A ghetto is born.

Marger, Chapter 7
During childhood, my family’s income would have been considered low. However, we were blessed to live in quaint little brownstones or large beautiful apartment buildings located in very nice areas with culturally mixed neighborhoods. But, by the time I attended school I was bused to predominantly Caucasian neighborhoods. My mom said it was because the schools were better there. I didn’t understand until I arrived and saw that the school buildings were more modern looking than those in our own neighborhood. Little did I know that my mom wasn’t referring to the structure of school buildings. I quickly learned the difference. Those schools had fewer students, more teachers, better lunch menus, newer textbooks, gym and sports equipment was functional, and a wide range of curricular programing. The bottom line, when the opportunity to access better educational programing was given, most parents took full advantage.
Many refused to have their children bused to other school districts. Some feared it was a set up for failure, thinking the kids would be treated differently, looked down upon. Some didn’t like the idea of a predominantly Caucasian neighborhood/school.
Housing issues caused the same torn reactions. Our culturally mixed cozy neighborhoods were considered the inner city. Housing, churches, synagogues, schools, bridges tended to be old pre-war era structures, ornate, gothic, architecturally magnificent, but old. The skill required to maintain that type of masonry had pretty much disappeared. Funding for education and many city/county programs were consistently being cut or diverted. As a result the inner city, as it were, was beginning to crumble. Landlords couldn’t afford the upkeep of the buildings and began abandoning them along with its tenants. And just like the bussing issue…
Some people were able to take advantage of housing funds and moved to better neighborhoods. Many wanted to leave, but didn’t qualify for assistance. Many no longer cared and it showed in their lack of cleanliness, poor treatment of the properties, increase of vermin due to the strewn about garbage, etc. The formation of ghettos has to do with much more than just class and/or race. The above was the type of ghetto that I watched develop as I grew up. Many others around the globe are carefully planned as a way to force assimilation, segregation, and/or migration.
S. Ramos, Post #8

Acceptable?

Andrea Burns post 8

A major concent of our discussions this week was the usage of specific words for members inside and out of the race it's about. While many agree that members of the race it names can use these terms, I pose a question regarding certain circumstances. It is considered okay for members of a race to joke about hardships they've gone through in the past? The example I have in mind is a black guy I went to high school with (my ex-boyfriend actually) wearing a shirt saying "Just another cotton picking day." Personally when I saw it, my reaction was along the lines of what the hell. Maybe since I'm outside of the race my opinion will vary, but I think that was wrong of him to wear. Granted, he was black so it couldn't be said that the shirt was racist. Actually, if I remember correctly he was allowed to wear the shirt for quite awhile, despite it clearly being against the school dress code. Yet even though he was black, I really don't think it was okay of him to wear. Actually the shirt shouldn't be sold to begin with. To me, it was him making a mockery of a terrible situation that his ancestors had gone through. Should he be allowed to mock it though since they were his ancestors? In my eyes, it would be a similar, less extreme version if a Jewish person were to mock the Holocaust. While his shirt was making light of a negative situation, I feel that it is one situation that shouldn't be made light of. The Civil Rights Movement worked hard to bring equality to African Americans. A shirt such as that almost backtracks it.

interracial relationships

Interracial relationships is a very sensitive and controversial topic still to this day, clearly shown by how intense the class discussion became. As I mentioned in class and in my earlier blog posts, I previously dated a black guy, and have been attracted to boys of various other races, including Puerto Rican and Peruvian. But I'm still attracted to Caucasian boys too. Color isn't an issue for me. While obviously personality should be what counts when dating someone, when looking at appearance color isn't really a factor in it. Skin pigment has no sway on if I find someone attractive or not. Unfortunately, it is not the same for the rest of the population. To this day many are still against the idea of dating someone of a different race, and it makes for difficult situations. Yes, everyone is entitled to their opinions. But is it really necessary to outright judge those who do date outside of their race? It is no one's place to intercede with those who do decide to date outside their race. Dirty looks, comments, harassment, and slander are entirely uncalled for. I wish people would understand that much. It's totally fine if a person has made the choice to stay in their race. That's every one's own personal decision. They have no right, however, to bother those who do. While I'm not here to try to persuade another's decision about interracial relationships, here's a thought to keep in mind: if an entire generation reproduced with someone of a different race, racism could be eliminated since everyone would be a mix.

