Happy Reading, You Racist Bastards

[images73]

This quarter I have discussed multicultural education a great deal in all of my classes, and I also had one entire course devoted to the subject. I don’t know how much the average white American thinks about racism--I suppose it depends on your location, attitudes, awareness, etc. Anyway, due to these classes, I’ve thought about it more than I

Comments

[virtuolie]

I disagree with 2 things from your post:

First, I don't think the steps of dealing with race are really steps--they're more like categories. I think it's overly idealistic to say that people will (or under the right circumstances would) evolve to be more accepting of other races and to reject racism. That may be a better attitude, but it's not necessarily a more adaptive attitude, and people's attitudes evolve based on their experiences. Someone could be raised to love all races and then hate blacks later on because the are gang-raped by blacks in prison.

Second, I think the privelage list is racist. To say that people of a particular race will necessarily have a different set of staple foods or will have their own music is making huge assumptions.

You can tell Andrew, Kelly, and I are all from the Deep South, as it is our inclination to be defensive about racism. :)

[images73]

I talked a little bit in a reply to another comment somewhere in this web of comments about not understanding the differences between growing up in the north and south. I went to a high school where every single students was white. It wasn't because we were a rich community (we were a rural farming community)...it was simply because no black people lived in the school district. I wouldn't say that I had NO experiences with black people, although I do admit they were limited until I went to college. In Massillon, the closest town/city, there were black people. I took dance lessons in Massillon with black people. I must say, and have said in the past, that working at the homeless shelter really broadened my world, and I think it's sad that I had to wait until I was 21 to see that part of our society. I think that when I become a parent, especially if I still live in the north or in areas like where I grew up, then I will try to educate my children about all different types of people. My childhood was so sheltered. Anyway, I

[images73]

I'm curious as to your opinion on something re: the food blacks eat in the south. Do you think it so closely resembles the food whites eat due to the legacy of slavery? I mean, when slaves were brought here, they probably weren't given African food, but instead food that reflected the white dominance of the time. Do you think that plays into it? I don't know anything about the numbers, but maybe in the north there are more recent immigrants. That is to say, families who are first or second generation immigrants as opposed to families in the south? I'm not sure if numbers even back that idea up, but it was just a thought. In Columbus, for example, we have a very large Somalian population, and most are first or second generation in America, so perhaps they have not "Americanized" as much as others who have been here longer. Thoughts?

[tilga]

AH!
i was thinking more black/white issue.
i wasn't even really considering other races/ethnicities.
that will probably help me with the statements above.