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[Burgess_101]

At school I was in a very strange position, my grandfather is black and comes from Guyana and my grandmother is welsh.

My father's side of the family is all white English.

So at school I was never seen to exactly fit in anywhere, I didn't identify as white or black and I wasn't exactly mixed as my mother is more olive coloured than black. So at school I was essentially a blank canvas that others used to project their hatreds on.

Some kids called me Jewish in a derogatory way others said I was a muslim. These were seen as bad things and I was ridiculed for it. If I went to a teacher they wouldn't do anything about it because I look white.

Thankfully after I left school I no longer needed to be in contact with these people.

Basically my answer is that just don't be a bellend to someone, I don't think that's too difficult.

Rose tinted glasses view I know but to think otherwise just irritates me.

 

[voodoojohn]

And yet it was also whites that largely ended slavery in the US via the Civil War, which cost hundreds of thousands of lives.

My great-grandfather did two tours for the union in the Civil War.

And no country did more than Britain to stamp out slavery. They had their naval fleet stop and board slave ships, freeing the slaves.

In contrast, look at the number of countries that didn't ban slavery until the 20th century. None of them are Western countries - either African, Middle Eastern, or Asian.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolition_of_slavery_timeline#1900.E2.80.93present



Well, your ancestors raided and enslaved my Irish ancestors for hundreds of years. And then your ancestors, the Normans (Vikings who settled in France), invaded all of England and turned the native population into serfs, which is a form of slavery.

Of course the people with the most slaves would also be the only people with the power to abolish slavery as an institution. While there was an abolitionist movement taking place, British leadership was also facing pressure from slavery uprisings in the Caribbean at the time. To think the banning of slavery was purely altruistic is naive. There was a strategic imperative. If the political leadership were so morally superior, then why didn't the British Empire give up its colonies until the middle of the 20th Century? Colonies were only given up once the costs to maintain them became too burdensome. By that point they had looted and pillaged and raped and bombed to the point of virtual world domination anyway. All while still convincing the world of their intellectual, physical, and (most importantly) moral superiority. A spell which you still seem to be under.

 

[EloquentM]

By not telling them to get over it and getting defensive whenever it's brought up.

How the hell was this BS just glossed over?

 

[Gaz_RB]

How the hell was this BS just glossed over?

It's worded awkwardly, but I think he means that people should not get defensive when issues of race come up, and should not tell blacks to just "get over it."

I may be wrong, though.

 

[theignoramus]

By not telling them to get over it and getting defensive whenever it's brought up.

Thats it. That's an adequate and satisfactory course of action. That and stop the institutional discrimination in hiring practices and law enforcement. That will do as well. But really, the first is the easiest thing to do.

 

[Valhelm]

Please, don't put me with American whites together. Even Europeans is forcing it.

Huh. Are you suggesting that Europeans aren't culpable for the current plight of Black people?

 

[mr2xxx]

How the hell was this BS just glossed over?

You missed the "not" part.

 

[PdotMichael]

Huh. Are you suggesting that Europeans aren't culpable for the current plight of Black people?

There is no semi-secret white club with weekly meetings and stuff. Putting in me in a large group of people only based on my skin color is nonsense - or at least very American like.
Espencially if my family suffered as ethnic and politcal minority until like 60 years ago - being white skinned did nothing for my grandparants.

So I feel for the American black minority who still suffers discrimination and stuff but I don't feel like I have a historical responsibility for it for example.

 

[speedline]

Wounds don't heal and you can never progress until you can find forgiveness.

 

[Marsyas]

We also should stop pretending that black Americans (and blacks in Europe) are a homogenous group. Discriminations and privilege are very unevenly distributed within the group. Things like socioeconomic status, place of living (inner city vs. suburban vs. rural) and darkness of skin have a large influence on the amount of discrimination and privilege a person has. E.g. dark-skinned blacks have lower education, job status and income and they face longer prison sentences than fair-skinned blacks in the US.
A problem with affirmative action programs (and some of the other things OP proposes) is that they mostly benefit the relatively advantaged members of the black community.

