Why are white Americans unwilling to take responsibility for racism in America?

Question

Whites created slavery for their benefit, their ancestors have benefited from it.

Why must black Americans take responsibilty for something that they neither created or wanted to happen to them.

I want to hear all of your answers. lets have a good debate.

I am not trying to make anyone angry. I realize that this a touchy subject for white Americans. I simply want you to think about racism and how your attitudes about race may bear some responsibility for the nation we live in today. Be open-minded, look beyond your whitness.
Your ancestors obviously did not think hard enough on this topic.

I realize this is hard we live in a nation that tells us to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Be a rugged individual... I would like you to look at the fact of our nation.

Ask yourself are you really aware of how difficult white Americans made life for their fellow black citizens. The attitudes and feelings that you posses today are they really yours or gifts given to you by your ancestry.

Have you taken the time to search yourself.

Lets hear more from you. How you really feel about the question both postive and negative.

Answer 1

Many white people think that just because they don't use the n-word or because "some of their best friends are black", that they are somehow magically not racist. Many don't understand or even see the ways that they and the rest of white America is racist because they fit so nicely into the catagory of folks that directly benefit in these unseen (to them) ways. Many don't see the forest for the trees, so to speak.

There are still others who like to hide behind factors that they consider level the playing field. You know, the mentality wherein people say "I was born poor and worked hard for everything I have; why can't people of colour just do the same instead of blaming me for their problems?" This attitude completely ignores the fact that whiteness carries privileges and mobility no matter how rich or poor you are, and these white folks - while working hard, sure - probably still had an easier time of it than a person of colour born into similar financial circumstances.

Also, slavery was a terrible thing. Nobody wants that on their hands, so white America tries hard to distance itself by saying "I don't own slaves. I didn't do anything wrong. It's not my personal responsibility."

People are just blind to the facts, and the dominant white society sure makes it easy for many whites to continue being ingnorant and dismissive.

P.S. I'm white, but not American (I'm Canadian, living in the US), if that matters to you

Answer 2

Good question but one that is not easily answered. How should White America take responsibility for racism. I am white but do not consider myself a racist. My family immigrated over the United States after 1900, forty years after slavery was outlawed. I have always treated everyone the same, at least that is my point of view. However does the color of my skin make me a racist? Should I take responsibility for slavery even though my family never benefited from it?

Why must Black Americans take responsibility for something that was forced upon them? Well what would make proper reparations? There was talk a few years ago of payments, would that make things right? Or would it be better to work, integrate into society and prove that blacks can do anything that white Americans can do on a level playing field. Whether that level playing field is there is open to debate.

Obviously no one wanted to become a slave or be subjugated to such horrible behavior. However, I do not believe that you can hold the ancestors of people who committed crimes years ago against them.

Let's say that the reparations bill passed. You would tax individuals in America based on race redistribute wealth accordingly. Would it be fair for me to be taxed because of my race considering that none of my ancestors have ever owned slaves or treated anyone of another race in a bad manner?

The only real solution that I see is to give everyone an equal opportunity in life. I realize that this is easy to say than to do, and of course I have no idea of what it feels like to be discriminated against. But I know that everyone is the same and that everyone can achieve great thing when given oppotunities. That I believe is the only way to move beyond this issue.

Answer 3

I think that this is a good question to ask but by saying white people, you are also being racist. You are being racist because you are grouping white people all together as one which is exactly what you do not like. Not all White people are involed in one thing and not all black people are involved in another thing. So your Question about racism is also racist. I am white and my family and ancestors have always lived in the north and you know what they never supported slavery. nor did they benifit from it. Another thing is, what do you mean that black americans are taking responsiability for it? People are racist for many reasons and all racism really is , is the need for one person to better then another. People that are black today and people that are white today create there own futures, that was a long time ago. I guess I do not fully understand what you mean by your question

Answer 4

I don't think whites created slavery. Even as far back as Egyptian Kings..there has been slavery. White people may have later used the concept to there advantage, but so did many black people.

