Black Men

[mrvlknight21]

Back on topic though...

I often wish I was black. The burden of white people is that it's much harder for us to be cool. Black people can't help but be cool. And what I'm most envious of is the fact that they seem to get cooler as they get older.

I'll be preparing to die in Florida somewhere - old, crusty, bitter, and white - while my black friends age like fine wine. Tell me - is there anything more awesome than an old, black gentleman? They're almost universally hip.

This is one of the weirdest posts I have ever read.

 

[PyroChamber]

Remember how you acted the first time you got drunk? Now multiple that by about 40,000 people.

Oh yeah, and the one thing they can't stand to hear is "there's always next year".

 

[Majic Walrus]

This has been on my mind for a few days...

But I've been thinking about the way some have racist feelings towards blacks; and maybe I'm wrong about this, but is it just me or does it seem like people don't hate blacks in general but mostly black men?

I mean, with black women there aren't that many things to hate IMO, but black men seem to get the most hate from anyone.

Is it because of the stereotypes that most have about black men, maybe something more, or am I just being crazy?

Stereotypes develop for a very specific reason, they are generally "true". That is that they are common occurances and easy to see happen on a regular basis. They don't necessarily apply to all people of a race or even the majority of people. They develop because of faulty logic for instance:

The majority of people who are in prison are black therefore black people are criminals.

The majority of dysfunctional single-mother families seen on Maury Povich are black therefore all black women have 18 kids.

The majority of black people have cellphones and are always seen with cellphones... Actually... Barak Obama is the first President to have email with his BlackBerry and there is this one black guy at work who has two cellphones and that's weird and BOOM... Before you know it you've bought into a stereotype even when only a few individuals have shown that they fit into that generalization.

 

[Nirvana]

Nah, I don't think that black men get more hate. I know myself personally I make racist jokes and sometimes make undertones that I am racist but I'm far from it. I think a lot more people are starting to become less racist with recent political events.

 

[terry78]

Nah, I don't think that black men get more hate. I know myself personally I make racist jokes and sometimes make undertones that I am racist but I'm far from it. I think a lot more people are starting to become less racist with recent political events.

Actually, I think the opposite might be happening the way some people are lambasting Obama.

 

[PyroChamber]

The problem also is that you'll see the positive black people but the negative ones are the ones you see the most.

I bet when if you ask someone who isn't black about positive black people, the only ones they'll think of is Obama and Oprah.

 

[Ongie]

***redacted***

 

[mrvlknight21]

If anyone thinks racism is dead, they're naive or deeply mistaken.

It's great that we could elect a black president, but it doesn't change the socioeconomic situation of many urban areas. Lots of black communities are in disrepair. Schools are crumbling. Families are being torn apart by the scourge of drugs and violence. It's real.

And it's unfair. There still aren't enough opportunities for young black men and women, even today.

I agree racism is alive and well.
However, IMO, black people are given more opportunities and advantages when it comes to getting an education (grants, scholarships) and corporate jobs. I have seen this personally myself in several situations.

 

[SoulManX]

This reminds me of the Cosby show debates I've had in the past

 

[Majic Walrus]

The problem also is that you'll see the positive black people but the negative ones are the ones you see the most.

I bet when if you ask someone who isn't black about positive black people, the only ones they'll think of is Obama and Oprah.

Aren't positive stereotypes still racism?

I agree racism is alive and well.
However, IMO, black people are given more opportunities and advantages when it comes to getting an education (grants, scholarships) and corporate jobs. I have seen this personally myself in several situations.

Racism is alive and well, as exampled by your previous statements. I know that at local police departments I've applied for they always say that women and minorities are encouraged to apply because as an equal opprotunity employer they are required to have a certain number of applicants and employees that are minorities.

That's racism too.

 

[Ongie]

***redacted***

 

[mrvlknight21]

Aren't positive stereotypes still racism?



Racism is alive and well, as exampled by your previous statements. I know that at local police departments I've applied for they always say that women and minorities are encouraged to apply because as an equal opprotunity employer they are required to have a certain number of applicants and employees that are minorities.

That's racism too.

Yes, thats actually one of the examples I thought of.
When I was hired for my first law enforcement job, I started at the same time as a black male (I am a white male, in case there was any confusion).
The person who hired me told me that they HAD to do it that way (one black, one white).

I also know of a guy who tried to get hired at a sheriff's department and the sheriff told him that he would love to hire him but couldnt bc of the "numbers game." When my friend asked about this, the sheriff said simply " I cant hire another white officer, but if you were black I could hire you right now."

Those are real examples of quotas, which are complete BS.

Again, I have a lot of examples that I have seen personally in my life and a few that close friends, including black friends, have told me about their experiences as well, which match up to that as well.

 

[Majic Walrus]

Yes, thats actually one of the examples I thought of.
When I was hired for my first law enforcement job, I started at the same time as a black male (I am a white male, in case there was any confusion).
The person who hired me told me that they HAD to do it that way (one black, one white).

I also know of a guy who tried to get hired at a sheriff's department and the sheriff told him that he would love to hire him but couldnt bc of the "numbers game." When my friend asked about this, the sheriff said simply " I cant hire another white officer, but if you were black I could hire you right now."

Those are real examples of quotas, which are complete BS.

Again, I have a lot of examples that I have seen personally in my life and a few that close friends, including black friends, have told me about their experiences as well, which match up to that as well.

Getting a law enforcement job in my area is difficult because of that "numbers" game.

I heard a story on NPR the other day about some Firefighters in a city that were unable to promote their officers to lietenants based on the fact that the only people who passed the test were white.

In reality it is because the white firefighters volunteered and studied hard to take the test meanwhile the minorities that took they test were told that it was mandatory so they didn't study or practice because they weren't really concerned with taking the test.

The government now has to get involved. We spend so much time protecting ourselves from racism that we commit those very sins.

 

[mrvlknight21]

Getting a law enforcement job in my area is difficult because of that "numbers" game.

I heard a story on NPR the other day about some Firefighters in a city that were unable to promote their officers to lietenants based on the fact that the only people who passed the test were white.

In reality it is because the white firefighters volunteered and studied hard to take the test meanwhile the minorities that took they test were told that it was mandatory so they didn't study or practice because they weren't really concerned with taking the test.

The government now has to get involved. We spend so much time protecting ourselves from racism that we commit those very sins.

Yeah, I read about that as well.
On a similar note:
I think it is pretty crazy to hear about tests that are "racially biased" as well. I cant figure out how that is possible.

 

[terry78]

OK, let's not turn this into a "white men are getting screwed" thread.

 

[Cunning Stunts]

Down south I'd say the hate is more distributed equally, toward both black women and black men.

Then again, at the school I went to, they were all very nasty toward white people. I'm not even from the south, but I was accused of racism toward them if I said anything particularly "not nice" toward them, even though I never said anything pertaining to race. Also, for some reason, a large group of the black girls in my school had a very bad habit of walking VERY slowly in the hallways, and walking side-by-side, so you couldn't get past them. If you shoved by, you got yelled at, perhaps hit.

If they didn't take up the entire hallway, they'd walk around with their elbows out, hitting people. If you hit back, they yelled, fought you, etc. One girl put her hands on me one time (because she was talking about being sexy, I coughed during her sentence- she thought I was laughing at her and saying she wasn't), I cussed her out in front of a classroom, and she never did it again.

I cannot stand racism, but the racism was so rampant in the south that I was labeled a racist just because I was white. In addition to that, all of the different races separated themselves, with very little mixing. Every group fit their particular stereotypes too. I hated everyone in that school.

 

[JStorm]

OK, let's not turn this into a "white men are getting screwed" thread.

Because that would be racist.

 

[Ongie]

***redacted***

 

[TheFuture]

The problem also is that you'll see the positive black people but the negative ones are the ones you see the most.

I bet when if you ask someone who isn't black about positive black people, the only ones they'll think of is Obama and Oprah.

That's because the media will report on the lowest common denominator if it means;

1) They can feed on stereotypes which takes the minimum of effort, time and cost.

2) If it suits their own political or ideological agenda.

 

[SheldonLevene]

The problem also is that you'll see the positive black people but the negative ones are the ones you see the most.

I bet when if you ask someone who isn't black about positive black people, the only ones they'll think of is Obama and Oprah.

Cosby would come to mind before either of those two as I despise them both.

 

[knowsbleed]

People hate on us black men all the time.

 

[Tyrinus]

I live in Charlotte, North Carolina. It's a metropolitan population of 1.7 million.. and there's still racism on both sides. Granted, it's the South. Still, it's frustrating.

*face palm*

I don't see an end to it - at least not anytime soon. People are stubborn and their grievances are deep-seated.

Statements like this are such ********. I grew up in the south and have lived in the north for that past 5+ years. In that short 5+ years I've heard and seen far more racism and bigotry than over 20 years in the south. And family and friends that have moved north have similar experiences.

There is bigotry everywhere, it's not regional.

 

[knowsbleed]

There's just as much racism in the South as in the North...





they're just more open to tell you in the North that they hate the skin covering your body than they are in the South.

 

[Ongie]

***redacted***

 

[Batman713]

Also, for some reason, a large group of the black girls in my school had a very bad habit of walking VERY slowly in the hallways, and walking side-by-side, so you couldn't get past them. If you shoved by, you got yelled at, perhaps hit.

If they didn't take up the entire hallway, they'd walk around with their elbows out, hitting people. If you hit back, they yelled, fought you, etc.

Yep, that was the exact same situation in my highschool. They felt as if they owned the halls. You couldn't walk without getting cussed at.