 

[fuzzyset]

As white people, we can realize that systemic racism is real and deep in the US (can't speak to EU). A lot of white people usually do the usual "the Civil War was so long ago, they've had time!" or "Irish/Jewish/Chinese Americans were discriminated against and they're fine!". In the post-WWII boom, when so many lower/middle class people started to generate wealth, black Americans were largely left out because of FEDERALLY SANCTIONED programs to keep blacks from owning homes. Anecdotal-ly, I look at my grandparents and the house they bought after WWII and what it brought to our family: stability, growing assets, etc. I mean the 'joke', "there goes the neighborhood" when a black family moves in is STILL HAPPENING. As white people, we cannot discount the wide ranging and long lasting impact something like this has (not to mention the whole owning black people thing).

 

[Warren Ellis]

those cultural materialist fantasies are really funny to read.

Historians estimate that between 650 and 1900, 10 to 18 million people were enslaved by Arab slave traders and taken from Europe, Asia and Africa across the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Sahara desert.

how can arabs heal the wounds inflicted upon those people ? Maybe free oil ?

 

[TarNaru33]

You all are odd... While I agree there are many reforms that is needed, I believe it needs to be done to guarantee equality in the future, not because of the deeds in the past. Most of the people who committed these immoral acts are already long gone. All we need is time and reform to better sustain equality.

Many of the reforms needed in U.S will definitely have a large impact on Blacks, but it will also impact other races greatly. It isn't a racial issue as much as it is a human issue imo. Bringing up slavery and then trying to get something from that due to crimes against our ancestors is something I am against. The Native Americans are one thing, but the other groups in U.S? No.

Basically to sum it up, I will not use past events to legitimize my feelings of being disadvantaged. I will only use present day laws and actions that cause inequality and needs to be changed.

There are resources out there that could help Blacks, but many do not take it. For what reasons, they as individuals can only tell.

 

[fushi]

Huh. Are you suggesting that Europeans aren't culpable for the current plight of Black people?

Not all of them. Unless you can convincingly argue that certain ethnicities who have been serfs and slaves for the better part of the previous millenia are equally culpable.

 

[jerry1594]

Huh. Are you suggesting that Europeans aren't culpable for the current plight of Black people?

Are poles, estonians, bosnians culpable?

 

[devilhawk]

At the peak of Southern Slavery, fewer than 1 in 3 families owned a slave (that is just the South). The vast, vast majority of Americans with families here since before the Civil War have no slave ownership in their ancestry.

It's one thing to say my ancestry has benefited from being white, it's another to say my ancestry has been responsible for things like slavery.

Of course the people with the most slaves would also be the only people with the power to abolish slavery as an institution. While there was an abolitionist movement taking place, British leadership was also facing pressure from slavery uprisings in the Caribbean at the time. To think the banning of slavery was purely altruistic is naive. There was a strategic imperative. If the political leadership were so morally superior, then why didn't the British Empire give up its colonies until the middle of the 20th Century? Colonies were only given up once the costs to maintain them became too burdensome. By that point they had looted and pillaged and raped and bombed to the point of virtual world domination anyway. All while still convincing the world of their intellectual, physical, and (most importantly) moral superiority. A spell which you still seem to be under.

Read up on Bleeding Kansas. Definition of people dieing to prevent the spread of slavery.

 

[LilWayneSuckz]

Know that racism still persists and try your best to empathize with and understand black culture. It might prevent you from saying/doing insensitive things around black men and women.

 

[waxer]

empathy etc goes a long way but im not sure how you can change the cultural issues on both sides. Even where I am I have hired quite a few people that hadnt been able to get work mainly due to the cultural sterotypes of their race. I got burned a few times but also helped out a few people and one went on to own their own restaurant. They hadnt been able to get a job in two years when we hired him.

The only other that was a success fell into old habits after I sold the restaurant due to peer pressure of family. Its really sad having someone tell you that they cant read in front of family because they say "why would you read anything that isnt the bible" when they have drinking and gambling problems and smoke way to much weed for people with no work. Then she has to feed her family and theirs when they run out of money.

Now she is in same boat as them again.

Keep in mind Im not in USA and only talking about this situation so dont take this wrong way.

