Race/Ethnicity
Questions 211-220
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THE
QUESTION:
R220: Director's Paraphrase: Mike, a black male from Wheaton,
Maryland, would like to know if it is possible that a majority of
white people who complain about affirmative action are generally poor
and are trying to restore their privilege of race rather than trying
to achieve true competition with the rest of America's citizens.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
ANSWER 1:
True competition comes when tests are not "balanced" for
"institutional racism" but when they disregard race in favor of
actual qualifications. Racial preferences have two effects, both
disastrous for the country: 1) The minority stops working as hard, as
his position is guaranteed. The majority stops working as hard, as
the position will go to the minority. 2) Group polarization.
Balkanization on a massive scale. Affirmative action is racist
against white Americans, but it is equally bad for black Americans,
whose qualifications are put into doubt.
POSTED MAY 2, 1998
M.D., Detroit, MI
FURTHER NOTICE:
I am a white woman living in Texas, where the Hopwood
decision has removed affirmative action from the University of Texas,
despite criticism from the university itself. Several white
applicants sued because they were not accepted into the school,
although they had higher test scores than black and Hispanic people
who were accepted. The decision disturbs me greatly. It completely
overlooks the privilege that white people still experience in terms
of educational opportunities. Unfortunately, I know many people who
support it and the dismantling of other affirmative action programs.
To answer your question directly, I don't think most white people
consciously wish to reclaim their privileged status, but I do think
they are deluding themselves in thinking the need for affirmative
action is over. Too many white people think the world is as fair for
everyone else as it is for them, so nobody should receive different
(special) treatment.
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
Felicia, 34, white
<foloughl@n3c.com>,
Houston, TX
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
The reason I am against affirmative action is that I am
against racism, and affirmative action is pure racism - in
many ways, the worst kind - government-sanctioned and
society-approved. You can't fight racism with more racism. Until we
stop categorizing ourselves into groups, tension between groups will
never end. By the way, I am not rich, but am far from poor - solid
middle class, I guess.
POSTED MAY 7, 1998
K. Matson, white male
<kmatson@bellatlantic.net>,
Philadelphia, PA
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I agree with K. Matson that racial categories should be
eliminated. That is the only way we will ever be able to judge people
based on merit alone. However, affirmative action is not pure racism.
Although the face of affirmative action is African American, white
females by far have benefited from it the most. And historically
black colleges and universities continue to graduate more blacks with
bachelor's degrees and Ph.Ds than white institutions. It leads me to
wonder if the effect affirmative action is said to have had on the
growth of the black middle class has been somewhat exaggerated. When
I got into Columbia University and New York University after high
school, some people I knew assumed it was because of affirmative
action. Never mind that I had a 3.75 GPA, graduated fifth in my
class, had four advanced placement credits and wrote slammin'
entrance essays to boot. If someone doubts my abilities, that's their
problem. I will not internalize it; I will not justify it. As long as
I know I am qualified and can do the work, that's all that counts. I
hope others do the same.
POSTED MAY 11, 1998
Denise, 26, black, Bronx, NY
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
Denise says: "When I got into Columbia University ... some
people I knew assumed it was because of affirmative action. Never
mind that I had a 3.75 GPA, graduated fifth in my class, had four
advanced placement credits..." This is one of the byproducts of
affirmative action. People "assume" that successful minorities are
there as a result of a quota or somesuch. Is that the desired effect?
I thought the intent was to reduce prejudice, not reinforce it.
Denise contradicts her own statement by saying: "I agree with K.
Matson that racial categories should be eliminated. That is the only
way we will ever be able to judge people based on merit alone." Merit
alone? Not the way you described.
POSTED JUNE 8, 1998
thsmith, 28, white, Los Angeles, CA
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
Would it be fair if the daughter of a black doctor
received more scholarships than the son of a white janitor? Should
the children of Michael Jordan get into Harvard before the children
of a white farmer? Stereotyping all whites as rich and all blacks as
poor is ridiculous. To me, affirmative action is the ultimate in
prejudice, both in principle and politically.
POSTED SEPT. 23, 1998
B., 22, straight white male, Kokomo, IN
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
R219: I am writing a paper for a sociology class and am
curious to hear people's opinions on whether race and ethnic
relations cause intergroup conflict, or rather, if these conflicts
originate from some other source.
POSTED APRIL 28, 1998
Meredith G.
