Seems a surprising number here could use some information re: racism

[OneGrassRoot]

Last edited Wed Jul 17, 2013, 11:17 AM - Edit history (20)

(Sorry this OP may seem messy; I keep adding resource links and content as I go this morning. )

Recognizing and admitting it exists is a first step. It's systemic, it's institutionalized. (Edit to add: I'm white, btw, raised in an extraordinarily racist environment and saw the devastating effects of it firsthand.)


CLICK HERE to see a breakdown of the difference between racism, bigotry, prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination.

Here is one resource to get you started, if you're someone who cringes with all this "racist talk" after the Zimmerman verdict.

http://racismschool.tumblr.com/

More resource links below for more information on racial equality (thanks to Cheerios commercial; see below):

http://www.adl.org/
http://www.hrw.org/
http://www.racialequitytools.org/intr...
http://itstopswithme.humanrights.gov.au/
http://www.standagainstracism.org/ind...
http://www.unitedagainstracism.org/


And an OP from WillyT with tons of links for reading material!


Tim Wise is someone who speaks of white privilege (YES, it exists) and racism, and does so passionately, practically, and eloquently. Please note that race privilege is not the same as class privilege.

Here is his latest HuffPo piece, specifically regarding the Zimmerman verdict and what it means in the bigger picture:

And so it continues. Year after year and case after case it continues, with black life viewed as expendable in the service of white fear, with black males in particular (but many a black female as well and plenty of Latino folk too) marked as problems to be solved, rather than as children to be nurtured. And tonight, their parents will hold them and try to assure them that everything is going to be OK, even as they will have to worry again tomorrow that their black or brown child may represent the physical embodiment of white anxiety, and pay the ultimate price for that fact, either at the hands of a random loser with a law enforcement jones, or an actual cop doing the bidding of the state. In short, they will hold their children and lie to them, at least a little -- and to themselves -- because who doesn't want their child to believe that everything will be alright?

But in calmer moments these parents of color will also tell their children the truth. That in fact everything is not going to be OK, unless we make it so. That justice is not an act of wish fulfillment but the product of resistance. Because black parents know these things like they know their names, and as a matter of survival they make sure their children know them too.

And if their children have to know them, then mine must know them as well.

I read an essay a couple of days ago that may be [font color="blue"]THE MOST POWERFUL ESSAY I'VE EVER READ[/font]. If you can spare the time -- it's rather long -- I highly, highly recommend it. Some Thoughts On Mercy, by Ross Gay.

HERE'S ANOTHER GRAPHIC I created yesterday; it's toned down, not directed specifically at white, Christian, heterosexual men as was my original intention, recognizing that there are many people to whom this message may apply. But if you're on social media, maybe it is something you'd consider sharing. (Edit: I neglected to include sexual orientation in the original graphic; my sincere apologies)


[center][/center]

[marmar]

1. k/r

[Notafraidtoo]

2. K/R

[Laelth]

3. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[TheDebbieDee]

4. The mere mention of the term "white privilege" makes many posters that benefit

from it totally flip out!

[OneGrassRoot]

5. True, but they need to face it. Edit to add....

I'm really tired of tip-toeing around all the delicate white people who don't have a fucking clue and refuse to get one.

BTW, I'm white. I just grew up surrounded by extraordinary racism -- KKK racism -- and saw the devastating effects early on.

People of color have to be calm and composed and gentle about this topic so as not to upset the applecart and fall into the stereotype of "angry black/brown" people always rioting.

I figure maybe it's time we white people who recognize the truth of this matter GET ANGRY AND SPEAK UP MUCH MORE FORCEFULLY AND VISIBLY.

[handmade34]

8. one thought

by David Simon... http://davidsimon.com/trayvon/

"...If I were a person of color in Florida, I would pick up a brick and start walking toward that courthouse in Sanford. Those that do not, those that hold the pain and betrayal inside and somehow manage to resist violence — these citizens are testament to a stoic tolerance that is more than the rest of us deserve. I confess, their patience and patriotism is well beyond my own.