 

[ReplacementPelican]

Whilst I understand this thread and agree, especially with the disadvantages many minorities face in the United States is a bit odd when phrased as healing the wounds of slavery.

We shouldn't discriminate and actively keep people in poverty traps, essentially dooming every generation of their family until it gets fixed. Shit, it should be done because you're decent human beings not just because it's your ancestor's fault.

Or have I missed the point?

 

[E92 M3]

I don't feel guilt for anything (my family had no involvement with the slave trade) and don't think there should be anymore government programs. I think as the younger generations are stepping into leadership roles, racism begins to be on a decline from one generation to the other.

We've made a lot of social progress as a country towards truly being the melting pot that many claim America to be.

I'm a believer in forced integration of communities. (Maybe something like quotas for races, kind of like they do for money in some places,I think?)

I think that would address things like police occupation of communities (I don't think you could do that without significant blowback if you do that to the majority)

I think that also somewhat addresses the race disparity in education.

How can you be a fan of forced integration? In this country we should have as much freedom as possible, not having the government force things down anyone.

 

[eot]

I had no idea that you're not allowed to vote if you have a conviction. Seems quite strange to me.

 

[MilkyJoe]

Taxing based on race and reparations don't need to be the same thing. A tax cut for all or most Black people wouldn't harm white people at all, but have an important lasting impact.

What about the poor white folk?

 

[Fonz72]

What about the poor white folk?

Fuck'em for not taking advantage of that "white privilege" they were handed at birth!

Seriously though, this is a good point. Most of the OP's list could be handled not by singling out blacks but all races within the lower socioeconomic group.

Strong socialist programs and a move away from a government that is "for profit" would go a long way towards fixing many of this country's problems.

Flat tax FTW.

 

[mckmas8808]

As a black guy the only thing I want white people to do to heal the wounds is to listen and have empathy for the past/current facts of the average black person in America relative to the average white American.

How does this translate into the real world? If you hear about a study that shows that it's easy for white high school drop outs to get a job before a black people in college, don't say that the study is flawed/wrong. And so when you then hear that the black unemployment rate is 100% higher than the white unemployment rate don't turn around and say it's the "black culture" that made things this way.

That's all I ask.




P.S. OH! Also if you have a white friend that says something racist ask him or her to chill out with that noise or at least not bring that racist talk around you.

 

[wildfire]

A few things that I see as necessary.

Cohabitation/Integrated communities. How can you take the time to understand someone if you don't collaborate on projects, share stories at parties and spend one on one time with them?

More nationalism less ethnocentrism Well this is a lesson that could be learned by anyone regardless of ethnicity. There should be acknowledgement that there are cultural quirks that are distinctly from your country that you won't see in others no matter how similarly they look.

Overhaul of the justice system Strictly talking about America because I don't think black people in Europe have it as bad as Gypsies.
Police - need to be held to higher standards than they currently are. They are citizens just like the rest of us and not a special class. The level of legal protections they can afford should be extended to everybody or their legal protections need to be stripped down to what we have to deal with. Their actions will be recorded. Zero tolerance if there is malfunction with recorders and there aren't a more than 3 witnesses observing their interaction with another civilian.
Jury and judges - Upfront acknowledgement of dehumanizing behavior that influences stricter penalties on black people on average.
Judges/para legals - In ubran areas there needs to be more of them because there are huge back logs and it can take months for cases to be followed up on.
Laws - There will be plainly worded cliff notes version that is easily accessible online. If people want to analyze the more difficult vagaries of a law the cliff notes provides easy to manage references to all relevant parts that are being left out as well as references to court cases that have influenced the creation of certain laws.
Reduced penalty for various drugs by requiring rehab and community service instead of hard time.

Tweaks to education system
Smaller class rooms (maybe alter the variance from 20-40 down to 14-20)
Larger access to internet (mostly in order to have classes for children starting in the 6th grade collaborating with other children around the world on 3D printed related projects)
Basic finance and accounting being taught in High school.