<smg2116@oberlin.edu>,
Oberlin, OH
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
R218: I know a married, biracial couple experiencing pressure
from the outside and am looking for help and information I might be
able to pass along to them. The pressure is coming from her side of
the family, which is white. He loves his wife and is a religious
person, but also has trouble finding a church in which they feel
comfortable. What do biracial couples experience? How do they
cope?
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
Joe S., 42, white male
<joebuckeye1@juno.com>,
St. Augustine, FL
ANSWER 1:
I'm in an interracial relationship (I hate that word; race
denotes two species that can't interbreed - if you can interbreed,
you're of the same race), and there are definitely different
pressures. It's been hard for us to find a church we can relate to,
also. Have they tried a mostly black church? Sometimes they can be
better. But yeah, any interracial couples are going to have it
harder.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
Alex, 39, white
<aleavens@mindspring.com>
Lawrenceville, GA
FURTHER NOTICE:
Having been in a culturally mixed relationship and raised
a culturally mixed child for the last 18 years, I can tell you this
is as hard as you make it. I experienced negativity from a parent in
the beginning and I stood my ground. When a couple marries, they
leave their parents; they have to focus on their relationship
regardless of color. If a same-culture couple married and a parent
didn't like it, the problem would be the same. I lived my life fully,
and in my case the parent came to respect my choice. A week before he
passed away, he told me the greatest gift my daughter had given him
was the realization that people were people regardless of color. I
already knew he had learned that the last time I saw him walk proudly
hand and hand through the mall with his beautiful, dark-skinned
granddaughter for all the world to see.
POSTED MAY 2, 1998
K. Taylor
<kdm05@bellsouth.net>,
Jacksonville, FL
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
R217: I have been informed that black people have a
disadvantage when it comes to getting a home loan compared to whites,
and that this is a tremendous impedence to establishing a long-term
profitable investment. Can black and white people share their
experiences with loan qualifications vs. debt, income, stability and
savings so that the general public can see if this discrimination is
true? I am looking for specifics, i.e.: Salary = $x, Credit = $x,
Stability = years employed, Assets = $x, Loan Qualified For = $x,
Race = x. Thank you.
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
Pthology, Detroit, MI
ANSWER 1:
You will probably encounter some difficulty in finding
these statistics. I have heard, although I do not know it as a fact,
that financial institutions are prohibited from keeping records that
include the race of their customers.
POSTED MAY 23, 1998
A. Morgan, 33, Houston, TX
FURTHER NOTICE:
Lender statistics are reported to the federal government
for use regarding mergers and buyouts relating to the Community
Reinvestment Act of 1977. The problem is federal regulators have been
reluctant to enforce the law. Now state and local human rights
offices, etc., are being funded to conduct studies that use testers
in the pre-application stage of the mortgage loan application. In
March, three Texas mortgage lenders agreed to a $1.375 billion plan
to settle fair housing complaints filed by HUD and others. The
agreement will affect home mortgages nationwide. Also, in April a
Dallas-based banking corporation signed a conciliation agreement for
$2.1 billion in mortgages to blacks, Hispanics and
low/moderate-income families. In Arizona the Attorney General
received a Memorandum of Understanding creating a $5 million loan
program to target minority and low/moderate-income home buyers from
Banc One Mortgage Corp. The minority populations being discriminated
against are blacks and Hispanics. Reference the newsleter National
Fair Housing Advocate, Louisville, Ken. - www.fairhousing.com. Also,
check abcnews.com's archives for a good article regarding mortgage
lending to blacks titled "America's Thin Red Line - Housing Bias
Against Blacks Continues." I hope this helps you understand a little
of the frustration blacks experience regularly.
POSTED AUG. 25, 1998
DeLores, 48, black
<dmdyer@hotmail.com>,
Tulsa, OK
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
R216: Why is it a prevalent belief that black men and women
consider a large rear-end a sexy attribute on a person of the
opposite sex?
(Director's Note: A similar question, related specifically to black
females, can be found at R179.)
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
Joe C.
<daddymac@sprintmail.com>,
Philadelphia, PA
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
R215: Why do blacks seem to readily accept the idea that they
are better basketball players in general than whites, but are
offended by the idea that whites might be better in general at
coaching?
