Post by peletier on Sept 14, 2017 18:02:57 GMT
I grew up in a mid-sized city in Iowa. It was about 90% caucasian and 10% black and latino. I cannot remember encountering any minority person until junior high(middle school these days.) I also didn’t think about it one way or the other. I do remember in a 9th grade history class having a brief discussion about a person that was having a fit because a black physician was moving in next door. I spoke up about how stupid that was and got shushed by my classmates because his, the person objecting, daughter was in the class and they didn’t want her to be embarrassed. Perhaps she should have been.
I can’t recall feeling much one way of the other concerning people of color. I was a bit intimidated by the Latino boys who seems to like to fight, but that was my sense I suppose. I didn’t associate with or avoid associating with anyone nor did I go out of my way to do so with a person of color. Oh, I guess when I was 11 or 12 we took a family vacation to FL. through the deep South where I saw Impeach Earl Warren signs and white and colored water fountains, etc. I asked my dad about it and why they were there, but he just said that was the way it was there. And, of course, I saw all of the civil rights new on tv.
I think my sophomore year of college was my awakening. I chose a black hall brother and spent time with another dorm mate just talking about their experiences especially the one from Mississippi. And I read…a lot. Cleaver, Jackson, Crisis in White and Black, lots of things related to the racial issue.
I also had the opportunity to attend a good deal of the trial of two native americans accused of murdering FBI agents on the Pine Ridge reservation in the early 70’s. I learned about the horrible conditions on the reservation, I watched FBI agents lie under oath along with other government agents, and I watched as the two were acquitted by an all-white jury. I regret not having had the chance to spend time with Native American people. I’ve had some opportunities, but not many.
I do not think that much has changed in spite of the election of a black President. If anything, it’s worse today. I believe that it is impossible to grow up Caucasian(I am using this instead of white because I agree with Mr. Coates that the term white is a construct and I haven’t come up with a suitable alternative. I thought about melanan challenged, but that’s a bit too cutesy) in the U.S. and not be racist. It permeates society in so many ways, some so subtle that it’s hard to even be aware of them. I think that one can grow and learn and change, but I don’t think a Caucasian can ever not have some degree of racism. Just the stereotypes seen on tv or the repetitive use of blacks in a bad light on the news drives home the message of DANGER!
I have worked some in trying to make changes in the criminal justice system. Anyone who knows anything about it knows that it is prejudices against people of color, particularly blacks and this is particularly true of death penalty cases. If you’ve not done so then you will learn about this when you read Michelle Alexander’s book.
Later: read some of the readings and now Caucasian is out as a choice so I am flummoxed on how to refer to myself racially. Therefore, I think I will just go with homo sapiens. Light skin requires these genes:SLC24A5 and SLC45A2 – it has only been in the last 8000+ years that light skin has existed. Before everyone had darker skin although perhaps differing shades. That is unless you believe as Vice-President Pence that the earth is 4000 years old. Then it’s a whole different ballgame.
I can’t recall feeling much one way of the other concerning people of color. I was a bit intimidated by the Latino boys who seems to like to fight, but that was my sense I suppose. I didn’t associate with or avoid associating with anyone nor did I go out of my way to do so with a person of color. Oh, I guess when I was 11 or 12 we took a family vacation to FL. through the deep South where I saw Impeach Earl Warren signs and white and colored water fountains, etc. I asked my dad about it and why they were there, but he just said that was the way it was there. And, of course, I saw all of the civil rights new on tv.
I think my sophomore year of college was my awakening. I chose a black hall brother and spent time with another dorm mate just talking about their experiences especially the one from Mississippi. And I read…a lot. Cleaver, Jackson, Crisis in White and Black, lots of things related to the racial issue.
I also had the opportunity to attend a good deal of the trial of two native americans accused of murdering FBI agents on the Pine Ridge reservation in the early 70’s. I learned about the horrible conditions on the reservation, I watched FBI agents lie under oath along with other government agents, and I watched as the two were acquitted by an all-white jury. I regret not having had the chance to spend time with Native American people. I’ve had some opportunities, but not many.
I do not think that much has changed in spite of the election of a black President. If anything, it’s worse today. I believe that it is impossible to grow up Caucasian(I am using this instead of white because I agree with Mr. Coates that the term white is a construct and I haven’t come up with a suitable alternative. I thought about melanan challenged, but that’s a bit too cutesy) in the U.S. and not be racist. It permeates society in so many ways, some so subtle that it’s hard to even be aware of them. I think that one can grow and learn and change, but I don’t think a Caucasian can ever not have some degree of racism. Just the stereotypes seen on tv or the repetitive use of blacks in a bad light on the news drives home the message of DANGER!
I have worked some in trying to make changes in the criminal justice system. Anyone who knows anything about it knows that it is prejudices against people of color, particularly blacks and this is particularly true of death penalty cases. If you’ve not done so then you will learn about this when you read Michelle Alexander’s book.
Later: read some of the readings and now Caucasian is out as a choice so I am flummoxed on how to refer to myself racially. Therefore, I think I will just go with homo sapiens. Light skin requires these genes:SLC24A5 and SLC45A2 – it has only been in the last 8000+ years that light skin has existed. Before everyone had darker skin although perhaps differing shades. That is unless you believe as Vice-President Pence that the earth is 4000 years old. Then it’s a whole different ballgame.