Originally Posted by
Joy
I recieved a PM from a forum member asking me about my statement that black people are racist. She tells me that she has black friends and has not observed this to the degree which I make it sound. I'd like to add to my thread here a little more information and explanation on this matter.
I live in one of the most segregated city in the world. It's not that way because that's how the white people insist it must be... a poll of the residents showed that a very high percentage of them are happy in their neighborhoods. I live in one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city, and it's 60-70% black. I personally love it here. My neighbors are far nicer than the neighbors I had in the small towns I grew up in. White people around here call this the ghetto, but I wouldn't move to the suburbs. I am seeing a trend in my city... the black and white people are moving to the Mexican neighborhood, the black people are moving into the suburbs, and the white people are moving into the inner city. We have a large percentage of Hmong people in my area too, but I'm really not sure where they live. I know that my son is the only white kid on his school bus, and the rest are Asian. I think it's good for him. I believe all of the neighborhoods in my area are becoming much more diverse, and it's a change I'm happy to see.
I personally feel that the segregation is what's causing much of the economic division in my area, and vice versa, and I'm thrilled to see this balancing out. I hear black people talking about white people quite a bit. They are very distrustful and have many stories about how a friend of a friend moved into a white neighborhood and had a cross burned on her lawn (I'm sorry, but that's bullshit) and numerous other made up or exagerated complaints.
What it all boils down to is that what is hindering the black people in this country, or at least my area, more than anything else is their victim mentality. They have a VERY "us and them" mind set, and if they could grow past it they would find that they deal with very little resistence in recieving a quality education, being treated more fairly by the court system (which I admit is still heavily biased), and securing good jobs. The only ones who are keeping them where they are is themselves.
A large part of the problem is the system of state aid. I have recieved state aid. I remember one month when I got a letter stating that $1,500 in benefits (day care assistance, food stamps, and health insurance) was being cut off because I made $50 a month too much. The system is set up to keep the lower class where they are, and there are people in this city who are third generation welfare recipients. It's all they know... they don't even speak English! There are schools in my city that are 90% and 95% and 97% black. The test scores at most of them are horrible, but there are a few that have scores higher than average for the school system, which is still under the state average. (My son goes to an accelerated learning school with test scores above the state average, so I'm not overly concerned with the neighborhood's effect on him.) There is also an issue with the culture and parenting. The most common situation that happens around here with black families is that a woman gets pregnant and the father either takes off or goes to jail. It's how most of them grew up and they really don't know how else to do it. I also think that their music negatively impacts their mindsets... but that's a different topic.
The bottom line is that the most racist things I hear come out of black people's mouths. Perhaps I should not assume that my experiences or my area is how things are everywhere. I'm not really sure what else to say about my comment... I know that when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, a revolutionary that I GREATLY respect and am proud that my son has taken such an interest in, fought for the equal rights, this is not what he wanted to see happen. He taught that all humans should be treated with the same respect, and that we should each believe in our goals and do what we can to accomplish them, not letting superficial things like race or gender hinder us. A lot of black people hold Dr. King as practically a religious icon, and have totally missed the point. It's a shame, but eh well, that's humanity for ya. Again, the issue is the victim mentality.
*sighs* My neighbors are nice to me, and I know that as long as I am comfortable with them, they will be comfortable with me. I'd like to see a whole lot more of this attitude from all parties.