Post 9, Preferences, Marcus Anderson

From our discussion last class I thought it was interesting about our discussion of inter racial dating. I just would like to say a few things about how I feel about it. I feel that for me at least, color has nothing in the world to do with relationship with another person. I think were were going wrong as people when we develop these stereotypes in which we don't even give a person the time of day because they don't fit our criteria. I believe when we do this we are missing out on possibly the perfect person for them in some cases. In my theory love has no color. Its just a dangerous thing when we as people don't step outside our comfort zone and accept people for who they are. I'm sure we all have done this ( or still are) but we have to drop that old traditional " only this race or that type." We all have to evaluate ourselves and see if we are being equal to accepting persons from another race. In most cases those stereotypes that we put with different races, usually is the opposite of everything we envisioned of a person. Take me for example, I'm a young African American male, with braids, attending SUNY Fredonia. Now if you just seen me passing from the first time would you envision me as you know me now or would you place me in a "stereotype"? These are real life issues and society as a whole needs to confront them to be batter at the end of the day.

Post 8, acceptance of lauguage, Marcus Anderson

Reflecting about what we discussed last class I thought about all the things that we discussed within the classroom. In my personal opinion I feel that certain words have a stronger definition behind them which does not make them okay to say. Now from discussion we choose to use the N word. My personal perspective on this is that until it becomes wholly acceptable for people of all races to say that word, it is mostly likely one of those words that we should not try to make "popular and acceptable" in out society. I think of of the main problems in our society is that the Media is trying to make certain stereotypes and racial terms "acceptable" in our time today. I believe that even thought some people view racial stereotypes and names as no harm we just are not at a point in our society where all terms are acceptable to use at any given time and in front of any given audience. So until we all can walk around and say racial terms to all races and ethnicity's and they are accepted without rebuttal then we should continue to evaluate ourselves and our judgement of situations before we act.

Post #8: Inter-racial, and inter-ethnicity marriage

I come from what would be considered an inter-ethnicity marriage. My father is Jewish and my mother is Christian. Even though most wouldn't expect it, my parents faced a lot of stigma from our own family. That stuck around for alm ost twenty years, but there is a brighter side to all of this. My parent's courage to marry outside of their ethnicity lead to a good amount of my relatives to inter-ethnically marry. Though this may not seem to mean much, it is something that needs to be learned to be accepted more often in soiety.

Hate Speech-Erin Goldberg 8

Our discussion of hate speech in class last Thursday was interesting, if not a little bit intimidating. I really began to see how comfort with language was a personal thing, not a culturally agreed upon idea. Words like the N-word, the S-word, Kike, Fag, and Dyke are often debated upon. Note that in the past sentence, I use "N-word" and "S-Word" to describe those words, but I will say things like Fag or Kike. This is because they are words that associate with myself and my community, and therefore, they have different meaning to me. I think that the same applies for members of the African American and Hispanic American community. Yes, I agree with the statement that was made that words only have as much power as we put into them, and that the people who say them are the real problem. However, the significance of hate speech, used in a hateful manner, is to put another person down. It is very different when it is used by members of a certain community directed towards other members of their community.

Post #7... Trying to help might come off the wrong way...

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a386/SquadDelta/GREENLANTERN079020.jpg

After my presentation I looked back at the media I used, and I realized this comic issue could have actually more harm then good. I provided the link above of the best appearance of the so called "figure head". As I explained in class, this was an issue meant to help raise awareness for NAtive Americans, but this appearance just reaks of stereotypes, which as we all know tend to do more harm then good.

Interracial Dating: Erin Goldberg 7

The topic of interracial dating is one that I actually have a bit of experience in. I myself identify as white, however, my past two relationships have been with people of mixed race (a black man and an Asian woman). They were both completely different experiences beyond the fact that they were with members of different genders. The last guy that I ever dated was half African American and half white, but he identifies as black. One of the most distinct things I remember about my relationship with him was that he was always making note of how he liked to date "white women" and that we were like "salt and pepper." I never enjoyed how he seemed to view our relationship as something like a novelty or a joke, and I would often ask him to stop pointing out the racial differences between us. However, to him, being in an interracial relationship was something worth pointing out. It was a large part of why our relationship eventually ended (well that and the fact that he was a guy). My most recent past relationship was with a female who was half German and half Korean, but she tended to side more with her Asian ancestry. In this interracial relationship, the problem wasn't that she was dating a white woman. Instead, the cultural problems we faced were that she was simply dating a woman at all. The Korean community frowns on homosexuality, and it was often a problem I faced while talking to members of her family and family friends. There were moments where I felt shunned away.