Behold, the lewd, pornographic embrace of two great American pathologies: Race and guns, both of which have conspired not only to take the life of a teenager, but to make that killing entirely permissible. I can’t look an African-American parent in the eye for thinking about what they must tell their sons about what can happen to them on the streets of their country. Tonight, anyone who truly understands what justice is and what it requires of a society is ashamed to call himself an American..."

yes, many don't get it... for some reason, even though not able to fully comprehend what it means to be black in our society, many white people do empathize and can understand pretty well... class and race often go hand in hand and I have seen the devastating effects of attitudes on both... time for ALL of us to get angry enough to make a difference

[OneGrassRoot]

11. I read that piece. POWERFUL. And wow about the upcoming event!!!!

Thank you SO MUCH for sharing that!!!

I turn 50 around that same time.

I think that's where I'm supposed to be. I'm going to go...somehow, some way.

And, yes, the class struggle is similar. There is a war on women, war on the poor....a war on the vast majority of us, quite frankly.

I created this graphic yesterday, trying to reach out to those who perpetuate these wars, often without realizing it.

Thank you again.

[OneGrassRoot]

13. I found a link. August 28th:

http://50thanniversarymarchonwashington.com/

[handmade34]

14. see you there!

[redwitch]

78. Thanks for sharing this.

An excellent read.

[LWolf]

74. Excellent point.

I agree. Forcibly, visibly, consistently.

[caraher]

33. True

And I think it's for some understandable reasons... it's too easy to equate "bring privileged" with being blamed for being privileged. Or, on the other hand, to feel that implies they haven't worked hard for their accomplishments (in much the same way minorities are routinely accused of being "unworthy" of their achievements because they may have benefited from affirmative action programs).

It does take some time reading or talking and then reflecting to really understand what the term means. I was lucky enough to have taken a college class where the (white male) professor spent a lot of time laying the groundwork for explaining it, and was able to take the time to do some reading on my own (mainly "The Possessive Investment in Whiteness&quot .

We would do much better to have our (white) kids learn about this than, say, go through an annual exercise in paying homage to Dr. Martin Luther King. But I suppose the latter is allowed because it plants the seed for RW blather about the importance of being "colorblind" in policymaking (selective quoting of King seems to be the weapon of choice for anyone who wants to tear down programs that confront white privilege).

[ananda]

38. Remember, the words "working hard" or "hard-working" ..

.. are part of racist code talk.

[OneGrassRoot]

43. Indeed. Well said. Thank you! n/t

[Lunacee_2013]

47. I totally agree...

and I'm white! How some ppl can be so clueless is beyond me. I hate it when I hear another white person say that they don't care about or see race, so why can't black ppl forget about the past and just get over it. Uhh, because our society as a whole won't let them? Being able to completely forget about race and not have to worry about it is part of white privilege. Maybe some ppl don't want to admit it because it makes them feel guilty?

[markiv]

57. is a middle aged white person working at walmart really enjoying 'white privilage'?

i dont, but a lot of middle aged white people do

i think the term 'white privilage' is dimissive of the concerns of a lot of people who are suffering, on the basis of the color of their skin (yes, anyone but a true albino has color)

[TheDebbieDee]

61. Are you trying to infer that white privilege doesn't exist because you work at Walmart?

Are there not exceptions to virtually every rule?

[markiv]

65. well, one privilage i have is reading comprehension

sorry you dont have it

[TheDebbieDee]

66. It's time for you to leave your parents' basement and discover spell-check.......

And it's no wonder that YOU don't benefit from the white privilege.

[OneGrassRoot]

67. ...

I gotta admit, that made me laugh out loud!!!

[OneGrassRoot]

62. Race privilege and class privilege are two different things.

I'm going to let Mr. Tim Wise answer for me, because he's had much more practice addressing the issue of white privilege and is more eloquent.


