Do you believe that race relations have gotten better or worst?

Question

I am Christian African American man who goes to a mostly white church. Most of my friends are white. I am a deaf interpreter and my wife is deaf. I see things between AA and white Christians are getting better in many ways and yet when I tell them that racism is still alive in 2006. They seem to have a closed mind or they do not want to hear the sad truth. Since I work in the deaf ministry, black and white deaf is not a major problem. Most of my white Christian friends have an open mind and yet there are those who refuse to have an open mind. These inviduals feel that the term (African American) is political correct term and there is no racism. I try to be patient and educate them the reality of race relations and how the term (African American) is to uplift and give pride to descendants of African heritage. If you are African American, do you have how you do deal with those who do not see racism in the USA? If you are white, do you try to see things from an African American Point of view?

Answer 1

Patience is futile....you're not going to see something you are not looking for, and furthermore, want to ignore. You're not going see something you don't experience. Correction: You may see it, and interpret it as something else, or fool yourself into thinking that what you saw didn't really happen. I think Caucasian-Americans who are good, and kind-hearted, and really do desire to make a difference are the ones who acknowledge what is going on, and call it when it does happen. I had a white professor tell me in college that my life is going to be more difficult because I'm a black female, and that I was going to have to rally against the oppression-----and that she was willing to help me do it. Needless to say, we still stay in close contact, and every opportunity she sees for me to "rage against the machine" (a march for equal pay for women, a boycott of a franchise that is discriminatory), she passes it on, and I almost always take it. She recognizes, acknowledges, and accepts that things in this country are not equal for minorities of an race, color, or creed, and is trying her best to eradicate it, by teaching, and by helping others, and more importantly by keeping an open mind about situations different from her own. People like this are very few and far between, and when you come across them, you are always surprised. Most of the Caucasian-Americans I've met pay lip-service----they'll tell you how much of a bigot they are not, but when a racist or bigoted comment or joke is said in their living rooms, they yuk it up. We have a long way to go in this country. I can't say it will be fixed in my lifetime, or in the lifetime of my future children. I just hope it will be fixed. People have to accept what has happened in the past (everybody) and we have to work on the wounds and not sweep the problems under the carpet.

Answer 2

ok, so I'm white...

I don't care for the term "African American." Instead I prefer "American African" Why? because it identifies the person as primarily American, but also of African heritage. There are those people who are racist, but in my experience those people are in the minority (I've lived in the Western US mostly). For my two cents, the real problem with race relations is this. Both sides want their own way. Its sort-of like the Israelies and the Palestinians. What I mean to say is that some African Americans do more to promote racism than to prevent it. Back during the civil rights movement you saw educated and upright people leading the cause for equal rights. However, on TV what you see now are mostly riff-raff causing trouble and claiming to be victims. I think that Cosby what dead right when he said that the African American population need to fix the negative culture they have perpetuated amoung themselves. In the same way, all the white trash need to shape up.

Basically, what I'm saying is that we have 3 groups of people. The racist white trash, the racist blacks, and those of us who have common sence and descency. Unfortunately, its the two extreamist groups which get all the press time. My hope, and belief is that most of the population belong in the 3rd group.

The racism that occurs is tragic and I wish that it were not so. However, its not my fault, I'm not participating in it, and I don't want to be punished because of it. I'm tired of all the 'sensativity' training and double standards. Why is it that a black person can say the 'n' word and be praised, but if a white guy were to say it he would get shot?

People (of all colors) just want to be victims so that they can justify their poor decisions. Its a really poor justification, but whatever lets them sleep at night.

Answer 3

I'm not black or white. I'm Puerto Rican, American. I can only tell you what I see from my eyes, and hear with my ears. White people don't seem to care any more. They don't treat black differently just because they are black. I don't see black people treating whites different because they are white. But I do see some people stuck in the past. A past which they were never even a part of or effected by personally. Holding grudges for no reason what so ever. Feeling like other races owe them something because their ancestors had horrible hardships. In my country my people were made slaves by the Spanish(from Spain) and the Africans. But you don't see our people running around all paranoid all the time decades later. We have mixed our races and cultures. We are one people now. We love everyone. America has come a long way, and I love all of America and all Americans, but I think African Americans need to get off the pity wagon.