To me, being in an interracial relationship isn't something to make a fuss over. In fact, if I go through my whole dating history, I've never been with anyone who identifies as the as the same "race" as me. However, I understand how relationships with mixed races can face problems. There are always different cultures, traditions, and rules that can conflict in these relationships. I think, however, that if you like someone, race shouldn't have to be a defining factor in the relationship.

Mississppi License Plate Proposal

I'm not sure if anyone has heard of this news story or not, but recently the White supremacist group Sons of Confederate Veterans has proposed a state-issued license plate that would honor Nathan Bedford Forrest, the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. The governor has said that he won't allow the plate to be issued, but I still think it's an interesting story. Here's a link to an article that talks about it, including some of the history behind it: http://www.pslweb.org/liberationnews/news/mississippi-kkk-license-plate.html

The article does discuss the fact that Governor Barbour has in the past supported holidays that honor important dates of the Confederacy, and originally said that he would not "denounce" the proposed plate. It was only in reaction to "public outroar" that Barbour retracted his support for the plate. I think his original statements and past actions are pretty frightening. I think if I was a Black person in a state governed by a man supporting a movement that was committed to terror, intimidation, slavery, racial subordination, and outright murder, I don't think I would feel safe. I'm wondering what the rest of the class has to say about this.

Native Americans

Marger, Chapter 6
Did I miss something during a-merican history lessons? Since when did the b-ritish colonial government and/or the newly independent u-nited s-tates want to control the acquisition of land to protect the rights of Indians? From first contact Indians were seen as savages. Who, during that time expressed a need to safe guard savages? I found it interesting that Marger states the above and then continues with a contradiction. He clearly points out that the objective was to separate the Indians from their land either by assimilation or through removal. The settlers wanted the lands and the reformers wanted to civilize the so called savages. Does any of that depict protection of Indian rights? However, do those objectives fit the nature of the dominant group? They most certainly do! As we all know too well that the group without the resources and means of control, that physically look and behave so drastically different (as a trekky would say), resistance is futile!
S. Ramos, Post #7

Self Hating Black Female Wants to Join KKK

This is the girl i was talking about in class.  i think the video speaks for itself

Tyra - White on White Racism (1)

I found this when i was looking for the racist balck girl. I thought this was interesting and wanted to know how other people about this.

Terica Post #8: bleaching still exist

There are so many things to talk about this week. Yet, the one thing that stood out is skin color. it's a very funny concept to those who don't have dark skin. There are various reasons why people compare skin color or think they're better because they have lighter skin. It was already pointed that this problem goes al the way back to slavery. however, the problem still stands in the media today. the image of a beautiful black women is still one of lighter skin. They still put tons of makeup on them so they will look lighter. bleaching cream is still be used to make people lighter. A big controversy going on right now is whether or not beyonce is bleaching herself. A lot of people are noticing that she is extremely lighter than when she first debuted. I don't know if she is or not but it's a good example of how the shade of skin still matters. (even after micheal jackson)

Dating other races #8

First I would like to agree with Ashley on this subject.  After reading her post, I agree that if I want to date someone that I don't look at her race or ethnicity or religion.  However, I have no experience with dating outside my race and wouldn't know what it feels like people are giving you dirty looks while going to dinner or a movie with a girl from another race.  If I was dating a girl from another race, I can sadly see my parents and many other parents not liking the fact that im dating outside my race.  I believe its mostly a generational thing but I could be wrong.

What's in a name? Or a racist image...

If anyone's seen "Easy A," there is a scene early on the film where we're introduced to a headstrong religious zealot group on the school campus. One of the things they accomplished was changing the high school's basketball team's name from the Blue Devils to the Woodchucks. They handed out fliers that had a picture of the mascot and the words "Stop Cheering for Satan" written on it.

It was hilarious.

But then I thought about it and was like "What if someone wanted to change the Fredonia Blue Devils to something more woodland creature-y? Would we do it? How offensive are the Blue Devils?"

I think that when it comes to naming sports teams, you try to go for a name that has some sort of power behind it. "Blue Devils" implies some vague sense of power. "Warriors" imply a sense of leadership and bad-assery.

90% of the ethnic offense in sports teams stems from the naming of teams after Native Americans. I think that depending on the context of the situation and the images surrounding it, most names imply a sense of strength and spirit. I believe that Seminoles can make the case that they are very respectful to the image of the Native American people. They do the research, they try their hardest to respect the traditions, I feel like that's okay.

Having said that, The Cleveland Indians are a different story. Holy racist imagery, batman. Chief WaHoo is racist is every way possible and that's not okay and it's incredibly disrespectful.

I really think that the context surrounding the teams and the measures they take to maintain an image changes the offense behind the controversy.

Team Mascots #7

Being a huge sports fan, i find this topic very interesting.  I believe that Florida St. has done nothing wrong and should be used as an example when it comes to schools with Native Americans or other stereotypes as their mascot.  With the approval of the Seminole tribe, I do not think Florida St. has done anything wrong.  I also understand many other teams have changed their names so not to offend any Indian tribes or not wanting to get into legal tribe because of it, teams like St. John's Red Storm which used to be St. John's Redman. However when it comes to something like the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, I believe that is perfectly ok.  Since I am very much Irish I do not feel offended by this and in fact I actually like the name and the mascot, however Notre Dame is in fact one of my least favorite schools because i'm a huge Boston College fan.  Both Notre Dame and Boston College are huge rivals when it comes to big time Catholic schools.  So when a school wants to use a Native American tribe as a mascot i believe that the school should ask permittion first also for the most part the school uses these mascots because of the history of the region their in and not out of disrespect.  

Alaysia- Assignment 9 (Bleaching Skin)

How far would a person go to change their skin tone? Everyday you see a person with a lighter complexion trying to darken their skin. Mainly using tanning lotion or using tanning bed which actually uses more UVA rays than the sun. Even though it's harmful to the skin, it is still done because "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." But we never really talk about those who try to lighten their skin. Tyra has interviewed six black women who purposely bleach their skin and their children's skin. Even some of the women said their mother bleached their skin at the age of five and taught their children that being dark was not good. A number of reasons for bleaching skin included to make life easier because light black people have it easier, to help with blemishes, etc. Some of the women even went as far as to date someone who is lighter or of another race, just so their child isn't dark. Those women did not see dark skin a beautiful and that was another reason they decided to bleach their skin. They explained that those who are lighter or will never encounter their situation will never understand why they were driven to this point. Tyra does a good job explaining how society has put lighter skin on a pedastal. She said she make it her job to find all colors of skin for ANTM so that others could see that it's okay to be the skin color that you are. That pale is beautiful, dark is beautiful and everything in between.

Chapter 7: lynching

I think lynching is something that doesn't get as much attention in educational settings as it should. An entire course could probably be taught on it and the protest movements against it. I think it should be alongside slavery as another injustice against people of color in order to force them into subservience under the threat of death. Black men were often dragged from jails by White mobs who had either overpowered the warden, or were let in by the warden. They would then hang the man. Maybe the most disturbing part is these were often public. People would even be photographed with the body and then send the photo as a post card to friends and family. What would make someone want to A. be photographed with a lynched body, and B. send it as a prized possession to others? Was it because they didn't see the victim as a person? Or was it more of a curiosity thing?

This was a hot topic...

I was kind of surprised by how much of a debate we got into over interracial dating.

I think a lot of our views on dating come from how we're raised and the culture that we're exposed to and our parents influences.

I personally believe that if you like a person for who they are, what they look like won't matter. As long as you love them and have some sort of sexual attraction with that person (which is actually kind of important) then it doesn't matter what the color of their skin is.

And then I think about myself and my personal preferences. I find women of other races attractive, but I have never dated and/or had a serious crush on a woman of another race. But then again, when it comes to women I find attractive my first instinct is like "PRETTY" and it doesn't matter what color their skin is. It's just that more often than not, that woman is white. And I don't mean to! Perhaps I'm just conditioned in my preferences? I don't know. But oddly enough, if I was heterosexual I would be dating a black man. That's a fact and I will be honest that I am incredibly attracted to black men. Which is moot considering my homosexuality, but still, I feel like I would be all about dating a black man. But it's not like if there was a man who was white or Hispanic or what have you and he was really awesome, I wouldn't date him because he's not black. I think it just depends on the person you like and how you fit with them.

In conclusion: The validity of a couple's relationship shouldn't be based on skin color, gender or any of that stuff. If you like a person for who they are, then that's what matters.

Love is colorblind.

Interracial Dating

I don't see anything wrong with interracial dating. When meeting someone and deciding if you have feelings for them or not, I do not think skin color should factor into the decision. Personally I would not stop myself from dating someone because of their race. I feel that if you like somebody's personality and enjoy their company, the color of their skin should not make any difference. Over the years our society has gotten through many racial issues and I believe that more acceptance of interracial dating will help our society take another step forward.

