I spent last Friday night at home watching a conversation about race with Brian Williams coupled with a panel live from Howard University.
As one who has always been intrigued by race matters, I tuned in thinking the conversation would be on a beginner’s level. Little did I know that issues would be addressed that I had never even considered before. So, I watched as everyone from Tom Joyner to Malaak Compton-Rock voiced their concerns about race relations taking place in the states today.
The first bit of dialogue focused on the lack of funding in urban schools and after school programs, which everyone seemed to agree on. Compton-Rock, philanthropist and wife of comedian Chris Rock, commented on how the community center she works with is given funding to pursue midnight basketball programs, yet the center lacks sufficient computers.
What kind of message is that sending to young black males? Succeed in sports, and that is your ticket out of poverty – how is that at all fair?
Young black men and women should have the same opportunities as their white peers. If we teach these kids at an impressionable age that all they are good for is sports, they will continue to excel at just that.
These children are just as capable of receiving academic scholarships if they are given the same resources and opportunities. We have to dig our heads out of the sand to do something about it.
The next conversation was a bit testier as Tom Joyner said the only way we will get over the racial divide is for the white population to apologize for slavery. I cocked my head and looked at the television in disbelief. “What the heck did I ever do to anybody?” was my initial thought. A few of the panel members shook their heads, disagreeing with the outspoken radio host. I listened, wondering what everyone else watching the show was thinking, and started to form my opinion.
First, who am I to say that white America should not apologize? I have never been oppressed or overlooked because of my race. I am one of the privileged, one who has enjoyed nearly every advantage in life, never called an exception or pushed into athletics. To my knowledge, no one in my family was ever a slave.
What I do know is that the people who worked tirelessly for many of our families, the people who were removed from their homeland and brought to our country to work without pay, were never given the very least that was promised them – 40 acres and a mule.
Has anyone ever really apologized for the system in place?
Not even a century has passed since African-Americans (and women, as well) have had the right to vote. White America insists nothing is owed, but the social stratification continues.
Yes, it is true that anyone who works hard can climb the social ladder in our country. But should some people have to struggle twice as hard based on the color of their skin?
I think the answer here is clear. There are things we can all do. White Americans can recognize they are privileged based on just that: we are white. Though we will never truly understand, we can try to identify with the historic and current struggles of African-Americans.
We all yearn for equality in our hearts, and it starts at the individual level.
Just the idea that there are minorities that should be given a helping hand to is in fact racism. We are all of one race: the human race. We can all breed together, so therefore we are of the same species.
Most of the views put forth by anyone are biased to some degree, as you have pointed out with the "need" for blacks to be in sports as opposed to doing something intellectual.
Often times, it isn't a question of what they should be doing, it is a question of what they could be doing. financing food, rent, tuition, and walking around money can be hard.
I say if a person can get a sports scholarship, then all the more power too them, although they shouldn't just focus on sports. In fact, in the scholarship, it probably says that they must maintain a certain GPA, to keep the scholarship instated.
Yours truly,
.demosthenes
Perhaps I am biased; I am a middle class white that has had everything handed to them. I am just saying that our society puts an emphasis on African Americans in athletics - and thats it. It is like white men being CEOs. If we keep doing this nothing is going to change; whites will be expected to be the CEOs and blacks will be expected to be athletes. People of color that are intelligent and capable of being anything they want are subjected to our society telling them that sports is the answer, as well as a plethora of other things. Given equal resources and opportunities we can all have the chance to achieve our goals.
Power to the people,
Brittany
Who is running those schools where the kids are not getting adequate resources and basketball is getting higher priority then education?
I'll give you a hint. For the last 50 years it has mainly not been white people and it certainly has not been Republicans. It's almost like certain groups of elites want to keep certain groups of people poor, ignorant and on the plantation.
See which political party has dominated in the inner cities and you'll be a long ways towards understanding what is going on and who is doing it.
From what I've seen, the hardest thing for a person to do is to recognize their privilege. IMHO, many people don't want to identify with blacks or any other minority because that would mean they would have to come down from their pedestal.
Meke hates America - Meke
“I hope the departure is joyful and I hope never to return.” - Frida Kahlo
I have relatives who fought for the North and died. It seems they paid their dues. I have other relatives who were not even in America at the time of slavery or for most of the years afterwards either. I may or may not have benefitted from "White privledge" but I certainly have not done anything bad to any other race and I don't owe anybody any apologies.
a very fair assessment, I think. And I agree with _Meke. It is almost impossible to recognize one's own privilege, unless one has experienced some sort of conflict as a result of it. Kudos to you for getting a handle on your part in race relations.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman