Why do black people feel they have it so bad in America? I know I'm generalizing a bit here, but...?

Question

I don't understand all the anger?! First off, odds are you would be a lot worse off if you were living in Africa, which is rife with civil war, genocide, oppresion, slavery (yes, it still occurs!), AIDS....I could go on and on. Sure, your ancestry did have to suffer, but so did mine! My mother does genealogy, and my ancestors worked in coal mines, steel mills and other places that had deplorable "slave-like" conditions, and many died terrible early deaths. I'm not condoning slavery or think that it is a good thing, but white people haven't had it easy either. The word slave actually comes from the root "slavs" (slavic people are white) who were slaves in the middle ages.

I think the real issue is rich v. poor, and by reaffirming racial (and gender, sexuality, etc) differences/problems we only play into the hands of the rich who use devisiveness to break up a potentially very strong power bloc.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks to the people who actually answered my questions...and for the others who used slurs to describe me, I feel very sorry for you and your ability to think outside the box.

Answer 1

Interesting question, first let me ask an even more interesting one. Do you think that if European countries had never stolen treasures from Africa i.e diamonds, gold, oil, humans would it be in the state it is in today?
You are correct in affirming that this is more of rich vs. poor or rich in morality vs. poor in morality.

Answer 2

If you were black, you would understand the constant prejudice against blacks. Whites will always say that "blacks just complain about this or that" or "blacks don't have it that bad", well how would you know, you're white and living in America...... and ones that think and say that blacks don't have it that bad and all that crap are the same whites that are the narrow minded ones. No matter if you're a educated or a hoodlum, it's the skin color that people look at. And imagine, this is 2006. Sad.
Like you, maybe i'm generalizing.

Answer 3

First of all, I hear people talk about opportunity. Well not every person has the same opportunities; white people will never understand that they benefit off of racism. Until they can admit that, things will never change and the same problems will come up generation after generation. Second, not all black people complain and don't want to work. Third, slavery is not the problem it's the fact that slavery is over and people are still not equal. That is what angers me. Lastly, "Does any person who is white know what it is like to be black?". It's kind of like this; no matter what kind of education you have, no matter how much money you have, not even who you marry matters, not how beautiful you are, and not how smart you are matters when you are black. No matter what you become you always will be a ****** and they judge you based on that. Now all the white people who don't know anything about other types of people wake up and live your life knowing that you can't rise above your color no matter what you do. That does something to you everyday. I know because it is a reality for me living in a white world as a black girl.

Answer 4

I really wonder why so many people on yahoo answers are worried about what black people do, what they think, how they feel, etc. Its always a lot of assumptions going on. And its always a lot of the same assumptions. That most black people are still pissed off about slavery.
True enough... it was messed up for that to happen to a whole race of people. To be stolen from your homeland, robbed of your heritage, culture, religion, language, etc. BUT... thats history. I don't take slavery personally. I have never been, nor has anyone I know ever been a slave. That is not my battle to fight.
The fact of the matter is that black people are still very much oppressed in this country. There is still a lot of very blatant racism going on. And I'm not just saying its black people who experience it. Everyone does... but I'm black... so thats what I know about.
Blacks "having it bad" in this country has absolutely nothing to do with what happened 400 years ago. It has everything to do with whats going on today. The civil rights movement wasn't that long ago. Only about 40 years or so. So, just as there are still people alive who were passionate about civil rights, there are also those who were dead set against it. And, there are still plenty of people who feel that way. People who use stereotypes and predjudices to determine how they feel about a certain group of people. Which is pretty much what you are doing by posting this overly general, heavily assumed question.
Unless you are black, or truly know black people and have seen the things we go thru on a day to day basis, it is not something that you would understand.


Why is it that everyone who disagrees with the person who posted this ignorant question get all these thumbs down??? Obviously no one here cares about a genuwine intelligent answer from someone who may actually know what they are talking about. But, everyone with anything slightly racist to say about black people have all the thumbs up in the world. At least keep it real... you're racist. A majority of you. Admit it. Because if you truly gave a rats a$$ about an intelligent answer, you would realize that there is no way in hell that all these white people in here would have any clue as to what a black person thinks or feels. You completely proved my point as to all the BS we have to deal with day in and day out.

Answer 5

I appreciate your honesty and you are right. Some whites who came here had it brutal just as well(although not quite the same as Blacks) but you get the point. Us blacks just really have a chip on our shoulder, because in all honesty, we feel it isn't over. There are certain situations I go through everyday, that reminds me that I am still a *****, and worse...I am a woman. Everyday when I wake up, there is a knife in my front that says "Black" and one in my back that says "Woman"

As far as the rich vs. poor thing. I had white friends say they have it bad, and live in these huge homes, with one garage, and I'm like:"Is it because you have one garage and want two, because I stay downtown where apartment buildings can get torn down in two seconds flat and you're done." So, Whites can have it bad to a certain degree, but Blacks just get the Really nasty end of the deal.

Answer 6

Ok here you go, and yes I am going to offend many people. but if i upset you than that just means that what i say has hit home and perhaps you should just think about what i have said.

Who are the ones who complain about unfair treatment in this country, blacks, mexicans, whites, NO its lazy people. people who can't seem to create an original thought so they regurgitate the same excuse that their daddy told them "The white devil is a keepin' us down!" "Those loco Crackers at the bank screwed us again!" Damn politicians are doing everything they sure can to keep us here in our trailer!"

truth of the matter is that there is still racism in this country (I'm referring to America bye the way), is there a day when we will be color blind, i don't think so. even on top of that there will be a day when all of our colors will mix, and even then i think that racism will still be around then (we feel the need to create groups and establish loyalty to those groups, in this case many people use their race).

And it isn't just black people who complain of being put down by the man, everyone complains that the other group are doing better than they are. no one is willing to admit that the only reason they haven't succeeded in life is because they keep stopping their selves. once they do that they will find that taking the next step to freedom is easier.

and that's the truth!

Answer 7

Girl please,

Not all black people have it hard in America, but the majority does. Do you know what it feels like to walk in Macy's and looked at as if you are going to steal the clothing and when you pay with credit card or check you been looked at as if u area criminal? I don't think so at all.

The slaves was taken from the only place they knew as home to a country and life that they don't know. Do you know how it feels to have people tell you go back where you came from? Nope. Do you know how it is to be a black man or woman and to be qualified for a job but to be looked at as a thief because of the color of you skin? Answer those questions and maybe you will realize. Better yet look into a life of a black person who he/she grew up and where they are today and am not talking about what you learn in school am talking about the real world.

Black people are not treated equally in the US not even if they come from the caribbean on a vacation. I am from the caribbean but I went to school and lived in the US and honestly I was called all the name in the book and it didn't hurt me it made me stronger to realize that some people are so small and narrow minded in this world still.

Answer 8

black people from america are be causiing there own trouble alot of the times and since they dont want to admit it they stereotype the white people as the source of the problem based on history. Wether they see this or not that is what really is hapening.

The reason for this is because rap culture is a curropt culture. Just because it happens to be a culture doesnt mean its ok. Is it ok to encourage that doing drugs, enetering gangs, shooting other people , selling drugs, and having anynmous sex with random people and no protection makes you cooler? That your options in society are limited and you will never leave the ghetto.? To encourage the idea that its complelty the goverments fault for this when other poorer countries have a way lower crime rate than african-americans?
In my opnion i dont think so.

Answer 9

If you use the media as your means of understanding society, you're in for a huge letdown. I'm 76 years old and I believe that the youth of to-day are fine, upstanding people. They have more smarts, more morals and more respect for Mother Earth than my generation. Hold your head high because you earned it.

Answer 10

Don't be surprised when people call you a racist, They didn't read your whole question.

My thoughts are that they have never been to Africa, and so many of them don't know the history of what really happened concerning slavery, further more they use it as an excuse to be unaccountable for their actions.
In all fairness, there have been many cases where black groups have tried to better their neighborhoods and do something good for the children of the community, I think it was in Chicago or Detroit, and they were called something kings?, and the police in their community arrested them and brought false charges on them basically putting a stop to all efforts.
It makes me feel sorry for people like opera and Collen Powell because they are referred to as "sellouts" and "traders" by their own people because they over came and made something of themselves.
I don't know if there will ever be someone to make a difference in this. Tupac was on the right track until he allowed himself to be pulled into the hype. What a shame.

Answer 11

Many blacks are no longer bothered by slavery. No need to research actions taken so long ago, when the civil rights era was within the last 50yrs. You'd be surprised at how many black folks have no idea how bad slavery was.. but Rosa Parks, MLK, Malcolm X, they weren't slaves.. but they were still oppressed. All black people aren't angry at whites. I don't trust anybody I don't know.. regardless of color.

Maybe all of my early education was fouled somehow but never in history have I read any other situation as being as detrimental to a race as the European slave trade and the enslavement of black people were on blacks. I would never compare any mistreatment of whites to that of the mistreatment of blacks because blacks didn't enslave whites, it was the other way around. The slavics who were enslaved, were they enslaved by blacks? Were Natives Americans enslaved by blacks? The moors invaded Russia and more than likely, enslaved Russians to some degree. But was it as brutal as the European slave trade? Only in certain parts of Africa did you find blacks enslaving people, and unfortunately, they were enslaving their own not white people. In addition, the enslavement of blacks by black Africans wasn't as brutal as European enslavement- which happened in America. And, no one knows how Africa would be now if there had never been a European slave trade. There's genocide, disease, and poverty there now.. but it wasn't like that in the 1700s when blacks were brought over here.

I'm not one who blames white America for the ills of black people. I'm happy to be an American because I'm too much a city girl to have grown up in a village. I personally know blacks who're lazy and want nothing more than an easy way out and I personally know blacks who've had to face glass ceilings simply because the skin was the wrong color. It's just as wrong for blacks to play the race card when things don't work out in their favor as it's not only wrong but insensitive to think that blacks should just forget about slavery and how it affected them then and now. I'm unsure why whites think that just because slavery happened so long ago, that blacks shouldn't be mad about it ESPECIALLY when you still have white racists who speak ill about blacks and have protection to do so under the law. Although, I do not live my life by the race card, whenever I see or hear racist remarks or actions being ignored and guaranteed protection as constitutional rights, it reminds me that times haven't really changed all that much to be so comfortable to think that all Americans see other Americans as American regardless of race. I won't speak for the entire black race because I don't know all black people but I'll bet money that if whites didn't appear to be insensitive, blacks wouldn't be so much up in arms. My statement is general for the sake of conversation, all blacks aren't overly sensitive just like all whites aren't insensitive. As far as everyday relationships go, it's a dead issue. White people will never understand, black people need to stop trying to make them understand. Tossing a question back & forth does not insure it'll be answered.

I fully agree with you in one regard. This world is turning into a place of have/have nots. Race isn't as important nowadays as what you have or who you know. I've seen the sell out black guy get a lot further than the trailer trash white guy. I still see underqualified whites being hired over other minorities. I think if people learned to accept the past, learn from it, and move on..everybody, black, white, chinese etc., can move on.