The problem with blacks in america is...

[KMFJD]

it's not about race, it's about poverty

I'd say education, which leads to better jobs/life decisions

 

[Mani]

The problem with blacks in america is basically that they have never been treated fairly.

I hear all manners of discussions that characterize black people as criminals, ignorant, unintelligent, racist, etc.. But really how would you expect a group of people to act when the moment that they arrived in america they were treated as subhumans or animals? Imagine how you would feel if you were labeled before you even had a chance to demonstrate who you really were.

Just 50 or 60 years ago it was ok in america to force black people to use separate water fountains, to sit in the back of the bus or public auditoriums, to use different entrances in public buildings. It was ok to lynch and hang black people over the slightest infractions. How would you feel if that was your legacy? How would you look at a society knowing that you were considered to be inferior no matter what you achieved in life?

I grew up with an immense love for reading. I love all forms of books whether it's fiction, history or math, I enjoy the pleasure of reading. During my grammar school years many of my test scores were on the level of college students. Yet despite the fact that I had an obvious aptitude for the written word, more often than not I was judged soley on the color of my skin. I remember at 11 years old being placed in a school for advanced students (which was predominately white) and had to be taken out because of the backlash from the students, teachers and parents (this was in the late 1980's). I can remember times walking home from the mall or school and being verbally and physically harassed for no other reason than being black. The reason I bring this up is simply to point out that this kind of treatment will naturally cause a reaction. Let me state for the record that I have never treated or spoke of any person of a different race or color in a derogatory manner. Nor do I condone any one doing so, although I can understand the frustration of people who may react in a less than civil manner.

When I read thoughts and comments such as the ones expressed here ( http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2331735 ), I can't help but to feel a little annoyed. I could argue the statements made in that thread for hours, but in the end it would achieve nothing in the larger scheme of things. I realize that this post itself will likely not change many opinions or feelings, but in the interest of present both sides of a coin I felt the need to put my thoughts online.

Wow, a thoughtful post in P&N? Thanks for sharing - some really good points in here.

 

[hiromizu]

Seriously, someone please tell me why Asians, who were enslaved and who were oppressed in this country's history, why are Asians able to find prosperity in current day U.S.A.?

Is it because the Asian culture puts a very high value on education?
Is it because there is no Asian equivalent to Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson?
Is it because instead of whining and complaining of oppression and focusing time on receiving more handouts from the government, Asians focused on hard work?

Or is it because Asian skin is of a lighter color?

You're pretty much spot on with all of these things but it's pretty bad to say these things so you really should be careful about what you say on a public forum.

 

[buckshot24]

The Black family didn't start to disintegrate until after Democrats like LBJ decided to "help" them. Black unwed mothers have increased 50 points since 1960.

 

[Svnla]

Lack of two-parent homes still the biggest hurdle for African American children = http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/08/lack_of_two-parent_homes_still.html

 

[Siddhartha]

The main problem blacks have in the US is they will always look different from the white majority. Humans as a species has a big problem with anyone or any group it considers to be different. Historically groups of humans will go to extremes when dealing with anyone they consider to be different. In the US the people from or of Italian, Irish, Greek, etc descent were considered to not be white and were discriminated against by the "white" majority. Now, anyone of Greek or Italian descent is considered to be white. Blacks will always look different and never can truly become "white" and will be discrimnated against.

 

[nehalem256]

The main problem blacks have in the US is they will always look different from the white majority. Humans as a species has a big problem with anyone or any group it considers to be different. Historically groups of humans will go to extremes when dealing with anyone they consider to be different. In the US the people from or of Italian, Irish, Greek, etc descent were considered to not be white and were discriminated against by the "white" majority. Now, anyone of Greek or Italian descent is considered to be white. Blacks will always look different and never can truly become "white" and will be discrimnated against.

Asian people look white?

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Asian people look white?

Of course, thanks to skin bleaching products

 

[Doppel]

The main problem blacks have in the US is they will always look different from the white majority. Humans as a species has a big problem with anyone or any group it considers to be different. Historically groups of humans will go to extremes when dealing with anyone they consider to be different. In the US the people from or of Italian, Irish, Greek, etc descent were considered to not be white and were discriminated against by the "white" majority. Now, anyone of Greek or Italian descent is considered to be white. Blacks will always look different and never can truly become "white" and will be discrimnated against.

What about East Indians? What about Asians?

Nothing about blacks' skin color is responsible for a 70+% rate of illegitimate children. That is squarely a problem the black community must address within itself.nwhite or black if daddy isn't around a kid has far greater challenges in their formative years. Substantially the black culture does not hold dear the concept of family.

 

[Siddhartha]

The main problem blacks have in the US is they will always look different from the white majority. Humans as a species has a big problem with anyone or any group it considers to be different. Historically groups of humans will go to extremes when oppress suppress ,and eliminate anyone they consider to be different. At one time not too long ago, in the US people of (or from) Italian (Italy), Irish (Ireland), Greek (Greece), etc descent were not considered to be white and were discriminated against by the "white" majority. Now, anyone of Italian or Italian descent is considered to be white. Blacks will always look different and never can truly become "white" and will be discrimnated against.