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
K. Matson
<kmatson@bellatlantic.net>,
Philadelphia, PA
ANSWER 1:
Because of history. The NCAA and NBA are dominated by
black players. The talent pool from which NCAA and NBA coaches are
former players. Unless someone can prove that upon the end of their
playing careers basketball knowledge leeches out of the brains of
black players faster than it does out of white players, why should
anyone believe coaching ability is a racial characteristic? And the
belief that blacks aren't cerebral enough to fill certain positions
is not limited to Al Campanis. In baseball and football, blacks used
to be steered away from the so-called "thinking positions" like
pitchers, catchers, quarterback and linebackers. The disparity of
blacks as coaches at the highest levels is just more of the same old
song and dance.
POSTED APRIL 29, 1998
Jay B.
<jayboyd@ameritech.net>
Detroit, MI
FURTHER NOTICE:
This is actually the kind of response I expected. Why?
Because the way the "dialogue on race" proceeds these days is that if
blacks excel at any endeavor, it is because of natural ability,
beating the odds, hard work, etc., but if whites excel, it must
be racisim.
POSTED MAY 1, 1998
K. Matson
<kmatson@bellatlantic.net>
Philadelphia, PA
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Whites started the "blacks have natural athletic talents"
myth. I find it amusing that they are now upset by their own
creation. Second, there is a double standard for whites and blacks in
sports. At the players level, there is true competition. Individuals
who are the best at a particular position are given that position,
regardless of color. I don't know of anyone who would put a person on
their team, black or white, who could not play the game. On the other
hand, coaching positions are not given to the most qualified
individuals. They are given to friends, sons, poker buddies, etc. A
lot of these coaches are "proven losers," like Don Nelson. Yet these
corpses of coaches are resurrected, not because of talent and merit,
but because they're "good old boys." To suggest that blacks are only
good at sports and not at coaching and to suggest the opposite for
whites is racist and ludicrous.
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
Wanda, 27
<wbillops@ameritech.net>,
Detroit, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
To K. Matson: Where in Jay's answer do you see any
assumption that black basketball players are inherently superior?
(You might ask Larry Bird or Christian Laetner about that
assumption.) Or that whites are inherently superior coaches? (You
might ask Lenny Wilkins about that.) What Jay said was that because
of historical and current behaviors, many blacks are tracked toward
non-coaching jobs. What's wrong with that answer? That kind of thing
happens all the time (think about the pink-collar ghettos of banks,
for example - all the tellers are women, but all the higher-ups are
men. Is this because women are inherently less superior about
management, or is it more likely the result of the old-boy network?)
You start out with an invalid assumption, that "all blacks" feel they
are better basketball players, and then move forward to a logically
unsupportable conclusion . The problem is not with "all blacks" or
with the inherent goodness of certain groups of people at certain
occupations, but rather with your own views on this matter. Please
understand me: Nobody is special, or better at something, solely
because of their skin color. Skin color (melatonin) evolved in
response to differing climatic conditions on the face of the earth
over hundreds of thousands of years, and not because of some moral
imperative.
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
Alex, 39, white
<aleavens@mindspring.com>,
Lawrenceville, GA
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
Either blacks have some inherent ability that makes them
better ball players, or they don't. If blacks are not naturally
superior basketball players, then we must assume that either there is
black racism involved or that it is due to some cultural difference
(such as more young blacks playing ball, nothing else to do, etc.)
I'll vote for the latter. Now, isn't it possible that it is these
same cultural differences, rather than racism, that might lead whites
to view/play the game differently, and make them better coaches? I
have no problem with the concept that blacks may indeed be more
naturally gifted at athletics - especially in sports featuring
lower-body (leg) strength. You have to be darn near ready to say the
sun sets in the East to dismiss the overwhelming dominance of blacks
in many sports. Conversely, there are other sports, usually those
involving upper-body strength and stamina, where whites tend to
dominate. I do not think that honestly acknowledging obvious
differences makes one racist.
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
K. Matson
<kmatson@bellatlantic.net>,
Philadelphia, PA
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
To K.Matson: You may be forgetting one more possibility in
your theory: Money. If the equipment for ice hockey cost the same as
the equipment for a basketball, I am sure an African American could
be just as good at the sport. Too often, when people start talking
about the "natural abilities" African Americans seem to have in
sports, I notice that hardly anyone thinks about money and social
class as a factor. I don't like the idea that African Americans have
some sort of innate ability at sports because for me, it implies
that's all we're good for.