I wonder what you mean when you ask "why black americans have to take responsibility?"

Black Americans ( and I am one) should take responsibility for themselves and their families and their communities regardless of where they live, even if they live in a white community. And they should do that regardless of things that happened hundreds of years ago.

What self respecting person would claim they can't get ahead in life because 400 years ago his great great great grandfather was a slave. It's a cop-out.

Im not really sure I understand what you are asking then.

And there is racism widespread that isn' t only associated with white people. Every culture has people who are especially racist towards many other races. Black people epecially have a tendency to be racist to anyculture other than there own, I even know black people who are racist towards other black people (like africans, or hatians). White people arent responsible for that.

Racism is sickening, and people should develop skills to stop it, rather than spread it.

And if I may edit this one more time, In response to s.a.l.t, You are right, white people do have an upper hand in America. But so what. That is not an excuse for any race of people to fall back and let life ride over them. I won,t let any black person in my circle use that as an excuse. "Because its harder for me". Ok, so work harder than and prove yourself. And if they say it's not fair. Well darn right it's not, but are you going to use that as an excuse to sit back and do nothing. Like I said previously, it's a cop-out.

Answer 5

Today's generation should not be held responsibe for slavery...This is something that happened such a long time ago, and we aren't the ones to blame for it. Yes our ancestors may have 'benefited' from it, but people in today's society have nothing to do with what happened to the black people at all. So I don't think any African Americans should have negative feelings towards white people these days because...we have nothing to do with it!

Answer 6

i'm an business enterprise believer that everybody is a racist in some variety or yet another. I even have not got any puzzling feeling concerning the previous, as lengthy as we learn from it. although if I did it may be must be in the direction of the interior of sight individuals. We messed them up exceedingly sturdy. this is how the worlds works, the greater suitable team of folk have a tendency to get their way. (no longer partial to it in my opinion.) because of the fact of this while i replace into asked with the help of a woman from China traveling for a school type, " What do individuals think of roughly gay people", I informed her which you are able to not merely answer that question, because of the fact everybody thinks in yet differently approximately issues. yet you will likely see distinctive hate in the direction of them because of the fact a great team of folk hate them. yet that may no longer everybody opinion. additionally I suggested 'I merely desire you to no longer get a foul effect of usa while you're right here, there is not any one guy or woman who represents us, each and every person characterize us, we are a mixed u . s ., this is our maximum suitable potential yet our maximum suitable weak point on the comparable time.' i in my opinion don't comprehend why everybody is up in palms approximately them getting married, in the event that they desire to spend the the remainder of there life with the guy who they love then enable them to. They deserve the comparable advantages and all the rest people get.

Answer 7

Lets get past this rerun and get on with life. You were not a slave and i was not a partaker of it either. It is over and we should drop it. Instead of moving backwards we need to move forward. The problem is that as long as it is brought up you cannot move forward. Look at the Jews do you think they are stuck in the past with Hitler? NO! They have moved on. And the ones who should take responsibility for it are dead. And since i had nothing to do with it I will not take responsiblity for it. And i have a Q for you why don't you blame the black ppl too? Who do you think sold those slave to the white ppl? An Egypt had slaves, which is in Africa. So Who started using slaves first? So before pointing fingers at someone maybe some research is called for.

Answer 8

It's highly unlikely that a White person should take responsibility for racism, since none of the ones around today were slave owners. I as a Black man would rather have them stand shoulder to shoulder with me and declare that racism still permeates society. I would rather come to a solution with them in peace rather than accuse them of having no peace. By working together, we can succeed. by dividing our efforts we can only speculate about what the other camp is doing!

Answer 9

How come all the white children of the children's Crusade were sold into slavery by the black Muslims

Answer 10

Shut up. get off your high horse thinking black people are the only people who have ever been discriminated against. Where do you get off, talking like black people are the only people in history to be enslaved? I'll explain to you, AFRICAN people sold AFRICAN people to slavery. irish were enslaved. everyone is racist against everyone else, black peoel are just the only ones who complain about it so much.