You all are odd... While I agree there are many reforms that is needed, I believe it needs to be done to guarantee equality in the future, not because of the deeds in the past. Most of the people who committed these immoral acts are already long gone. All we need is time and reform to better sustain equality.

Many of the reforms needed in U.S will definitely have a large impact on Blacks, but it will also impact other races greatly.

No. WWII predates civil rights era by decades and we still have people who lived during those troubling times.

Most people who were part of the civil rights era are still alive.

 

[TarNaru33]

Fuck'em for not taking advantage of that "white privilege" they were handed at birth!

Seriously though, this is a good point. Most of the OP's list could be handled not by singling out blacks but all races within the lower socioeconomic group.

Strong socialist programs and a move away from a government that is "for profit" would go a long way towards fixing many of this country's problems.

Flat tax FTW.

This is what I am saying... This shouldn't be about the wrongdoings of those in the past, this should be about getting rid of the disadvantages many people have in this country of all races.

No. WWII predates civil rights era by decades and we still have people who lived during those troubling times.

Most people who were part of the civil rights era are still alive.

I was referring to slavery more than general civil rights when I said that. Those people are long gone, the Civil Rights movement lasted even into the 1960s, so I know those people are still alive.

I still stand by what I said though, what needs to be done is general advancements to reduce poverty and remove barriers for people's success. It shouldn't be about one race due to some past issue. We learn from the past, not live in it.

 

[BearFlexington]

Reparations would likely worsen race relations, not to mention, until other social inequalities are address, money may serve to only damage already troubled communities.

Also, it's not as simple as saying "stop being racist towards black people," because many people are raised that way and are not likely to change without significant external influence.

These things may help though:

- Stop entertaining discrimination of any kind in front of your children.
- The media should take a more proactive approach to celebrating the true cultures and histories of black peoples from around the world, rather than the cartoonish and insulting depictions that are commonly presented
- Black people of influence should take it upon themselves to champion the principles with which a race of people would want to be associated, such as honor, respect, compassion, love, and creativity. I realize its not fair to ask someone to be a role model for an entire race of people, but consider it passive resistance.
- School's should stop whitewashing history and marginalizing accomplishments by black people
- Less superstition and reliance on religion in the black community would help (imo)
- Less fear of one another among black people, and a more inclusive approach to other races
- Eliminate government-sponsored welfare programs as it acts as an anchor rather than a flotation device.
- Promote local businesses and black business owners by introducing grants for first time black business owners who open shops in neighborhoods where black people live. (consider this teaching a man to fish)
- Zero tolerance for government officials convicted of racially motivated insensitivity or violence
- Introduce classes on technology, financial management, and business to schools in impoverished neighborhoods and make adult courses in these subjects free for blacks in impoverished neighborhoods

I am black.

 

[Trey]

Wounds don't heal and you can never progress until you can find forgiveness.

I agree. White folks should forgive their predecessors for putting them in this advantageous yet sometimes awkward situation. And proceed to bring up the rest of society and make things whole.

 

[hydrophilic attack]

I don't see how the last point on OP's list can be seen as a wound at all. I agree with the rest, though, although some of the other points are more applicable to the US than to the EU.

 

[deadlast]

After read through some of this thread and other threads, I realize my high school teacher was correct. The only way to end racism is for everyone to marry outside their race. But then we would have a new problem, income based prejudice.

 

[Jmanunknown]

After read through some of this thread and other threads, I realize my high school teacher was correct. The only way to end racism is for everyone to marry outside their race. But then we would have a new problem, income based prejudice.

We already have income based prejudice. It would not be a new problem.

 

[gutter_trash]

empathy, mutual respect and be good neighbors.

 

[deadlast]

We already have income based prejudice. It would not be a new problem.

I hate that shit so much. Because I'm always happy to see other people better off than me but then they treat people like shit who have less income than do.

 

[Matugi]

And how does any of that dispute anything I wrote? Also, I've said a couple of times now in this thread that whites have to be a part of the solution to this in some way just like they were with ending of slavery and jim crow laws( the last part I never actually said, but was implied in statements I made).