Answer 4

I am white, and I am married to an African American from Chicago. I have never tried harder in my life to see someones point of view, especially where racism is concerned. We live in Utah, and things are quite a bit different than Chicago was for him. He, at times, seems to be the racist, as a life time of conditioning from the meaner streets of Chicago rendered this I believe. It is sad, he wants to make sure that people won't get over on him by doing it to them first. He also uses his heritage as an excuse to be a butt sometimes, as I feel the case may be with alot of black people, but I am not judging, I love him for who he really is and this is all costume. He is typical, of what has been my experience with, how some African Americans deal with the generations of racism. I hope that things will change for everyone, because, meeting him has been one of the most unique experience I have had. Even though he was born and raised in the USA, there is an underlining persona that is not from here and it is truly beautiful and special, and I couldn't possibly understand not taking the opportunity, with people to glimpse this. You see, I feel that it is perfectly wondrous to be different, and nothing less that spiritual, in seeing the difference in others.

Answer 5

to be frank, regardless that that is not my identify,... They don't seem to be as unhealthy because it used to be earlier than the Civil Rights Movement. In the years when you consider that, there was a few development after which there has additionally been plenty of backsliding. The challenge is ever flowing and evolving, a few matters get larger, after which fall off somewhat,.. Though I consider the Utopia we could love to reside in - is far too a long way into the a long way flung long run. There is certainly plenty of discrimination in more than a few types, a few is refined and others are necessarily blatant. For illustration: in pop-tradition, the fashion for guys is a shaved pate (baldness is in). Unfortunately plenty of humans both have no idea or do not care approximately the cultural background of the "dermis-head" ** the ones are nonetheless round, I would advert, unluckily,.... They're simply following the traits. Like senseless fans, regardless that it'll or would possibly not go as traits move. Some humans will appear into the historical past of the Look, and when you consider that being a Bad Boy Wannabe, may be a present fashion a few contributors will pursue and domesticate a few of the ones routine that the ones people do bear in mind and was hoping could now not come again. Unfortunately for individuals who don't be trained from historical past, are damned to copy it. Its a tragedy, that regardless that there are "white" men who try to adapt to the Black sub-tradition. everyone knows as Hip-Hop. Being black, it is not cool to discriminate in opposition to different black wannabes and truly blacks. But its open season for any and all different minorities. Lately as a result of our involvment with Middle Easten problems, hostility in the direction of Arabic Cultures is at a top. Here in California, of all areas I've located that there's nonetheless an terrible lot of discrimination in opposition to minorities. There will regularly be humans who do not wish to peer that there's a trouble, and there are people who will domesticate and irritate circumstances simply since its their concept of a laugh,... Since hate and violence is amongst our basest emotional states, its a trouble that may not depart effectively. I desire we would all get alongside, now not simply right here within the states, however the entire global. Its the Cultural Diversity that makes the Human race so invaluable. If simplest there have been somewhat knowledge and appreciaton for range, for all people - daily. Maybe we will evolve as a speicies. But I'm sorry- I as a substitute doubt it'll be so.

Answer 6

Some very ignorant people still think black people are inherently stupid, based on IQ research, think that welfare is going to the poor, stupid, and oten black community-- that black people are all lazy, sex-crazed criminals and it's their fault 80% of the male prison population is populated by blacks.

They ask: are there any black scientists, black philosophers?
And fail to recognize 'ebonics' as a parole of English.