Ashley Allen, Post 8

Words

In follow up to Thursday's class, I feel that this video was relevant to our discussion. I feel that all words, offensive or not, are just words. You have the right to say what you want. It's not right that one group is able to say a word and another is lashed out against. I feel that people need to get over it. People are trying to ban the word retarded because it's offensive to some disabled people. It's just a group of consonant and vowel sounds that form a word. I don't see what the big deal is. Don't pay attention to it then. What if a group of people are offended by the color purple? Are we going to ban the wearing of the color purple because it makes you upset. People are weak minded to get offended by words. Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me... what happened to that? Our founding fathers gave us the right to say what we want, no matter what the context of it is. You have the right not pay attention to as well.

Alaysia- Assignment 8 (Beautiful Skin)

Is lighter skin better? Not necessarily. I personally love my skin color and I wouldn't change it for the world, but that doesn't mean that I don't think about being lighter or think that if I was lighter, life would be easier. The only reason being lighter seems better is because of our history. Lighter was smarter, better, cleaner, wealthier, prettier, etc. because that was how it was. Nothing to justify it, no excuses. Society made it this way like it or not. And if we wanted to, we can trace this back to slavery...need I say more? No matter how many times we say "all (skin) colors are beautiful," or "we are all beautiful in our own way," it's not going to change the fact that a person with a lighter skin tone is more likely to get a better job, or a higher salary, or an easier life.

Is it okay to name a sports teams and mascots after different ethnicities?

The other day we had the discussion of whether or not it is okay to name a sports team or mascot after a ethnicity. I believe that is depending on the circumstance. If a team is naming themselves something that is connected to a certain ethnicity and does not portray them correctly or in a negative light, then I don't think it is appropriate. In a case like this I can see why many people would find it offensive. However in other cases (like the Florida Seminoles) I feel that it is perfectly okay. In cases like these, when the team is doing it out of honor and respect. Personally I don't think that would be offensive and I see no problem with it.

Ashley Allen, post 7

Native Americans

I really think that it is a shame that we persecuted the Natives. I think that Indian reservations are sort of like a black on America. We've set out a small section of land here and there for these people to live on. It's pathetic. New York State does not have any right trying to tax the Indians on their cigarettes. In doing so, they are breaking a treaty. Of course there are loop holes now that politicians can slip through, but it still does not justify the killing of thousands of Natives and the spreading of filthy diseases. I think its a good idea that the Indians are able to sell cigarettes that are tax exempt. For those of us who enjoy smoking, it serves as a more affordable way to get your fix and bypass giving the state your money. It's only fair to allow the Natives to keep the little land we allotted them.

(10)Russell Peters Comedy - REAL FUNNY (N) WORD

I thought of this def comedy episode after our conversation on the "N" word last class. I really digg this comedian he get most of his material from racism. I watched this on tv a few years back. The comedian Russell Peters makes it funny and informative for all of his audiance. (of all races) I think in his case he is using comedy to inform people about racism. Because he totally understands the way in which the black community and other minorities within the these communities use the word and why. I think this is a good way to explain how content is king concerning this issue. Also how the words meaning varies based on the situationa and the intent behind its use. (lol I hope you enjoy it as much as I did)

Examples of the attitudes Im against concerning interracial dating (9)

This was a letter written into sister to sister magazine. which is a magazine geared at woman of color mainly talks about hair and beauty. But this is the foolishness I am against concerning interacial dating.If you love someone and its genuine this attitude of superiority should never come into play. Im sure if her "Black male-good-looking-educated and loving" fiance knew that this is how she felt about the woman of his race (his mother, sister ect. unless he condones this or made her feel this way.) would think twice about marring her. Its insulting and I dont feel you should have to put down another woman of a certain race to feel better about your "love" relationship This is also the reason why allot of black woman feel like something is being taken away from them because thats the attitude people give off. (both spoken and unspoken) Im not saying this is right or that its wrong but to understand where people are coming from. Everything is cause and effect. This one example. (The response letter was from a black male reader)

Dear Jamie:

I'm sorry but I would like to challenge some of your Black male readers.
I am a White female who is engaged to a Black male-good-looking, educated and loving. I just don't understand a lot of Black female's attitudes about our relationship. My man decided he wanted me because the pickings amongst Black women were slim to none. As he said they were either too fat, too loud, too mean, too argumentative, too needy, too materialistic or carrying too much excess baggage. Before I became
engaged, whenever I went out I was constantly approached by Black men,
willing to wine and dine me and give me the world. If Black women are so
up in arms about us being with their men, why don't they look at themselves
and make some changes. I am tired of the dirty looks I get and snide remarks when we're out in public. I would like to hear from some Black men about why we are so appealing and coveted by them. Bryant Gumbel just left his wife of 26 years for one of us Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen,
the model Tyson Beckford, Montell Williams, Quincy Jones, James Earl Jones, Harry Belafonte, Sydney Poitier, Kofi Anan , Cuba Gooding Jr., Don Cornelius, Berry Gordy, Billy Blanks, Larry Fishburne, Wesley Snipes... I could go on and on. But, right now, I'm a little angry and that is why I wrote this so hurriedly. Don't be mad with us White women because so many of your men
want us. Get your acts together and learn from us and we may lead you to
treat your men better. If I'm wrong, Black men, let me know.

-Disgusted WhiteGirl, Somewhere in VA

RESPONSE
Dear Jamie:
I would like to respond to the letter written by A Disgusted White Girl.
Let me start by saying that I am a 28-year old black man. I graduated from
one of the most prestigious universities in Atlanta , Georgia with a Bachelor
of Arts Degree in Business Management. I have a good job at a major corporation and have recently purchased a house. So, I consider myself to be among the ranks of successful black men. I will not use my precious time to slander white people. I just want to set the record
straight of why black men date white women. Back in the day, one of the
biggest reasons why black men dated white women was because they were considered easy. The black girls in my neighborhood were raised in the church. They were very strict about when they lost their virginity and who they lost it to. Because of our impatience to wait, brothers would look for someone who would give it up easy without too much hassle. So, they turned to the white girls. Nowadays, in my opinion, a lot of brothers date white women because they are docile and easy to control. A lot of black men, because of insecurities, fears, and overall weaknesses, have become intimidated by the strength of our black women. We are afraid that our woman will be more successful than us, make more money than us, drive nicer cars and own bigger houses. Because of this fear, many black men look for a more docile woman. Someone we can control. I have talked to numerous black men and they continuously comment on how easy it is to control and walk over their white women. I just want to set the record straight. I want A Disgusted White Girl to know that not all successful black men date white women. Brothers like Ahmad Rashad, Denzel Washington, Michael Jordan, Morris Chestnut, Will Smith, Blair Underwood, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds , Samuel L. Jackson, and Chris Rock all married strong black women And, to flip the script, there are numerous white men, in and out of the spot light, who openly or secretly desire black women over white women. Ted Danson, Robert DeNiro, and David Bowie to name a few. I just don't want a disgusted white girl to be misinformed Stop thinking that because you are white that you are some type of goddess. Remember, when black Egyptian Queens like Hatsepshut and Nitorcris were ruling Dynasties and armies of men in Egypt , you were over in the caves of Europe eating raw meat and beating each other over the head with clubs. Read your history! It was the black woman that taught you how to cook and season your food. It was the black woman that taught you how to raise your children. It was black women who were breast feeding and raising your babies during slavery.It is the black woman that had to endure watching their fathers, husbands, and children beaten, killed, and thrown in jail. Black women were born with two strikes against them: being black and being a woman. And, through all this, Still They Rise! It is because of the black women's strength, elegance, power, love and beauty that I could never date anyone except my black Queen. It is not just the outer beauty that captivates and draws me to them. It is not the fact that they come in all shapes, sizes, colors and shades that I love them. Their inner beauty is what I find most appealing about black women. Their strong spirit, loving and nurturing souls, their integrity, their ability to overcome great obstacles, their willingness to stand for what they believe in, and their determination to succeed and reach their highest potential while enduring great pain and suffering is why I have fallen in love with black women. I honestly believe that your anger is geared more toward jealousy and envy more so than snotty looks. If this were not so, then why do you continuously go to tanning salons to darken your skin? If you are so proud to be white, then why don't you just be happy with your pale skin? Why do you continue to inject your lips, hips, and breasts with unnatural and dangerous substances so you can look fuller and more voluptuous? I think that your anger is really a result of you wanting to have what the black woman has.

BOTTOM LINE: If I were looking for a docile woman, someone I can walk over and control, I would give you a call. But, unfortunately, I am looking for a Virtuous Woman. Someone that can be a good wife and mother to my children. Someone who can be my best friend and understands my struggles. I am looking for a soul mate. I am looking for a sister and; unfortunately, you do not and CANNOT fit the bill.
No offense taken,none given.

Signed,

Black Royalty

I know Im politically incorrect. Sorry.