FULL POST HERE: http://www.timwise.org/2008/09/explaining-white-privilege-or-your-defense-mechanism-is-showing/

Though we are used to thinking of privilege as a mere monetary issue, it is more than that. Yes, there are rich black and brown folks, but even they are subject to racial profiling and stereotyping (especially because those who encounter them often don’t know they’re rich and so view them as decidedly not), as well as bias in mortgage lending, and unequal treatment in schools. So, for instance, even the children of well-off black families are more likely to be suspended or expelled from school than the children of poor whites, and this is true despite the fact that there is no statistically significant difference in the rates of serious school rule infractions between white kids or black kids that could justify the disparity (according to fourteen different studies examined by Russ Skiba at Indiana University).

As for poor whites, though they certainly are suffering economically, this doesn’t mean they lack racial privilege. I grew up in a very modest apartment, and economically was far from privileged. Yet I received better treatment in school (placement in advanced track classes even when I wasn’t a good student), better treatment by law enforcement officers, and indeed more job opportunities because of connections I was able to take advantage of, that were pretty much unavailable to the folks of color I knew growing up. Likewise, low income whites everywhere are able to clean up, go to a job interview and be seen as just another white person, whereas a person of color, even who isn’t low-income, has to wonder whether or not they might trip some negative stereotype about their group when they go for an interview or sit in the classroom answering questions from the teacher. Oh, and not to put too fine a point on it, but even low-income whites are more likely to own their own home than middle income black families, thanks to past advantages in housing and asset accumulation, which has allowed those whites to receive a small piece of property from their families.

The point is, privilege is as much a psychological matter as a material one. Whites have the luxury of not having to worry that our race is going to mark us negatively when looking for work, going to school, shopping, looking for a place to live, or driving for that matter: things that folks of color can’t take for granted.

Let me share an analogy to make the point.

Taking things out of the racial context for a minute: imagine persons who are able bodied, as opposed to those with disabilities. If I were to say that able-bodied persons have certain advantages, certain privileges if you will, which disabled persons do not, who would argue the point? I imagine that no one would. It’s too obvious, right? To be disabled is to face numerous obstacles. And although many persons with disabilities overcome those obstacles, this fact doesn’t take away from the fact that they exist. Likewise, that persons with disabilities can and do overcome obstacles every day, doesn’t deny that those of us who are able-bodied have an edge. We have one less thing to think and worry about as we enter a building, go to a workplace, or just try and navigate the contours of daily life. The fact that there are lots of able-bodied people who are poor, and some disabled folks who are rich, doesn’t alter the general rule: on balance, it pays to be able-bodied.

That’s all I’m saying about white privilege: on balance, it pays to be a member of the dominant racial group. It doesn’t mean that a white person will get everything they want in life, or win every competition, but it does mean that there are general advantages that we receive.
So, for instance, studies have found that job applicants with white sounding names are 50% more likely to receive a call-back for a job interview than applicants with black-sounding names, even when all job-related qualifications and credentials are the same.

Other studies have found that white men with a criminal record are more likely to get a call-back for an interview than black male job applicants who don’t have one, even when all requisite qualifications, demeanor and communication styles are the same.

Others have found that white women are far more likely than black women to be hired for work through temporary agencies, even when the black women have more experience and are more qualified.

Evidence from housing markets has found that there are about two million cases of race-based discrimination against people of color every year in the United States. That’s not just bad for folks of color; the flipside is that there are, as a result, millions more places I can live as a white person.

Or consider criminal justice. Although data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicates that whites are equally or more likely than blacks or Latinos to use drugs, it is people of color (blacks and Latinos mostly) who comprise about 90 percent of the persons incarcerated for a drug possession offense. Despite the fact that white men are more likely to be caught with drugs in our car (on those occasions when we are searched), black men remain about four times more likely than white men to be searched in the first place, according to Justice Department findings. That’s privilege for the dominant group.

That’s the point: privilege is the flipside of discrimination. If people of color face discrimination, in housing, employment and elsewhere, then the rest of us are receiving a de facto subsidy, a privilege, an advantage in those realms of daily life. There can be no down without an up, in other words.

None of this means that white folks don’t face challenges. Of course we do, and some of them (based on class, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, or other factors) are systemic and institutionalized. But on balance, we can take for granted that we will receive a leg-up on those persons of color with whom we share a nation.

And no, affirmative action doesn’t change any of this.

