twirlgrrl | Two interesting posts on race

For my future perusal:

http://community.livejournal.com/debunkingwhite/673998.html

http://community.livejournal.com/anti_racism/288060.html

To be honest, I had never thought deeply about the origins of the term "cotton-pickin'" until I read that first post.

And I am so flabbergasted at the reactions I see (mostly online, I guess) from people at the very mention of racism, white privilege, etc... basic concepts like these seem to cause intense reactions born of denial and anger.

Jim Crow laws didn't end that long ago, people.

I still have no idea how to foster meaningful discussions about race. I'm trying to learn as much as I can, but that just puts me farther away from the white norm, and that makes it even harder to talk about it without sparking a defensive reaction. I tried, with my mom and Pete a couple of weeks ago, and ended up upsetting BOTH of them, at least temporarily. And I didn't even realize that what I was saying would be inflammatory to them before I said it. Especially Pete, who is really into the blues and has talked about being born "black on the inside" (which makes me cringe, but there you have it.)

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Well, as you know, we all have problems understanding the USA on this... your racism is just so... different. And extreme. And based solely on colour, which most of us Just Don't Get.

I understand _why_ your racism is that way.. I know the history. But it still confuses the bejeevers out of me...

but this clap trap above.. that's it's not there anymore and doesn't matter anyway... is the same everywhere. In fact, that's a normal part of racism...

The black people that I have encountered throughout my life have been more racist than most white people I know and I've been to some really notoriously racist parts of the country.

I still remember my first dose of racism. This black lady in Vallejo, CAwas taunting me because I was talking to her with a thick accent. "He don't even speak no English!" Or walking through New Orleans with my Korean and Filipino co-workers during CAWorld and being taunted by these black people.

African-Americans tend to be very sensitive about racism which is why many people accuse them of abusing the "race card." From my own personal experience I see that there's quite a bit of truth in it.

I just feel like minorities aren't the only group who have been held back by society. People of all races are born into difficult situations because of different social/economical factors. It's true that because of slavery and such they haven't had the same fair shot at life as many white Americans, but many white Americans have similar obstacles to overcome and I think that if we're going to help people we should help them as a whole not as one race that deserves it more.

I have a history of being very defensive about it but I attribute that to the fact that my mom raised me around black people, many of my playmates were black. Race was never an issue in my head until I was old enough to hear about it on TV. Then as I grew older having people treat me as if I owed them something because some people with the same skin color as me happened to enslave them a few centuries ago kind of put a sour taste in my mouth.

I never intend to belittle their struggles as a community or as a people but I see it as one struggle, the struggle for equality and fairness for all people of all colors who have been kept on the bottom rung of society because of factors beyond their control.

I hope I managed to articulate myself as I intended, this is SUCH a touchy subject for a lot of people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9IldaegAB0

Put out by the Obama campaign about students in the Bronx inspired by Barack Obama... wow.

WOW! Very cool, very inspiring. I just want to protect those fledglings from the disillusionment ahead. Hope is such a beautiful thing.

Two interesting posts on race

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