"African American" I don't think serves the cause the way "Black" does. It's good to emphasize your heredity, ethnicity, and quasi-origin, as a people, on that continent. It has formed much solidarity-- but Black people today aren't from Africa, Africa has white populations, the term is shaky. But no matter what part of the world you're in, someone will recognize you as having a particular skin pigmentation-- and with that comes all the other stereotypes, attributions, and cultural 'truisms' that goes along with being a part of that category. The idea of being black, and to recognize it, and be proud of it, gives you something else to work with, namely that for centuries people in European languages-- who are majorly white-- have marginalized blackness, just as a color. White is the pure, the good, the true, that which casts light. The "*****" takes on everything else-- is a chaotic demon. And since stereotypes work in the same way language does, by taking elements and atributing to them all sorts of normative meanings... taking this understanding up helps, one would think, others to understand all these racist attributions.

Of course, the "PC police" are then marginalized, even though scholarship is on their side. Because we live in a country that lacks education on the reasons as to why this sensitivity isn't a mere form of pity ---- it's the straight up truth, if anything is a candidate for such an evaulation.

I don't care, at the end of the day, what people in your situation call themselves. There is still widespread prejudice (just look at these answers) the urban communities are still nothing less than 3rd world ghettos, and people put TOO much, frankly ideological, emphasis on individualism in this country when they fail to see the environments that shape a person's opportunity-possibility- horizon. The thing that hurts us most is ignorance, if ever there was a WMD, one need not look further than themselves in their culture.

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As an aside, look at all the recent hollywood films that depict this "status of race-relations" Like, well every movie does if you look hard enough, Crash. There the BIAS of the film -- and don't think it's superfluous, these historical documents edify people's conceptions-- is that black people are JUST AS guilty of racism as whites.

This is very complicated. Race is a complete misnomer, for one. I don't identify myself as white, though if I were black there would be no escaping the imposition of the marginalized grouping, the wrongful designation put on me by the rest of society. This happens similarly with women. But it's far worse, black people have been classed essentially as lacking humanity. That's the import of the N-word. To think that the oppressed class, which doesn't exist but is grouped in such a way as to be Other by fiat, isn't allowed to be critical of the designation is terribly misguided.

To confuse oppressor with oppressed is the fault of the logic. It is just the same in Palestine where a people occupied illegally by a foreign country are continually seen as 'the enemy" when they are the ones suffering injustice. The film beats the victim. There is equal allocation of responsiblity on the part of the divergent "races" -- therefore liberating responsibility of society from black people, for it becomes their sole domain to rise up. That is to completely destroy the motivations behind the black community's charge of inequality. Society as a whole must be responsible, not simply whites becoming less-prejudiced, and blacks becoming less-prejudiced. It ignores the nepotism of material conditions which is the biggest, most identifiable problem.

Answer 7

Although in many areas race relations have improved, as a white southerner I sometimes get a little more insight into how far we still have to go than perhaps many others do. Here's why: As soon as people hear my accent, they make assumptions about my attitudes about race. You'd be surprised how many seemingly tolerant whites have expressed opinions or made jokes in my presence that they'd be ashamed for their minority friends/co-workers to hear - all because they think it's "safe" for them to talk that way around me. After all, as a little white girl from Georgia, I've got to agree with them, right? Wrong - but thanks for reminding me that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Answer 8

There will always be racism and bias based on any number of differences.

The key is tolerance -- and this is increasing daily!

If nothing else our media gives us a broader point of view that often conflicts with biased belief systems. The more people travel (and they are) the greater understanding people will have for those who are different.

Hopefully those differences can be honored if not embraced.

Answer 9

Better. I look at how people do their job and how they treat other people. I have had good superiors of all races, and have supervised good employees of all races. In my view, people like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakon, and many other lefties of all races do their best to keep racism alive and active, I would say they profit from it in some way. It is not a person's race that creates the problems, it is their ACTIONS.

Answer 10

I do believe racism has gotten better ,but there are those who still judge by an individuals race or color,before actually getting to know who the person is behind the race and color.I m from a family of diffrent races and colors.I call my family" the family of many colors we blend together and stay together"