Edit: Should also add the civil war wasn't about slavery necessarily. It was partly about slavery, but mostly about ending the south's rebellion against the north. The south tried to seceded from the union and the north declared war on them. It didn't really become about slavery until 1863 with the emancipation proclamation, which was more of a move to get the Europeans (most noticeably UK and France) to help the north. Seeing how almost nothing was done to guarantee the freedom of blacks until 100 years later proves this.

lol

Why do you think the South wanted to secede from the North? Why do you think that former Democratic party split with Stephen Douglas being a leader of the new "Northern" Democrats? An anti-slavery president in Abraham Lincoln had been elected and the South felt the most threatened toward their institution that they had in the thirty years of antebellum. And the only reason it took so long for the emancipation proclamation is because Lincoln couldn't risk losing the border states (Tennessee, West Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland) from the Union. France and UK had a little to do with it but not as much as you think. You are wrong on so many levels.

- School's should stop whitewashing history and marginalizing accomplishments by black people
.

You've got me everywhere but here. I've never been in a class where accomplishments by black people, or any minority, are marginalized. My APUSH class spent a solid month on the Civil War and another 3-4 weeks on the Civil Rights movement.

 

[Lime]

This is what I am saying... This shouldn't be about the wrongdoings of those in the past, this should be about getting rid of the disadvantages many people have in this country of all races.

I think you've misunderstood the main argument in the thread. The overall aim is to lessen the inequality and oppression of Black people in the US. The motivations for this aim can either be 1) Overall human decency, compassion, empathy, etc. for people who are worse off than others 2) Moral responsibility in terms of being responsible for past and current actions that oppress others

If people lack 1), which the typical White right-winged people do, then 2) should be a convincing reason for why one needs to support the overall aim to lessen inequality and oppression of Black people in the US.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

I am sorry, but it has to first start with recognizing that the wounds were not just inflicted in the past but are still being inflicted.

The fact is unless that is recognized, nothing else will matter.

 

[Enthus]

You've got me everywhere but here. I've never been in a class where accomplishments by black people, or any minority, are marginalized. My APUSH class spent a solid month on the Civil War and another 3-4 weeks on the Civil Rights movement.

This. We learned more about Malcolm X, MLK, and other civil rights leaders than we did about George Washington or the other founders, while simultaneously glazing over massive events like The Spanish-American, Mexican-American, and Korean wars in less than a few days.

 

[Lime]

It seems like a lot of people are reiterating that White people need to "listen", "empathize", "recognize that racism & oppression still exist", etc. in answering the title of my thread.

While that is perfectly true, I made the thread on the premise that most, if not everyone, already agreed to listen and empathize and recognize that racism & oppression still exist. Thus, the outset of the thread was meant to focus on which specific strategies could be done to to diminish the disadvantage and poverty and oppression of contemporary Black bodies.

I.e. simply listening and empathizing with someone telling you that they're poor, disadvantaged, and oppressed is not going to help solve their historically and socially inherited problems. I think there is a need to fix the problems through specific solutions and measures by government intervention and financial support that simply isn't only just listening.

 

[MC Safety]

I think there is a need to fix the problems through specific solutions and measures by government intervention and financial support that simply isn't only just listening.

This assumes government intervention can influence the way people think and what they believe.

It's far easier and probably preferable to legislate for behaviors.

 

[alexthekid]

The concept of helping people to a better start in their lives based on skin colour seems totally alien to me.

What we should do is to work towards giving all people as equal oppurtunities in life as possible. To reduce the social footprint of your parents. If you are born and raised into a rough life it doesnt matter to you as an individuals it was cause your parents were black or alcoholics, none of it is in your control and should have as little affect on your life as possible.

What we should do however is work against the oppression and misfortunes that black people suffer from today. The part that is socially transferred from your parents should be handled the same for people of all races.

 

[KillerMan91]

Well first step from europeans would be that british and french actually admit all the shit they pulled during colonization times. It has always kinda troubled me how off the hook european colonial powers have gotten regarding the crimes they did during colonization times. Just compare to something like Japanese empire where you are immediatley shot down if you try to grolify their deeds anywhere but if you glorify for example times of British empire no one bats an eye.