POSTED MAY 23, 1998
Kara, Japan
FURTHER NOTICE 6:
To Kara: Is socioeconomic position that much of a factor
in determining what sports someone goes into? How much are a pair of
Reeboks going for these days vs., say, a Speedo swimsuit?
POSTED JUNE 8, 1998
thsmith, 28, white, Los Angeles, CA
FURTHER NOTICE 7:
To thsmith: I'm not sure I get what you're saying, because
the swimsuit is not the only cost involved if a person wants to
become an Olympic swimmer. Access to a pool would be the most
important factor, and that would be much more likely in an affluent
neighborhood than in a poor one. To become a champion ice skater,
it's not just the cost of the skates.
POSTED JULY 26, 1998
Joan, San Francisco, CA
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
R214: What does it mean to Chinese people when a new
stepmother, just entering a household where the mother died, kicks
the door? And why does that upset the children?
POSTED APRIL 24, 1998
Catherine A., 49, Chinese
<CAgacinski@compuserve.com>,
Auburn Hills, MI
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
R213: I am African American and graduated from a school that
is basically 97 percent white. It is a Christian college, and I feel
I received a good education. But I wonder: Do other African Americans
see me as an "Uncle Tom" or traitor because I didn't attend a black
college?
POSTED APRIL 24, 1998
Kevin J.
<proclaim96@aol.com>,
Lexington, KY
ANSWER 1:
I attend a historically black school and feel I can help
answer the question. Sometimes when someone goes to an all-black
school, they feel that people stereotype their school just because
it's black, regardless of the quality of the education. At my school,
we find it frustrating to fight some of the stereotypes from not just
whites, but also some blacks who subscribe to those stereotypes. I am
not saying we believe all blacks who attend white schools are
"sell-outs," but many of us feel an extra burden trying to explain to
our friends who go to white schools that we are indeed receiving a
quality education.
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
Marc, 20, male
<romarti@yahoo.com>
Atlanta, GA
FURTHER NOTICE:
You are not a sell-out based on where you went to school.
You got the education you wanted, and that is what matters. (You
would only be a sell-out if you lost your connection with your
community as an African American.) It doesn't matter what anybody
else thinks. You know who and what you are, don't you? Don't let
others tell you how to feel about your education. I went to a school
that is about 75 percent white. I never questioned myself based on
where I went to school. I went where I wanted to go, and so did you.
Good for you; you made a choice, so stand by it.
POSTED MAY 12, 1998
Carmela, 29, black
<pecola@hotmail.com>,
Atlanta, GA
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
R212: I've noticed it seems more prevalent for a black male to
date a white female than it is for a black female to date a white
male. Is this because black males pursue white females more, or is
there less of an interest between white males and black females
dating?
POSTED APRIL 24, 1998
B.H., 30, male, Sterling Heights, MI
ANSWER 1:
As a black male who doesn't date white women, I am not
totally qualified to say what black men find in white women. However,
I can mention some of what black men find frustrating about black
women. We generally dislike the assertiveness and the attitude that
we get. It is one thing for someone to have an opinion, and another
to force it down your throat. In addition, black women are more
likely to subscribe to certain gender roles like making the man ask
them out. However, this is the '90s, and it seems like more white
women approach me than black women, and I like to be approached.
POSTED APRIL 28, 1998
Marc, 20, black male
<romarti@yahoo.com>,
Atlanta, GA
FURTHER NOTICE:
I think it's because there are fewer social "benefits" to
a white man/black woman relationship than vice versa. What I mean by
that is that in a black man/white woman relationship, the people can
be in it for reasons other than wanting to be in the relationship
itself (i.e. "getting over on the white man" or "having a wild fling"
kind of thing). I am not saying all relationships are like this,
merely that that component is in some of them. In white male/black
female relationships, there really isn't any social benefit to be
gained - white boys who want to shock their parents, etc., usually
find less "extreme" ways (somebody of a different religion will
usually do), and black women don't much feel the need to "get over"
on anybody. (Women in general are far less interested in a physical
relationship as a power trip than men are). This means that if a
black woman and white man are together, it's usually because they
really want to be and not because of other reasons that may
have more to do with a stereotype than an individual.
