Bigthink - Feature Comments Feed

Comment on: Does race still matter?

Bigthink — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:12:23 +0100

I agree with KINGSHOLTO. There is also this perception that all 'whites' are xenophobic and hate people of color. The ridicule lies on both spectrums. I am African-American in a mixed relationship, and I constantly here about people who categorize one sub-culture with an entire race. When I say sub-culture, I am refering to the people within a particular race in which these qualities actually apply: ignorant, hateful, xenophobic, belligerent, disrespectful, informal, etc. The problem is that the few individuals that exhibit this type of behavior have their actions publicized on national television. This in turn creates stereotypes and misconceptions attributed to every race.

Comment on: Does race still matter?

Bigthink — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:14:13 +0100

I like what you have to say about wanting to be treated as an individual, and I suppose that the aim of anti-racism initiatives is to treat people as individuals not as racial categories (the content of their character, if you would). As much as I understand the desire to stand by one's own, especially in the face of real injustice (from loans to voting to police behavior, racism against blacks is clearly still alive), it tells people who feel as if they have been living their lives ignoring racial differences that race does matter. I'm not claiming that either position is right or wrong, simply that defensiveness will make it very difficult for a solution, and since we all are going to continue living together, a solution is of mutual benefit.

Comment on: Does race still matter?

Bigthink — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:49:18 +0100

About what he was saying that all black americans are thought to act the same, it is also the same with every other race in america. the sterotypes wont be broken until people acctually care about other americans enough to find out what they are really like.

example: white southern americans are all "rednecks". but if people visited the southern states they would find that the sterotype is not true.

Comment on: Does race still matter?

Bigthink — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:14:48 +0100

It is a sad state of affairs. Now racial descrimination is so subverted and prevalent in our media, I am not convinced that we will ever free ourselves from this burden.

I fear that the hateful power establisment has now moved on from the overt baligerent hate. To subverting their message into more socially acceptable forms of hate. This hateful propoganda is obvious in shows like Dave Chapelle, Rap music, and cartoons like the Simpsons and especially South Park. These subverted messages teach minorities to hate themselves, and destroy one another.

Young minority children learn this self loathing from a young age. In a study that often replicated, children from around the globe would rather play with a white doll, than a doll or toy of their own color. They also more commonly associate good with the white toy, and bad or evil with the doll of color.
http://www.culturekitchen.com/mole333/blog/deep_deep_racism_in_american_culture_the_doll_t

It is great that Martin Luther King day is celebrated to stir the debate on this issue. Far more progress is needed.

Greater awareness is needed so that we can have higher expectations from our media, and a more informed consumer.