 

[Sakura]

Hmm maybe it sounds mean but I don't think white people should have to do anything simply because of what people of the same skin colour generations before me did. I have never discriminated against black people. I've never committed atrocities or anything against them.
Some of the suggestions in the OP kind of disgust me. Wealthy white people being taxed more, simply because they are white? How are we ever going to get anywhere if we keep trying to separate races like this? All you're going to do is cause some white people to have stronger feelings against black people.
And really, this white 'privilege' bullshit kinda pisses me off...
What privilege do I have because I am white? I was raised by a single mom. I grew up on welfare. I used to get teased in elementary school because I was poor, and I was a minority when I was in high school. Some people I knew would get free university, simply because they have a different ancestry than I.
So I'm sorry, but I am not ok with the idea of black people getting money, opportunities, etc that aren't available to me, simply because they are black and I am white.

 

[mckmas8808]

I still stand by what I said though, what needs to be done is general advancements to reduce poverty and remove barriers for people's success. It shouldn't be about one race due to some past issue. We learn from the past, not live in it.

Except it is about race still today. You can't act like black people aren't getting call backs for jobs based on their name. You can't act like white people aren't making getting jobs over black people even though they have less education. You can't act like black people are getting worse loans from banks even though they have the same credit and income as whites. In a perfect world it wouldn't be about race......but that's not the world that we live in.

lol
You've got me everywhere but here. I've never been in a class where accomplishments by black people, or any minority, are marginalized. My APUSH class spent a solid month on the Civil War and another 3-4 weeks on the Civil Rights movement.

Then you must of had a great teacher or went to a great high school.

This. We learned more about Malcolm X, MLK, and other civil rights leaders than we did about George Washington or the other founders, while simultaneously glazing over massive events like The Spanish-American, Mexican-American, and Korean wars in less than a few days.

Now I know darn well this is a lie. Get outta here with that noise. Seriously?! You guys talked more about Malcolm X in high school that the president on the $1 bill? Why do you expect people to believe this?

 

[Lime]

This assumes government intervention can influence the way people think and what they believe.

It's far easier and probably preferable to legislate for behaviors.

I meant government intervention in terms of taxation, financial support, education, healthcare, employment opportunities, enabling of cultural expression and identity, offers of assistance for local communities, etc.

The concept of helping people to a better start in their lives based on skin colour seems totally alien to me.

What we should do is to work towards giving all people as equal oppurtunities in life as possible. To reduce the social footprint of your parents. If you are born and raised into a rough life it doesnt matter to you as an individuals it was cause your parents were black or alcoholics, none of it is in your control and should have as little affect on your life as possible.

What we should do however is work against the oppression and misfortunes that black people suffer from today. The part that is socially transferred from your parents should be handled the same for people of all races.

I definitely disagree with this and it is related to the first motivation for the main argument, i.e. that people should help to increase social mobility and reduce social inheritance. But being poor *and* a member of an oppressed group is something that needs more fixing than simply curtailing social inheritance.

 

[Mesousa]

This entire thread premise seems patronizing. Blacks don't need whites to heal any wounds. We are more than capable of doing it on our own. More brothers and sisters just need to embrace revolutionary education.

 

[mckmas8808]

And really, this white 'privilege' bullshit kinda pisses me off...
What privilege do I have because I am white? I was raised by a single mom. I grew up on welfare. I used to get teased in elementary school because I was poor, and I was a minority when I was in high school. Some people I knew would get free university, simply because they have a different ancestry than I..

White Privilege is real. Now if you don't want to believe it that's fine. And it's okay also if you don't want to believe that 5+5 equals 10.

I'll do the research for you to show you that white privilege exist.

White High School Drop-Outs Are As Likely To Land Jobs As Black College Students

African-Americans college students are about as likely to get hired as whites who have dropped out of high school. So says a new report from a non-profit called Young Invincibles, which analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census and examined the effect race and education levels have on unemployment. “We were startled to see just how much more education young African-Americans must get in order to have the same chance at landing a job as their white peers,” said Rory O’Sullivan, deputy director of Young Invincibles, in a statement.

