSTITUTIONAL power. So through a historical series of housing laws and policies (GI Bill as an example), with the cooperation of businesses (red lining), a downward spiral was created. The haves lived in a safe little suburbs and the have-nots live in "ghettos", communities without adequate resources and thus prone to violence. Because of the inherent racism present in those laws and policies, the communities were cut along racial lines giving the illusion that if your black ( or anything not white) and live in the ghetto you are a potential criminal.
You have the United Negro College Fund. You have Martin Luther King Day. You have Black History Month. You have Cesar Chavez Day. You have Yom Hashoah. You have Ma'uled Al-Nabi. You have the NAACP. You have BET... If we had WET (White Entertainment Television), we'd be racists.. If we had a White Pride Day, you would call us racists. If we had White History Month, we'd be racists.If we had any organization for only whites to 'advance' OUR, lives we'd be racists.We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber of Commerce, and then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce. Wonder who pays for that??A white woman could not be in the Miss Black American pageant, but any color can be in the Miss America pageant. If we had a college fund that only gave white students scholarships. You know we'd be racists. Reality check here. First of all, we did do a lot of only white things, we called it Jim Crow laws. And today, we still do, but not explicitly. We don't need all those White only things because everything already exists to serve us. Again, ironically, his very point, proves mine.
There are over 60 openly proclaimed Black Colleges in the US . Yet if there were 'White colleges' That would be a racist college..In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching for your race and rights.If we marched for our race and rights, you would call us racists.You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, an d you're not afraid to announce it.But when we announce our white pride, you call us racist! When we do this, don't we usually clothe ourselves in robes and have burning crosses in the yard and ropes in our hands? But i'll come back to the white pride point. As for the earlier comments about marches...why would we need a race march when we already have (collectively speaking as a whole race) rights? And the number of colleges that will turn you away because you're white is...???
You rob us, carjack us, and shoot at us. And we drop atomic bombs on them, steal their land, rape and murder their women and children, call them savages, use their exaggerated face for our sports enjoyment, etc etc etc. Again, historic context and reality check here...
But, when a white police officer shoots a black gang member or beats up a black drug-dealer running from the law and posing a threat to society, you call him a racist.I am proud...No, I'm pretty sure the complaints come when a white police officer kills a black man for doing something (or being perceived to be doing something) that he otherwise would simplyhave arrested a white man for. It's about the over reaction (injustice).
But you call me a racist.Why is it that only whites can be racists? See point 1.
There is nothing improper about this e-mail.Let's see which of you are proud enough to send it on. I sadly don't think many will. That's why we have lost most of OUR RIGHTS in this country. We won't stand up for ourselves!BE PROUD TO BE WHITE!It's not a crime yet . But getting real close! It's ok to be proud to be white. But again, how to we demonstrate that? And why is it that those that do proclaim it, do so with the threat or action of violence against people of color? Are we proud to be white? Or is it that we don't understand "other" so we desperately try to keep the "other" down in order to feel good about who we are?
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