Despite white fears to the contrary, even with affirmative action in place (which, contrary to popular belief does not allow quotas or formal set-asides except in those rare cases where blatant discrimination has been proven) whites hold about ninety percent of all the management level jobs in this country, receive about ninety-four percent of government contract dollars, and hold ninety percent of tenured faculty positions on college campuses. And in spite of affirmative action programs, whites are more likely than members of any other racial group to be admitted to their college of first choice.* And according to a study released last year, for every student of color who received even the slightest consideration from an affirmative action program in college, there are two whites who failed to meet normal qualification requirements at the same school, but who got in anyway because of parental influence, alumni status or because other favors were done.

Furthermore, although white students often think that so-called minority scholarships are a substantial drain on financial aid resources that would otherwise be available to them, nothing could be further from the truth. According to a national study by the General Accounting Office, less than four percent of scholarship money in the U.S. is represented by awards that consider race as a factor at all, while only 0.25 percent (that’s one quarter of one percent for the math challenged) of all undergrad scholarship dollars come from awards that are restricted to persons of color alone. What’s more, the idea that large numbers of students of color receive the benefits of race-based scholarships is lunacy of the highest order. In truth, only 3.5 percent of college students of color receive any scholarship even partly based on race, suggesting that such programs remain a pathetically small piece of the financial aid picture in this country, irrespective of what a gaggle of reactionary white folks might believe.**

In other words, despite the notion that somehow we have attained an equal opportunity, or color-blind society, the fact is, we are far from an equitable nation. People of color continue to face obstacles based solely on color, and whites continue to reap benefits from the same. None of this makes whites bad people, and none of it means we should feel guilty or beat ourselves up. But it does mean we need to figure out how we’re going to be accountable for our unearned advantages. One way is by fighting for a society in which those privileges will no longer exist, and in which we will be able to stand on our own two feet, without the artificial crutch of racial advantage to prop us up. We need to commit to fighting for racial equity and challenging injustice at every turn, not only because it harms others, but because it diminishes us as well (even as it pays dividends), and because it squanders the promise of fairness and equity to which we claim to adhere as Americans.

It’s about responsibility, not guilt. And if one can’t see the difference between those two things, there is little that this or any other article can probably do. Perhaps starting with a dictionary would be better.

[eridani]

71. Yes. S/he's better of than if s/he were black

However, both are on the same end of class privilege--the wrong end.

[Gravitycollapse]

80. Yes, every white person without exception benefits from white privilege.

Even the ones who are poor.

[markiv]

86. well, maybe that's what the attacks at the LA Walmart were about

maybe some of the middle aged workers in there hadn't properly acknowledged their white privilege

[Gravitycollapse]

95. You don't have to acknowledge it for it to exist.

[1StrongBlackMan]

96. I was going to ask …

Whether you wished to engage this topic in an honest manner. Then, I continued reading the thread and it is clear you do not.

So … I will ask you two different questions and hope that you will come to an honest answer … that will answer your question.

Have you ever, in your life, had to concern yourself with how you acted, or reacted, in a situation for fear that how you acted/reacted will be attributed to your entire race?

Have you ever been told you were a ‘credit to your race’ or ‘not like the other {fill-in descriptor} because you did what anyone of your station would normally have done? Or, worse … for showing restraint in the face of disparate treatment?

An honest answer to these questions will answer suggest to you the answer to your walmart working question.

[Heidi]

6. Kick!

[cali]

7. excellent and informative post. k&r

[Blue_Tires]

9. k+r

[boston bean]

10. +1000

[smartalek]

12. Why "surprising"? Did you expect posters at DU to be free of...

...a disease that pervades -- that largely defines -- our culture?
Like fish w/r/t water, we're largely unaware of the fundamental influences that determine our assumptions and attitudes, until and unless blatantly confronted with them. Questioning them -- especially when we benefit from them -- can be an uncomfortable experience. That it's necessary to do so doesn't make it easier to do.
Horror-shows like this bring that reality home forcefully.