Barack Obama is an example of this. By any sane criteria, he is and has been incredibly successful. Considereing where he started and the color of his skin, he is one of the most successful people in US history. But he can never not be a "them". He can never be white.

 

[werepossum]

What about East Indians? What about Asians?

Nothing about blacks' skin color is responsible for a 70+% rate of illegitimate children. That is squarely a problem the black community must address within itself.nwhite or black if daddy isn't around a kid has far greater challenges in their formative years. Substantially the black culture does not hold dear the concept of family.

I don't think you can blame black culture so much as Uncle Sugar's programs which inadvertently made it practical for a young, immature girl to have her own home and income without working - as long as she has babies out of wedlock. This hits blacks hardest because due to segregation and institutionalized racism they started on the lowest rung, and one's economic status determines on average how attractive such an offer will be. If a young girl has every expectation of finding a good job, buying her own house rather than an apartment in the projects, and being able to raise her children on her own out of poverty, then having a child out of wedlock and living on handouts will not be an attractive choice. If a young girl has every expectation of working a minimum wage job, then having a child out of wedlock and living on handouts will be an attractive choice.

We just had a beautiful young black girl tour our office. She graduated with honors from a good private school, is about to start her engineering education at Tennessee Tech, and is lining up summer intern possibilities for two years down the road. This is also black culture. The only question is whether she will be judged on her own merits, or judged by the aggregate behavior of people she does not even know based on superficial resemblance.

 

[Paul98]

For the most part white people don't have to worry about their name, or color of their skin holding them back from getting a job, promotion, being stopped for no reason by the police, being looked at negatively just walking down the street. Being treated differently at a restaurant, people being scared of you. You take two people one white one black both dressed similar, acting, speaking similar, and still the black person will be treated worse by society.

Then look at the consequences of these things. You are going to end up with more black people making less money because they have a harder time getting a job, or promotion. You end up with more going to jail because they will be stopped more simply due to skin color. This is a large part of the problem with race in america today. I don't want to complicate things to much so I can make my point. But the effects have a much more widespread problem than what I stated. Heck if you started stopping white college kids at an increased rate you would end up with a lot more of them in jail due to drugs.

 

[Garet Jax]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZpnAYUHu...Article268664_380_Image_gang_south_london.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iiuJCe739...YfL4/s1600/2709703301a3747217988b4052951l.jpg

This is the image that we have of blacks.

I would go one step further than that. This is the image that blacks have created for themselves.

No one would question crossing a street when skin heads or white supremacists were walking our way on the same sidewalk. Yet, when we do so for young black men, we are considered racist.

On the off chance that I am right (and the young black man was in fact a gang banger), the risk of appearing racist is worth my survival.

The analogy here is that skinheads and white supremacists have shown a propensity towards violence. It is in my best interest to avoid this violence. Young black men who are gang bangers have shown the same propensity. My problem is that I have no way to tell a young black gang banger from a young black doctoral candidate so I will cross the street under both circumstances.

 

[werepossum]

I would go one step further than that. This is the image that blacks have created for themselves.

No one would question crossing a street when skin heads or white supremacists were walking our way on the same sidewalk. Yet, when we do so for young black men, we are considered racist.

On the off chance that I am right (and the young black man was in fact a gang banger), the risk of appearing racist is worth my survival.

The analogy here is that skinheads and white supremacists have shown a propensity towards violence. It is in my best interest to avoid this violence. Young black men who are gang bangers have shown the same propensity. My problem is that I have no way to tell a young black gang banger from a young black doctoral candidate so I will cross the street under both circumstances.

Considering that you also cannot tell a young white supremacist from a young white doctoral candidate, you must find walking very taxing.

Some blacks can be very hard on those whom they think are "acting white", but as this and other threads indicate, non-blacks do this as well. If we say that black engineers and programmers and doctoral candidates aren't really black culture, that blacks in gangs and ghettos are the real black culture, then we are part of the problem every bit as much as those black gangbangers and welfare mothers.

Honestly people, we learned this in kindergarten. Be nice. Play fair. Don't assume the worst about people you don't know. It really isn't any harder than that.

 

[Carfax83]

For the most part white people don't have to worry about their name, or color of their skin holding them back from getting a job, promotion, being stopped for no reason by the police, being looked at negatively just walking down the street. Being treated differently at a restaurant, people being scared of you. You take two people one white one black both dressed similar, acting, speaking similar, and still the black person will be treated worse by society.

I'm half black and I've never had any of those things happen to me. Actually, I don't even think I've ever been turned down for a job offer.

A lot of the negative reaction towards blacks in the U.S is caused mostly by how many of them carry themselves. If you dress, look and act thuggish or ghetto, then that's how people will perceive you.

Presentation and perception are often intertwined with each other, and how you perceive yourself can also determine how other people perceive you.

 

[werepossum]

I'm half black and I've never had any of those things happen to me. Actually, I don't even think I've ever been turned down for a job offer.

A lot of the negative reaction towards blacks in the U.S is caused mostly by how many of them carry themselves. If you dress, look and act thuggish or ghetto, then that's how people will perceive you.