Black people get arrested for marijuana than whites even though they smoke at nearly the same levels

Among those arrested, the ACLU found giant racial disparities. Blacks were 3.73 times more likely to be arrested than whites for marijuana possession, with the black arrest rate at 716 per 100,000 and the white arrest rate at 192 per 100,000 in 2010. That's despite the report's findings that whites and blacks use marijuana at similar rates.

Having a black sounding names makes it harder to get a call back for a job

A job applicant with a name that sounds like it might belong to an African-American - say, Lakisha Washington or Jamal Jones - can find it harder to get a job. Despite laws against discrimination, affirmative action, a degree of employer enlightenment, and the desire by some businesses to enhance profits by hiring those most qualified regardless of race, African-Americans are twice as likely as whites to be unemployed and they earn nearly 25 percent less when they are employed.

Now a "field experiment" by NBER Faculty Research Fellows Marianne Bertrand and Sendhil Mullainathan measures this discrimination in a novel way. In response to help-wanted ads in Chicago and Boston newspapers, they sent resumes with either African-American- or white-sounding names and then measured the number of callbacks each resume received for interviews. Thus, they experimentally manipulated perception of race via the name on the resume. Half of the applicants were assigned African-American names that are "remarkably common" in the black population, the other half white sounding names, such as Emily Walsh or Greg Baker.

In total, the authors responded to more than 1,300 employment ads in the sales, administrative support, clerical, and customer services job categories, sending out nearly 5,000 resumes. The ads covered a large spectrum of job quality, from cashier work at retail establishments and clerical work in a mailroom to office and sales management positions.

The results indicate large racial differences in callback rates to a phone line with a voice mailbox attached and a message recorded by someone of the appropriate race and gender. Job applicants with white names needed to send about 10 resumes to get one callback; those with African-American names needed to send around 15 resumes to get one callback. This would suggest either employer prejudice or employer perception that race signals lower productivity. It indicates that a white name yields as many more callbacks as an additional eight years of experience.

 

[……forgetit]

This entire thread premise seems patronizing. Blacks don't need whites to heal any wounds. We are more than capable of doing it on our own. More brothers and sisters just need to embrace revolutionary education.

Revolutionary education?

 

[alexthekid]

I definitely disagree with this and it is related to the first motivation for the main argument, i.e. that people should help to increase social mobility and reduce social inheritance. But being poor *and* a member of an oppressed group is something that needs more fixing than simply curtailing social inheritance.

Im not exactly sure what you are saying.

My point is that you should work against having oppressed groups, which can be done by through awareness of the issue as well as projects aimed at breaking racial stereotypes (help black people get in to science etc.) But I have no easy slution to this.

The social inheritance is separate though, and it doesnt matter if you are poor because your parents were discriminated against or because they where simply stupid or lazy, both of them impacts you the same and should therefore be treated the same, with no regards to skin colour.

Sorry if im sounding like a broken record but Im not sure that I understood your post or if you misunderstood mine (English isnt my native language).

 

[Mesousa]

White Privilege is real. Now if you don't want to believe it that's fine. And it's okay also if you don't want to believe that 5+5 equals 10.

I'll do the research for you to show you that white privilege exist.

White High School Drop-Outs Are As Likely To Land Jobs As Black College Students



Black people get arrested for marijuana than whites even though they smoke at nearly the same levels




Having a black sounding names makes it harder to get a call back for a job

This is why brown/black economic empowerment is a big issue. There is no reason why black and brown people, in America today, should have to go to racist ass businesses like this for employment.

When you can't employ your own you are at the mercy of others.

 

[WaffleTaco]

I think the US is slowly heading toward the healing of black people, there just needs time. A lot of why people are still racist today is because their relatives are racist, and they get that projected onto them. I know a lot of the people around my area are racist, and that is just going to continue as time goes on. I live about 20-30 mins away from East St. Louis, and what was brought up constantly when I was in high school, was that blacks ruined what was a nice town. Now I am not saying that they did, because I don't beleive that to be true. When you bring up the argument about the current US president being black and how it is not affecting the country, that I don't believe to be true, this would not have happened even 20 years ago. Progress is being made and time heals all wounds.