I just would like to say that I would like to apologize if I have offended anyone since last class. I often times get very swept up in our in class discussions and speak very informally. At this point in the semester I am proud to say that I am very comfortable with speaking freely with all my class mates but do realize that the subject matter we are speaking on are sensitive and very personal issues. I do not want to offend others and I will be mindful of how I say thing when I say them. I do not apologize for how I feel because I always have believed that "you have a right to feel how you feel, you may not be justified but you still have that right". But I want to always make others feel just as comfortable, and above all respected at all times. I do know that I am outspoken and politically incorrect at times. So if I have offended you in any manner as your class mate and peer, I am sorry.

Tibrisha Faulkner

Terica Post #7: The Real White Mascot (seriously)

When I heard the idea of the white mascot, I thought it was way too fun.  Then I remembered, I’ve already seen it. Over in Japan they have a white mascot for their McDonalds commercial. This mascot is known as being a gaijin. A gaijin is a Japanese word for foreigners. The mascot is very nerdy and is struggling to learn Japanese. To the Japanese this is entertaining but to many foreigners it was rude. Foreigners have tried to protest the image but they were unsuccessful. The image isn’t hurtful, doesn’t really view Americans in a negative way, and it’s an ad running from an American company. So technical there is not harm done? However, the company went to find a real gaijin to be the character, “Mr. James”. He went though out Japan wearing geeky clothing and speaking broken Japanese. This doesn’t hurt anyone who doesn’t really care about or want to go to Japan. Yet those who do or have been know that there are stereotypes of gaijin. It is hard for foreigners to adjust because of those stereotypes. These stereotypes are upheld by this campaign which is played country wide.

Those burgers were great though, especially the tamago (egg) burger J.

Interracial Dating -- Danielle Wlodarek Post 8

Though I don't agree with it, I guess it's a proven fact. I was doing some research and when Whites and African Americans do marry, it is 2.65 times more likely that the male is African American and the female is White. 73 percent of all such marriages work out this way according to lovetoknow.com interracial dating statistics. The main focus is that in general, marriages still are within common racial backgrounds. I really did enjoy dating out of my race when I did. I didn't see color, I still don't. For me personally, it makes no difference. I won't decide to not date or befriend somebody because of the color of their skin. The site wrapped it up well, "When looking for love, look beyond race, and for that matter, beyond appearance, social status and economic braket as well. By doing so, you can increase your opportunities to find a satisfying, loving relationship."

The “N” Word (Pilar Nelson - Post #8)

Growing up the “N” word was something that I heard often, but not something I always felt comfortable saying. As an African American woman this might sound weird. But the word “N” word, was never something that I wanted to be called or something that I thought was good or bad. It was just a word that I preferred not to use. Because I believe that words are powerful. If they were not how could people like Malcolm X or Martin Luther King Jr. have the effect on people through their speeches? How come learning how to read and write was so important that former slaves risked their lives in order to learn? For my religious people, words were so powerful, that God said “Let there be light…” and according to the bible that was how the world was created and we as humans came about.
I have said the “N” word, out of anger and humor before (I don't know why just did). I guess the “N” word was not something that I worried about as kid growing up and as a young adult today. I do agree that the word can be defensive or negative depending on the context and who is saying it. I also agree, that the word should stay as it is because it is part of history. And like someone said in class today, if we do not know our history we are doom to repeating the same mistakes. We learn from our mistakes, as well as other people mistakes to make us better.

African Americans: Is lighter complexion better than a darker complexion? (Pilar Nelson - Post #7)

It seems to me that some people believe that being a lighter complexion of an African American is better than being a darker complexion of an African American. Why, you ask? Because they get treated better by whites because they look more like they are white and have similar features, which make white people feel safe and more comfortable around them. They also get treated better by darker shade people too. I believe that regardless of your race, you should be proud and confident in whom you are. But when that confidence turn into thinking your better than other people and putting people who “do not have what you have” down, then it becomes wrong.
As a darker complexion of an African American, I find it very upsetting that some light shade African Americans can look down on darker shade African Americans and think they are better. Forgetting that African Americans like that died, suffered, were beaten and raped so that we can live the life we have. As an African American thinking that an individual is better because of their light skin or because they are bi-racial, you are saying that your own people are not good enough. Although, if it had not been for them, African Americans would not exist today.
I constantly hear this statement being made to African Americans of lighter complexions or people that are bi-racial, “Well, you have the best of both worlds.” Really? Sixty years ago, being of a mix race or lighter complexion was viewed as a bad thing. And if you were of mix race, it usually meant that your mother or one of your ancestors was raped. It was hard to fit in with whites, as well as blacks. So you were in some ways alone and people who could pass off as being just one race would, because it felt like they belonged. Being proud of who you are is great, as long as you are not putting someone down for being who they are in the process. (I apologize if I offended anybody, this is just my opinion. I have no problem with any other ethnicity or bi-racial people. I just have a problem with ignorant people and statemnts. Thanks for reading my post.)