[OneGrassRoot]

15. The number of posters exhibiting this ignorance surprises me, not that they exist at all.

No, it's not easy, but all too often many of us -- on all sides of the issue -- stuff it and turn away rather than face it and at least try to have civil discourse and really look within to examine our own beliefs and actions and choices.

[DonCoquixote]

79. true

I remember full well when racism did rear it's ugly head in 2008, with so many posters using the word "Boy" and "Bwaack Obambi" here, or deaf silence when Hillary said "he's not a Muslim as far as i know' or Bill saying "we got mugged."

[a la izquierda]

16. I'm white and I thank you for posting this.

There are some white people here and all over that need to get a clue and a grip.

I grew up surrounded by the shadowy racism exuding from people who would never want to be known as racist, but who are quietly as racist as they come. It was shrouded in the mantle of being proud to be an American, better than the "other." I never heard racist language from my parents as a kid. But the sentiment is there.

[DallasNE]

17. Willful Ignorance

I have been around for awhile. I remember as a kid my dad listening to Gabriel Heater on right wing talk radio. Yes, that was around in 1949 too. Not much different than Glenn Beck today. It wasn't KKK racist but the "acceptable" racism couched in code words. My memory goes back 65 years and very little has changed on right wing talk radio. Just the names, certainly not the message. Heater probably wasn't even the father of hate radio.

Fast forward to today. How many posting here know that Trayvon Martin's parents are college educated? Or that Trayvon's older brother is a full time college student as we speak. No, the overt racism of Mark O'Mara has painted a picture of Trayvon Martin as some kind of a thug -- an inner-city worthless kid that had it coming. And nobody called attention to the rot and defamation coming from the mouth of O'Mara. Certainly not the media. Racism is so acceptable in society today that nobody even bothers to call it out any more. Again, certainly not the media. When people do call out the racism they are accused as being the real racists. And everybody jumps on the bandwagon. The only thing I can come up with to explain this sorry condition is willful ignorance. Willful, disgusting ignorance.

[Tigress DEM]

28. I'd go a step further and say "TACTICS" of Willful Ignorance

Some people want to go back to a time when a racist could hide behind those "code words" and pretend that their concern etc was an honest thing that "incidentally harmed" rather than a cover up for getting away with whatever damage they wanted to do to another human being without paying the price for their evil deeds.

I'm happy and not surprised that Trayvon's parents are college educated, but honestly, to me I can't get past the fact that they are parents whose son was senselessly killed walking home from a store. He was someone's CHILD and that POS got away with stalking and killing him.

This whole media being used to propagandize tolerance and outrage over racism as being exactly the opposite of what it actually is by "calling it racism" when you point out ACTUAL racism IS one of the "TACTICS" of Willful Ignorance.

[OneGrassRoot]

18. Updated w/link to one of the most powerful essays I've ever read:

But I want to share here as well, because I really hope people will take the time to read it:

Some Thoughts On Mercy, by Ross Gay.

[LiberalEsto]

19. I think most of us have some racism inside us, whether we recognize it or not

What we all need to do is examine our thoughts and beliefs, root out whatever racism we can, and keep working on the rest.

This is something I learned in a racism workshop during my first week of college. It was an unusual college with a student population that was 1/3 white, 1/3 black and 1/3 latin. It opened in 1969 and I was among the first students to attend.

It was a good lesson.

[OneGrassRoot]

20. Indeed, and we need to face it, explore it, and have a conversation...

about how it manifests in various ways in our daily lives, our systems, etc.

What a wonderful workshop.

[7962]

31. I think most of us have some prejudice inside us, but not racism

There is a big difference. The two are often used interchangeably by mistake. And that goes for people who are not white too.
On edit: Not saying there are no racists, just that people are often labeled as being one instantly and for little reason.

[heaven05]

81. ????

yeah, is your 'predjudice' what caused you to support zimpig, or was it your racism. I know who you are. Racism is racism and people for the most part know the difference. YOU CAN'T< WON'T< DON'T! You supported zimpig all the way, That's all I needed to know abut your views on racism. Take a hike.