Alex, 39, white
<aleavens@mindspring.com>
Lawrenceville, GA
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Among black women, interracial dating remains a very
strong taboo. Plenty of my friends get extremely upset when they see
black men with white women. It leads them to think that those men
agree with the larger society that black women are not good enough to
marry. Also, black women don't particularly like to date white men
because it conjures up images of the white slaveowner and black
slave; they're afraid he may be interested in them only for sex. At
least, that's how a friend of mine expressed it when I brought up the
subject. To Marc: black women are assertive because historically we
have had to fend for ourselves. We have always had to work outside
the home and have seldom had the luxury of being housewives and
homemakers. That is largely true today, when black women are more
likely than other women to remain single. Assertiveness and attitude
was, and still is, absolutely essential to our survival.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
Denise, 26, black, Bronx, NY
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
As a black female, I can respond that my girlfriends and I
talk about this fairly often, and we are aware that sometimes we can
get "attitudinal" and bossy and drive men away. It feels like a
rejection to us when black men choose white women, and sometimes we
feel hurt and angry. It is interesting to hear an honest opinion
about it from a black man. We've also noticed in our area that more
black women are beginning to date white men. To Denise: I agree
completely. And isn't it also true that if some black men don't want
to deal with our assertiveness and attitude, we should wish them well
and send them on their way and not blame white women for "stealing"
them?
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
Sara S., Oakland, CA
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
I don't believe all black males pursue white females more.
Sometimes it's a matter of opportunity. Over the past 15-plus years,
almost all of my female coworkers have been white. If I were to date
a white woman, it wouldn't be because of any "social benefits," as
Alex mentioned, or that black women "are not good enough," as Denise
mentioned. It would be because of common interest, in this case
employment. I'm pretty sure this happens quite frequently. You work
with someone everyday, eat lunch together, etc., and so you get to
know each other, and sometimes romance develops when each of you
realize race is not an issue. This does seem a lot easier than
approaching five black women together at a club, only to have the one
you are interested in reject you and the others reject you because
they were not your first choice!
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
Jas, black, 42
<themoas@aol.com>,
Pensacola, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
As a black female, I think white women really don't have
anything to offer a black man because white people didn't struggle
the way we did. We as black women backed our black men up and took
care of their children. Second, back in the day when a white woman
and black man passed each other and the black man may have said
"hello" to that white woman, she would run and tell white men that a
black man assaulted her. A black man would have been killed over
things a white woman had lied about; that is why I say white people
should stick to their kind, and hopfully we will stick to our
kind.
POSTED DEC. 21, 1998
Peaches, black female
FURTHER NOTICE 6:
Women are still seen as a commodity in this culture, and
white women have a whole marketing program in the media designed to
convince us that skinny, pale women with long flowing hair are the
highest prize. Trophy wives. African-American women do not receive
the same sell. Caution, though: Individuals make connections for many
reasons, and although I know folks (both male and female) who have
hooked up with white partners in order to try to escape their
heritage, I know others whose white partners have become part of the
African-American community. Personally, I would like to be judged for
myself, not for my connection to a man, but I realize in this country
that is naive. As a white woman, I benefit from that "marketing
program." I cannot, therefore, discount the anger expressed by people
like Peaches. All I can say is, who are your people? Is solidarity
proven by skin color? Then what do we do with people like Mary Church
Turrell, Charles Drew, even Louis Farrakhan? Leaders whose skin color
might label them as white. I have to admit that I find myself getting
angry and making assumptions when I see a brother with a white
partner. And I'm white! But I try to let their speech and action have
the final say. This is such a hard one. I would like to hear more
from other African-American women to learn if there is a way for a
white woman to be committed to an African-American man and still show
respect for African-American women.
POSTED DEC. 22, 1998
Lori, white female, Fort Myers, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 7:
In my experience, black women are usually considered less
attractive than white women by most white men, and by some non-white
men. This is probably because of cultural perceptions of beauty, as
Lori said. I've had white men inform me that black women are ugly,
look like monkey and smell bad, and that they would never date one.
However, I've also dated more than one really wonderful man who was
white. Concepts of beauty really vary depending on the person, or at
least in a less brain-dead world they should. As for black men dating
white women, I know two men who fall into this category and they both
pretty much say the same thing. They are attracted to (and date)
black women, but many black women won't accept them (or be attracted
to them) because they're too caught up in what black men should be
and can't deal with all the different things black men can be. I
think it's really sad that we limit ourselves to the stereotypes
others put on us. As a black woman, it usually doesn't bother me that
black men date white women. But I know plenty of women are very
bitter and don't feel the way that I do. And in all honesty, if my
boyfriend left me for a white women, it would hurt more than if she
were black. It's hard not letting your pride get affected by what
others do and think. However, I live in a very narrowminded state, so
maybe someone from a more enlightened area will have a different
perspective.
