“Ok, fair enough. I want to add that I have no problem with your issues of unfair treatment of Blacks in this country. My issues and responses are based on what I see as your Afrocentrism, which basically is racism against Whites in a costume - why you need to concentrate on diminishing Whites can be understood if you are a racist Black person, but is no different than a racist White person.”
Ok, I am confused. Are there people in America that believe this? That they can state that they understand that African Americans have, and continue, to be treated with bias and prejudice; but if you identify such abuses, and are Black (or Black Puerto Rican in my case), then it is Afrocentrism and racist?
Let’s be clear. I am Black and Latino. I am an American. I love my country, and my heritages. But neither stops me from pointing out that in the greatest nation on the planet – a country I would readily die for as is – there is systemic abuses and problems in regards to people of color. Being American, of any color, does not preclude facts.
By the way Afrocentrism is defined as
“a world view which emphasizes the importance of African people, taken as a single group and often equated with "Black people", in culture, philosophy, and history.[2] The roots of Afrocentrism lay in a reaction to the repression of Black people throughout the Western world in the 19th century and as a backlash against the scientific racism of the period, which tended to attribute any advanced civilization to the immigration of Proto-Indo-Europeans and their descendants.[3] Part of this reaction involved reviewing history to document the contributions that Black people made to world civilization.”
I do not see myself as such, though aspects of this are surely part of me. As it should be for anyone of any particular group. I am proud of who I am, and what I do, and my ancestors. I will never apologize for that.
And I see no reason not to note the contributions of African Americans in this nation. Something that is all but ignored in basic educations, the media, entertainment, and general life in this nation. America tends to ignore people of color, especially African Americans, because to not do so means the nation has to deal with past and current biases. Which America is unwilling to do.
But is it racist? Am I racist?
Over the years of my writing I have had a multitude of people I know across the world, of most every nationality and background, read my writing. Only in America has anyone found my writing, about race relations, even somewhat disturbing. And of those in America, only those that don’t know me have ever made accusations of racism. Generally after reading just one post, instead of the thousands I have written. And generally they have taken a statement out of context or reinterpeted my words to fit a pre-existing view they have.
Still I wonder about this. When I discuss the fact that a photo of a Black man wading through post-Katrina waters with a bag is called a looter by national media, and an exactly the same photo of a White man doing the same thing is called foraging to stay alive, am I being racist? When I discussed the fact that repeatedly African American males are shot by police, across the country, in a hail of dozens of bullets while unarmed, and that I am unaware of there ever being similar treatment to White males, is that racist? When I note that some 90%+ of all media ignores completely people of color, or that specific and often insulting references are made just for people of color, is that too racist?
Or am I just commenting on a racial bias that is so ingrained in the society that most people ignore it as commonplace. Am I hoping to note the inequality and systemic problem that prevents true respect and societal bonding, or is it just one guy screaming Black Power?
“Ultimately I still dont know why any of this matters, pointing out who is Black and who is White. Blacks and Whites both want to claim king Tut, Jesus, and Bob Marley as theirs, as if they would justify that the race they belong to is the better. It is still a racist thought that is driving the force, to need to claim someone of mixed race is theirs. Do you get it?. Do you need to claim that “we are Gods first” if you are Black?? you are really saying “we are Gods real children and are therefore better than you” and then that same person gets mad if a White person is a racist.”
First off, Jesus, Bob Marley, and with some question King Tut are all Negroid (which I will call Black to simplify). Why is that important? Because in American society, where almost all positive actions and contributions of history and the nation’s development have been either ignored or rewritten, the truth is necessary. In fact the truth is always important. Because lies always lead to a problem down the road.
Plus I think that correcting misconceptions is important. Queen Nefertiti never looked like Elizabeth Taylor. To assume as much steals away the history of my ancestors and perverts history. It diminishes people when you relegate them to nothing. And any people that are nothing can be treated as less than human. Which American history is rife with. Such was the excuses to justify slavery and the invasion of “savage” people across the world. Not to mention the “saving” of Native American Indians. I don’t think it’s racist to correct that.
Though I have never claimed anyone was God’s first. I dare anyone to find such a comment on any post or comment I have ever made. To say that I have is to totally misunderstand everything I have ever written and to place words in my mouth I have never spoken. It is insulting.