[7962]

85. I've never "supported" that fool. You show your ignorance;

by not understanding what I wrote about THE CASE. I've never said a word about him. Look up both words in a dictionary for goodness sake. You seem to be the only one who is here day after day spouting off about the "war on blacks". You just dont understand the jury system. Remember the old saying, "better that 1000 guilty go free than one innocent go to jail". Here's another "racist" for you:

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/jimmy-carter-george-zimmerman-verdict-94320.html

Jimmy Carter says the jury made the right decision. I believe most of us here think he's a pretty straight forward guy, and definitely NOT a racist.

[heaven05]

87. yes

you did. My ignorance was in not calling you out earlier on your zimpig support. That's the only ignorance I have shown, not ssing your true colors soon enough. Zimpig committed murder. Got away with it and the law allowed, so everything is okay! Right. There are a lot of bridges for trolls. Oh and I do understand the amerikkkan southern jury system when it comes to the murder of black people by whites. They american jury system in general, when it comes to blacks, is guilty until proven innocent. Call it a lie if you want to, you'll just keep showing racist proclivities and total ignorance and stupidity. Fuck Carter, he's is a legal purist like most of the zimpig apologists/supporter I have seen and read in the last 4 days. Just because the law was given in a purposefully confusing manner to give cover to the racism, doesn't mean everyone is stupidly ignorant, like some on this site.

[mstinamotorcity2]

21. out of the

mouth of Babes. Love it, the kids view on life.

[Blanks]

22. We have a lot of segregation in society...

I never knew anyone outside the other white people in my small Pacific Northwest town until I joined the army.

The army has policies against racism, and while I'm sure there were/are still instances of racism, there is a bond that forms between people who are working toward something and are covered in mud or drenched in rain, or facing some other adversity. Particularly when they have to count on one another to successfully accomplish a task.

Until we force people to interact/work with people from other backgrounds/cultures/races than their own, we will always have racism. People tend to segregate themselves from people that are different than themselves if they are allowed to.

It will be difficult to force people to interact with folks from other backgrounds in a free society, but I don't believe that we will get where we need to be without it. What we need is a non-military jobs program similar to the armed forces, not in the business of training people to kill.

[hunter]

50. I think a non-military jobs program as you suggest is a great idea.

Gather people from all backgrounds, from everywhere in the U.S.A., and set them to working together to fix what's broken in this nation.

[Blanks]

51. There are certainly plenty of things that they could be working on. eom

[jtuck004]

59. That's how much of the infrastructure we are watching crumble today got built.

Now we have to learn the same lesson all over again...

[1StrongBlackMan]

97. Re: Self-segregation …

I frequently address this issue by acknowledging that it does exist; however, for different reasons. But have you asked yourself, why when a Black/Hispanic/Asian person in a group setting chooses to sit/interact with other Black/Hispanic/Asian people, he/she is seen as self-segregating; but does that same perception hold, when a white person makes a similar choice?

What does that tell you about how deeply ingrained racism is in American.

[democrank]

23. Thank you, OneGrassRoot. Thank you so much.

I`m in tears. The essay was profound and the childrens` video was beautiful. Bless their hearts.

[OneGrassRoot]

40. Wasn't that essay POWERFUL?!

It had me in tears for a solid 30 minutes after reading it. So powerful.

Thank you for taking the time to read it.

[Tigress DEM]

24. How AWESOME are the kids in that video about the Cheerios commercial?!

Bits and pieces of the whole civil rights struggle are filtering down and making kids less prejudiced.

They watched the commercial, thought it was sweet and funny and are at ages that have seen bi-racial families and don't even consider a white mom and black dad as being "different" enough for anyone to be mad about. To those kids it was just another American family.

Thanks for that!!

[Lenomsky]

25. I'm not racist I dislike all people equally j/k ;)

[OneGrassRoot]

27. haha...well, here ya go:

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

26. I absolutely ADORE Tim Wise! K&R!!!

[Turborama]

29. K&R n/t

[OneGrassRoot]

30. I keep adding stuff to the OP....lol

Thanks to the Cheerios commercial (shared in OP), here are more resource links:


Resource links below for more information on racial equality:
http://www.adl.org/
http://www.hrw.org/
http://www.racialequitytools.org/intr...
http://itstopswithme.humanrights.gov.au/
http://www.standagainstracism.org/ind...
http://www.unitedagainstracism.org/

[LaydeeBug]

32. Ain't nuthin' wrong with following your suspect in Florida. Nuthin' Perfectly legal

So now WE are going to start suspecting THEM

Ain't nuthin' wrong with it

[proReality]

34. K&R

Everyone needs to see this.