An Honor?

I've been thinking about the talk about sports teams and mascots and how they portray the Native Americans. I do agree that characters like the mascot of The Indians is overboard. But I think we were too concentrated on that fact to realize that having a sports team be named after you has got to be an honor. For the Seminoles especially, and any other team that educates and portrays the Natives in a positive light, I think it'd be an honor. Athletics promote positive things-hard work, dedication, passion, etc. So how terrible is it really, if properly done so, to have a team with a Native American based mascot?

Important figures in the Indian community

Today we discussed individuals who have been influential in the lives in American Indians. Some of our classmates mentioned Geronimo and Sitting Bull. I thought I would also mention a few others. Russell Means was mentioned in our reading for today. He was involved in the American Indian Movement that took control of Alcatraz and the Pine Ridge Reservation in the early 70s and continues to be active in the Indian struggle for equal rights and recognition. Wilma Mankiller was the Cherokee Nation's first female chief, an important figure in both the Indian and women's rights movements that still continue today. Finally, Leonard Peltier is seen as an extremely important figure for the Indian people, especially concerning the taking of Wounded Knee in the 70s. He was tried and convicted for the killing of two FBI agents. However his trial isn't seen as the ideal of the fair American trial. Witnesses were intimidated and threatened into giving testimony that fit the government's interpretation of what happened that day. He is seen as a political prisoner by the Indian community because he has been held for over 35 years for a crime they do not believe he committed. There are a lot of websites that describe his trial and that day on the Pine Ridge Reservation. His story is an important one in Indian history because it proves that the government still refuses to admit mistakes made concerning various incidents. Wounded Knee in 1890 and in 1971 are both proof that not a lot has changed concerning race relations in the United States.

Discrimination

I was doing the reading for Chapter Seven today, which was discussing African Americans. I came across apart of the reading that really interested me so I decided to blog about it and see what other people thought. In the text it states, "The most evident, persistent, and consequential forms of racial discrimination in American society are found in the area of housing" (Marger 192). This shocked me, but once I kept reading it began to make sense. Having discrimination in housing touches every other type of discrimination. If African Americans are oppressed by where they live it will have an impact on the school they can attend, the type of jobs that are available to them, the times of stores, hospitals, and transportation. Every aspect of an individuals life revolves around where they live. This has never occurred to me before. maybe I wasn't educated about it, or maybe I was just blind to it. Also, because there is a lot of discrimination in housing, it maintains a separation between whites and African Americans which, in my opinion, only continues the discrimination. So my question is: why isn't anything being done to stop the discrimination in housing?

census

I do not really like the idea of the census because it seems to exclude a wide range of people. Why do people care about these stupid thins on people. it does not change that you are a person. I really do not understand what this accomplishes.

Melting Pot

The idea of viewing the country as a melting pot is a good one but it gets very misconstrued. I do not understand why people get so made over things like this. We should look at all people as one single species instead of segregated groups. We are the only species that does this due to our ability to think, i think this is bad. Also the way we teach this in schools is all wrong, once again its just color it really does not matter.

Weekly Wrap-Up

I very much enjoyed reading everyone's discussion of the melting pot/salad bowl and the census, especially those of you who got creative and rewrote the census questions. I'm also glad that several of you would able to attend The Vagina Monologues and make connections between the performance and our class. Keep up the great work with the blog. Keep thinking, analyzing, questioning, and making connections!

The Vagina Monologues

I saw the monologues all three nights because I helped tear tickets and sell raffle tickets vag pops. I've seen the show for the past three years and I always think it has such an empowering effect on me every time. It includes so many different women's stories told in a bunch of different voices. I really like the spotlight monologues each year. It always goes to show that even in a modern society driven by improvement and efficiency, there is still so much that needs to be fixed in the world. Everyone who is involved with the monologues, including the audience, is working to fix those things. I think today women so often feel that they are more in competition with each other than anything else because of seeing shows like the Bad Girls Club on television and things like that. The monologues teach us that as women we need to support each other. The stories in the monologues come from women of all ethnicities and social and economic class, but the fact that they all have vaginas and a story behind their relationship with their vaginas binds them all together, making them allies in their common womanhood.