POSTED DEC. 27, 1998
Shana, 21, black woman
<shanakins@hotmail.com>,
Wilmington, DE
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
R211: North America is made up of many cultural groups, so why
is an entire month dedicated to black history, while there are other
cultural groups without their own month? Perhaps Mexican people would
like a Mexican history month. Jewish people, too.
POSTED APRIL 24, 1998
P.B., white male, MI
ANSWER 1:
There is an entire month dedicated to black history
because Carter G. Woodson and other black historians busted their
humps to make it happen. Woodson first proposed the idea of a "Negro
History Week" to highlight the contributions of black Americans in
1915; in 1926 his idea became a reality. NHW expanded into "Black
History Month" in 1976. BHM is not some nugget "given" to blacks and
denied others.
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
Jay B., black
<jayboyd@ameritech.net>
Detroit, MI
FURTHER NOTICE:
Woodson decided Black History Month should be in February
so it would coincide with President Lincoln's birthday. Lincoln, of
course, issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Other groups have
months to celebrate their heritage: March is Women's History Month;
April is Asian-American Heritage month. Latin-American Heritage Month
is sometime in the fall, although I'm not sure which month.
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
Denise, 26, black, Bronx, N.Y.
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I don't know about Hispanics, but as a Jew, I can say that
we don't want/need a month. The whole idea is, basically, that black
people need "racial self esteem" and that "black contibutions
throughout history have been whited out." The result of this is that
while you will hear a lot about the black doctor who made innovations
in blood plasma technology, you will not hear about the white people
who worked with him, nor will you hear about the Jew (Landsteiner)
who discovered Human Blood groups in the first place. Jews don't need
a month (nor any time at all) because there are/were a lot of
prominent Jews in Science (Einstein, Fermi, Oppenheimer, etc.) and
Medicine (Salk, Sabin, etc.) The goal is mainly to show black kids
that black people can do things other than sports and become famous.
The end result is, though, that white schoolchildren end up writing
the same report on Martin Luther King every year. A student I know
turned in the exact same report - he saved copies of it - every year
from firth grade on.
M.D., Jewish, white, Detroit, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
To Jay B: Yes, that's exactly what BHM is. Non-black
politicians and the white media use BHM as an attempt to say, "Hey
look, we're not racist," and fall all over themselves to score
brownie points with the one oppressed group in this country that has
been able to effectively create enough guilt about its situation to
get a response (the squeaky wheel gets the grease). BHM is a product
of collective white guilt, which allows whites to pay less attention
to red-lining, crack babies and gerrymandering because they put a
30-second BHM spot on their TV station or a half-page article on the
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in their newspaper. If you look at
their sheer numbers, women have made more contributions to this
country than have Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, etc. (remember, you're
including Black women in this group). How adamant are you that women
should have an entire month dedicated to recognizing their
contributions?
POSTED APRIL 29, 1998
S.M., Kan.
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
To S.M.: Several points: 1) BHM came to fruition in 1926
by blacks, for blacks. The point was to counter the typical history
books of the day that, with the exception of slavery, ignored the
existence of blacks in America. And to my knowledge, white pols in
1926 were rarely motivated by guilt or anything else to do anything
that could be perceived as coddling blacks. 2) As for today's
politicians and media attempting to score "brownie" points (nice
pun), of that I have no doubt. But then, both parties also exploit
Christmas, Easter, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July. Should we
stop observing those occasions because of the cynical nature of pols
and the media? 3) If we abolish BHM, will the pols and the media
devote anymore time to solving the problems of red-lining, crack
babies, etc.? 4) If women, or other minority/ethnic groups want a
day, week, month or a year to promote their accomplishments, it's
fine by me. As far as I'm concerned, this isn't a competition.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
Jay B. black male
<jayboyd@ameritech.net>
Detroit, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
To S.M.: Women do have a month: March. And contrary to
what you believe, the contributions of black, Hispanic or Asian women
are rarely highlighted during this month. The celebrations are
usually devoted to white women.
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
M.H., 26, black female, Harlem, NY
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