[heaven05]

35. I

applaud your effort. If you get just one of the 'cringers' too reassess, you've done well.

[gollygee]

36. K&R

and waiting for the DU folks who think privilege doesn't exist. Because of Beyonce!

[heaven05]

37. this

racist evil that a substantial portion of the white population, in america, holds on to is part and parcel of the evil humans seem to have to do. Both to themselves and others. I keep asking myself how a person can hack the head off another living person, jihadists and mexican cartel members do this. How babies can lie torn and dead in the street with warfare raging all around, syria at the moment. How rape, abuse and homophobic hate can be so rampant and widespread. How one can pull a gun on another unarmed person and shoot that person, only because their skin color made them 'suspicious' and never show remorse to me is unconscionable. How humans in this world can destroy another human, all races and cultures are GUILTY, for money, power, bling and a myriad of other 'reasons'? Well I just end up shaking my head. Yet it is part and parcel of human nature to do these horrible things to each other. Allegedly it started with two brothers and has grown exponentially since. Until a concerted effort is made by every thinking and REASONING person on this planet to change that nature and really create a kinder, gentler world we will continue to destroy ourselves in horrible and despicable ways. I just want peace. At 65 I am finally trying to create that in me. It is difficult to say the least but worth the effort, wouldn't one say? Peace is another option. And sorry for this rant, just came over me.

[WillyT]

39. K & R !!! - And Here's A Reading List...

DULink: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002623564

[OneGrassRoot]

45. I'll add this to the OP!

Thanks, WillyT!

[WillyT]

46. Anytime...

[freemay20]

41. K & R EOM

[Solly Mack]

42. K&R

[Spazito]

44. Excellent OP!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this. I am bookmarking it, your links are invaluable!!

[noiretextatique]

48. great job!

unfortunately, i doubt the people who need to read this will. but i thank you for all your work

[Number23]

53. Ha! You took the words right out of my mouth

I was just about to say "what a lovely effort but it is really too bad that we all know that the people who most desperately need to read/see/absorb this will do no such thing."

I was also surprised that this poster was "surprised" at the number of DUers with questionable racial beliefs/expressions etc. because you, I and a bunch of other people stopped being surprised a loooooooooooooooooooooong time ago.

[noiretextatique]

55. and the funny thing is...

they have not change one iota over the years, which tells me to stop wasting my time

[Number23]

56. Oh, you know that's right. We have better things to do with our lives

Like, just about ANYTHING.

[Phentex]

49. Hey

you are pretty awesome! Thanks for this post.

[uponit7771]

52. amen

[babylonsister]

54. Thanks-love this!

[NikolaC]

58. K&R n/t

[Major Hogwash]

60. Excellent thread, man.

I'm in for the win!!!

I was looking for some of my friends here at the DU to jump in and comment.
Oh, well, what the hell.

[OneGrassRoot]

64. LOL!

I have no idea what that's about, but hellooooooo, Major Hogwash!!!!

[Peacetrain]

63. If you are white.. and can walk home in the early evening

from the store, with a bag of candy and some ice tea .. and not have someone profile you.. follow you.. kill you in Trayons instance.. you are experiencing white privilege.. The fact that you can just live.. and not be thought as dangerous because you wear warm clothing.

Some people get very confused as to what white privilege is.. they think it has something to do with money.. and for some it does.. I am sure.. they talk about look at Oprah.. she has more money than God.. but that is not the crux of it.

Never realizing the privilege has not to do with how much wealth you have acquired.. but if you can just be... be who you are.. and not worry about some disturbed human being who is afraid of his shadow killing you, or attacking you for just being,

[OneGrassRoot]

68. Indeed. Well said...

I posted much more about how race privilege is different from class privilege in my comment #62, and edited the OP to provide a hyperlink to the same text in the OP.