Presentation and perception are often intertwined with each other, and how you perceive yourself can also determine how other people perceive you.

Another excellent post. My only quibble would be that I've heard two different bosses ask "You didn't hire that ni**er, did you?" In both cases dress and attitude were perfectly fine, and for one case in particular the skills (welding) were exemplary and the company would have been a better place had we hired him. The welding supervisor actually told me the guy's skills were the best he'd seen, better than all but perhaps one of our existing welders. Due purely to racism we did not hire the most qualified applicant, and no doubt that is one reason that company no longer exists.

Those examples are twenty-five and thirty years old, but I suspect that at least within the South there are still ample examples of racism despite our progress to materially affect one's life no matter how one dresses or carries oneself. The OP's article is clearly bullshit and your post is spot-on, but we're not there yet.

 

[alien42]

Bottom line, every race in America, of every color or background, is given the availability to go to school, to learn.

if you believe that the average white kid and average black kid in America have an equal opportunity when it comes to education, you are sadly mistaken.

 

[nehalem256]

if you believe that the average white kid and average black kid in America have an equal opportunity when it comes to education, you are sadly mistaken.

And the average white kid probably comes from a 2 parent family and the average black kid is being raised by a single mom(or his "aunt" or grandma).

The inequality has nothing to do with race.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

The main problem blacks have in the US is they will always look different from the white majority.

Question for the mentally handicapped (liberals) here: What happens when the above is no longer the case? (Estimated within approx 20 years - hispanics are multiplying like crazy while the number of white are actually going negative. Please explain your excuses when the "majority" is no longer "the majority" for you to call the defense on the "minority"

 

[alien42]

And the average white kid probably comes from a 2 parent family and the average black kid is being raised by a single mom(or his "aunt" or grandma).

The inequality has nothing to do with race.

the inequality has everything to do with socio-economics which is directly tied to race in this country, whether you choose to accept it or not.

 

[bradly1101]

Question for the mentally handicapped (liberals) here: What happens when the above is no longer the case? (Estimated within approx 20 years - hispanics are multiplying like crazy while the number of white are actually going negative. Please explain your excuses when the "majority" is no longer "the majority" for you to call the defense on the "minority"

That's why equal access/rights laws are written for everyone (race shall not be considered...), not just for black or brown people.

What if another race becomes more dominant or more powerful than whites? Would whites want to be treated the way many minorities are treated by many of them? I don't think so.

 

[alien42]

Question for the mentally handicapped (liberals) here: What happens when the above is no longer the case? (Estimated within approx 20 years - hispanics are multiplying like crazy while the number of white are actually going negative. Please explain your excuses when the "majority" is no longer "the majority" for you to call the defense on the "minority"

i love how you are predicting the future based on your complete ignorance.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

i love how you are predicting the future based on your complete ignorance.

Not my predictions, brohemian rhapsody. Feel free to look around for statistics yourself.



...or better yet, go outside and take a look around

 

[OGOC]

Asian people look white?

No. And that's why they are discriminated against by colleges for studying so hard and getting good grades.

People can read that sentence again if it didn't make sense.

Asians and their history of being discriminated against for being a minority... it's no wonder they have such problems being successful today....

I'm half black and I've never had any of those things happen to me. Actually, I don't even think I've ever been turned down for a job offer.

A lot of the negative reaction towards blacks in the U.S is caused mostly by how many of them carry themselves. If you dress, look and act thuggish or ghetto, then that's how people will perceive you.

Presentation and perception are often intertwined with each other, and how you perceive yourself can also determine how other people perceive you.

You stole my next paragraph! Darn half-black people always stealin' stuff! :biggrin:

(Hopefully everyone gets the intended moral of the joke there -- since Carfax83 doesn't present himself as the ghetto thief type.)

Sometimes there is racism. Other times, a person is avoided due to what you said. I wonder how many "racist" incidents would still be considered so if the person was wearing a suit and tie and spoke well instead of having his pants falling down, swaggering when he walks, and using speech fresh out of the ghetto. ..."naw mean"?

 

[Paul98]

I'm half black and I've never had any of those things happen to me. Actually, I don't even think I've ever been turned down for a job offer.

A lot of the negative reaction towards blacks in the U.S is caused mostly by how many of them carry themselves. If you dress, look and act thuggish or ghetto, then that's how people will perceive you.

Presentation and perception are often intertwined with each other, and how you perceive yourself can also determine how other people perceive you.

We have made progress, and it really depends on where you live or where you are. Plus now days much of the racism is not so obvious like it was in the past, you have people who will speak differently around black and white people. They will say lots of negative things around white people, while being outwardly nice around black people.

I grew up around all sorts of races and cultures, nearly every one of my friends were of different races. I had a very different view on people who look different than many of my white friends I have now. There are a few of them who are clearly racist when there are no black people around. It's kind of sad, now it's not as bad as it used to be and I do know at least one who has changed their views on race since I have known them.

I also see major differences depending where you live. There are also experiences I have had while going out with my friends of different races that I would have never had if I had been out with just white people. But what I do see is things changing for the better and those who are racist continue to be less accepted.