“I simply get tired of a racial debate, that continually attacks White people in a racist and/or degrading manner for being racist. It is my belief that racism is absolutely equal among races, and that 80% of us dont really care too much, but do have racial or prejudcial views. The other 10% of radicals are at both ends - one hates their own race and the other hates everyone else. It is definetly NOT a White only thing. In fact, Whites are the only race taught (by the same media you claim is so racist) to be ashamed of being proud of who they are!!. If it were equal we wouldnt have Obama or Sotomayor in office.”
I don’t agree with attacking anyone, without cause. I am as willing to take on the Government, racists, corporations, global warming, political lies, and bad entertainment. The question is not the color, but the content. But I will not back away from critiquing President Obama because he is Black, just as I have no problem taking on ex-officer Mehserle because he is White.
But it is not racist to point out the systemic problems in the nation. Problems that benefit some, and hinder others. Generally those that are people of color. Is it racist to ask why the nation is so focused on Mexico and the potential threat from terrorists, when all terrorists that have entered the nation have come from Canada which is ignored? That’s not an attack on White people, but it does bring up the question of what factors are involved in such a mentality.
Is racism really equal among all people? I don’t know. But in America, my experience says that it is not. Partially that is because there are so many things taken as commonplace that it is not recognized as bias. But there are indeed those that are prejudiced. And it’s not 10%. If you recall the polls done before the election of 2008, fully 20% of those polled directly stated they could not vote for a Black man. And that’s those (in both political parties) that were willing to answer the question.
Because America has not move that far forward since the 1960’s, as much as we try to imagine so. We just generally prefer to avoid the questions or answers. It’s more PC and no one will feel socially awkward. This is not the same thing.
But you are right. Racism is not solely a White thing. While not nearly as common it does exist in some people of color in this nation. And I don’t support that either. But that is not the same as being willing to address the issues in this nation. Black or White or whatever, the issues exist – pointing them out is not racist.
As for Whites being ashamed, where do you see that? Maybe I missed it. Which you might understand as 95% of all characters in movies and television are White. 97% of all commentators and pundits are White. I believe that some 80% of all politicians are White. 97% of all major CEO’s are White. And on and on.
So where is the media saying it’s bad to be White? Considering that most people of color are not addressed in almost every form of media, except when a negative is expressed, how are we being lifted above anyone?
As for President Obama, and Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor, they are political and I have addressed my thoughts of both at my political site VASS. Though I will ask, how was a bias of their color created to benefit them? If every African American, hell every person of color in America voted for President Obama (which they did not) he would still need an overwhelming number of Whites to be elected (as he was). And Judge Sotomayor got nominated because she is a woman and liberal, not due to some benefit of her race.
“Lets say we all wake up tomorrow and agree with you, on the absolutely ridiculous notion that America is here because of Africans and would never have made it into the greatest country on earth without slave labor - a completely absurd notion and belief but it is yours, and based on a need outlined above.
Does anything change??? No!! - why not stick to current and the future instead of using the past to make wounds?? I have never yet met anyone, who has told me that their family had been on American soil long enough to have been a slave owner.”
First, you do wake up in that reality. Without slave labor America could not exist. That’s not opinion, that’s fact. Do the math, check the population numbers (where African Americans were counted). Add up the money that the labor of slaves should have made. Remove the manpower they provided and see what would have been left of the nation at the time. To deny the facts is absurd and revisionist dreaming. Thus my need is for people to accept nothing more than what has happened. Because less is insulting, and something that most Americans would not stand for if it were them.
As for families that were slave owners, you are either being obtuse or uninformed. Millions have traced back their lineages to find they were either slaves or slave owners. My family line goes back to about 1860, and the records end because the slave owners before that did not see a need to document their “property”. But I do have that slave owners name in 1860. So do a lot of people.
It’s just that a majority of people don’t want to face that truth. They don’t want to know. Just as they don’t want to know about racism, or prejudice, or bias. Because they feel bad. Because the system helps Whites and hurts people of color. And who wants to have to have that on their back – since the system is not being changed.
So the past is the present. To address one is to address the other. To fix one is to start on fixing it all. And to do nothing is to bask in the benefits some have at the cost of others. Which I do not agree with.
Am I a racist? No, I don’t think so. Those that know me across the world don’t think so. I’m just upfront about addressing what is and is not really going on in America. Which is not an accusation, just a reality. And for some such honesty is too harsh to deal with. And thus I must be at fault since their worldview cannot be so corrupt.
It still doesn’t make me a racist, but I understand why I absolutely have to be for some people.
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