Thoughts on this video (4:09) please

[underpants]

This is a video that a suburb of Richmond VA showed to high school students. There is uproar about it with charges of "White Guilt". I'll leave it at that to elicit responses.

Local paper article here

ON EDIT - it was produced by the African American Policy Forum

AAPF

Wikipedia

[LiberalArkie]

1. And he says "I did it all by myself"

[Warpy]

2. I think it explains it very well

Things have only been theoretically equal for 50 out of almost 500 years, and that equality is still largely theoretical.

What needs to be discussed is how the kids in that class aren't responsible for designing the system of unequal opportunity. It will be their choice whether or not to perpetuate it or to learn how to live together and give each other opportunity.

(Do realize that if the cartoon was totally accurate, the women would still be sitting at the starting line, still waiting for legal equality)

[LiberalArkie]

3. Very good, but the racist would have the black girl winning because she was bigger.

[brush]

4. Not hardly, but please explaining your reasoning.

[LiberalArkie]

6. It goes with all the crap that is said down here about the blacks having all the advantages and..

whites can't compete because they "are all natural athletes". Racist crap from way back.

Me: What do we have so many black athletes? Because as children they are taught that is the way out of the being poor, that is how you get to college.

[brush]

10. Ahhh . . . the foot race scenario is only a metaphor to symbolize life in our racist society.

Get past that. People of color, and white women to a lesser degree, have been unfairly held back for centuries by racism that frankly, favors white males, which is why the video is raising a lot of hackles.

IMO it's pretty accurate.

[forest444]

5. It points out some undeniable problems, including those of class - not just race.

Besides getting into racial injustices, the video gets into the fact that the white guy with money and connections (the blonder guy) has a vast and unfair advantage not only over the colored runners; but also over the middle-class white runner (the brunette).

You'll notice that at 2:55 in the video, a fancy moving walkway is installed for the rich runner. He then effortlessly glides past the middle class runner - who was actually ahead up to that point. The video also implies that the public only sees "snapshots" of the race, mainly those which would lead anyone to believe that the colored runners are useless, and that the golden boy's "victory" is somehow natural (even inevitable).

The video is very blunt; but it's basically the truth. That's what bothers certain people.

[LiberalArkie]

7. You said it a lot better than I could... Thanks

[forest444]

9. Not at all, LiberalArkie.

Coming from you, that was a very meaningful compliment. I guess great minds think alike.

[brush]

8. This is mostly accurate.

I like the ticker in the upper left corner reeling off the years/centuries of head start in wealth building going by.

The only thing I would add would be a stoplight for the white woman at first also

Of course she would get a green light to proceed long before the POCs.

[vkkv]

11. Thoughts? Accurate, but here are even more realities..

Where is the middle-eastern guy getting punched by hateful, white thugs?

Where are the Jews lining up for showers?

Where are the Palestinian children being bombed by Israel?

Where is the Sikh getting kicked-off the plane for making ignorant, white passengers nervous by possibly being a Sunni or Shiite terrorist?

Where is the very pretty ( and smart) white girl being handled like Barbie or a child?

Where is the unattractive woman who didn't get that assistant job?

Why do only the cute 'pound-dogs' get adopted?

- And then there are the poor in general, who have it very difficult to begin with as well.

White guilt? Nah, I'm just seeing a lot of fear, greed, mis-trust, hate, corruption, false handi-cap license plate drivers, able people on disability, everyone trying to work the system, I got mine - go get yours, a 'living wage'? don't make me laugh kind of sickness going around.

If it were up to me, I'd force every individual to marry and reproduce with someone of a different race, then maybe we'd wake up.

[FailureToCommunicate]

12. And the kids with disabilities ??

[vkkv]

13. Sure, keep adding more to the list of the 'unequal' - it's pretty easy. _____ n/t

[Rebkeh]

14. I agree with all your points but

That's all beyond the scope of the video itself.

The intention of the video is obviously more specific: the playing field is unlevel.

If the video was made to illustrate inequality in a broader sense, you would be 100% right.