Now, to address the difference between racism, prejudice and bigotry.

Nice to see you, Peacetrain.

[Peacetrain]

73. Just read your hyperlink

I missed it when I first came in.. excellent !

[steve2470]

69. k&r nt

[Mnemosyne]

70. K&R

[OneGrassRoot]

72. Racism - Bigotry - Prejudice - Discrimination - Stereotyping

I added this info to the OP as well; well, I added a link to this post.


Stereotyping:

Stereotypes involve generalizations about the "typical" characteristics of members of the groups. Jane is a female, so she probably has characteristics x, y, z, .......

Prejudice:

The word prejudice refers to an attitude, a prejudgment, making a decision before becoming aware of the relevant facts of a case or event, and judging people based solely on membership in a group (could be positive or negative). While the use of the word used to be steeped in racial matters, we now recognize prejudice as manifesting regarding, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, religion, and class.

Discrimination:

Actual positive or negative actions toward the objects of prejudice


Bigotry:

A bigot is a person who is intolerant of opinions, lifestyles, or identities differing from his or her own, and bigotry is the corresponding state of mind.


Racism:

Racism, by its definition, is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority (or inferiority) of a particular race.



If anyone wants to add to or correct this, let me know! I did the best I could right now.

[get the red out]

84. Excellent

I like reading this nice, simple version. I think we are all bombarded with stereotypes, and those can infest one's mind and lurk in places one is unaware of, generally, until one day you catch yourself and think "WTF??".

Racism seems to take more conscious intent IMO.

[Bluenorthwest]

90. I am very happy to see you include sexual orientation in this portion as it is not included in your

OP graphic and that omission is very obvious to me. At least there is some acknowledgement of the full tilt legal discrimination that we are subjected to.

[OneGrassRoot]

91. You are absolutely right....

and I sincerely apologize. I will stop what I'm doing to correct that in a few moments.

Thank you, Bluenorthwest.

[OneGrassRoot]

92. It's corrected now, but I can't get the larger size to show...

Again, thank you.

[Bluenorthwest]

94. Thank you for your kind response.

Your OP is a great and wonderful thing.

[mia]

75. "THE MOST POWERFUL ESSAY I'VE EVER READ"

Wonderful essay. Thank you!

http://thesunmagazine.org/issues/451/some_thoughts_on_mercy?page=3

[OneGrassRoot]

82. So glad you read it and agree! :) n/t

[tavalon]

76. It's weird to hear you were raised in a racist environment.

It doesn't fit with my impression of you as being so non judgmental and compassionate, but then, we get to these places from odd places, don't we? My childhood was lived in three parts and the third part was with my maternal grandparents and my grandfather was a former KKK Dixiecrat. I attribute it to not having a steady diet of any kind of parenting, good, bad, or otherwise, but I always seemed to have a really good internal monitor. I remember the first time my grandfather called someone down the street, in casual conversation, "that nigger boy", I stopped him and told him never to say that word in front of me. I was all of 13. And he had the sense to not only know which of those three words were prohibited but, to his dying day, he never said that word again. I was and am a force of nature. I try to be that way for good but that's my way of saying that people don't cross me twice.

[OneGrassRoot]

83. Good for you, tavalon, for always having been a force of nature. :)

Even as a child. Glad you had a positive effect on the adults around you.

As a child, I was to be "seen and not heard." But when I turned 18, I WAS HEARD.

Now, as I approach 50, I'm starting to ROAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tavalon]

89. Amen to those last two

I'm a little over a month out on that special birthday myself, and as a Leo, I roar! LOL

[NYC_SKP]

77. Recommended. (nt)

[mountain grammy]

88. Ross Gay's essay is a powerful narrative that should be required reading

in all American History classes. It's a perspective only people of color have and this piece forces the rest of us to see life from that perspective. Maybe, possibly, if the jurors had been exposed to this perspective at some time in their lives, their verdict might have reflected the truth of the murder of a black teenager.

[Eleanors38]

93. Very good post. We've seen the whole dichotemy lately.