1500's- (murdering and enslavement of black Africans by white Europeans)
Declaration of Independence 1776 (didn't include black people)
U.S. Constitution 1787 (included black people as property)
Emancipation Proclamation (September 22, 1862 and January 1, 1863) (freed black people from bondage on paper but wasn't federally enforced)
Thirteenth Amendment 1865, abolished and prohibited slavery
Civil Rights Act of 1866, extending the rights of emancipated slaves
Civil Rights Act of 1871, also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act (to combat them organizing to kill black people)
Civil Rights Act of 1875, prohibiting discrimination in "public accommodations"; found unconstitutional (1883)
Jim Crow Laws 1876-1965
Civil Rights Act of 1957, establishing the Civil Rights Commission to ensure black voting rights
Civil Rights Act of 1960, establishing federal inspection of local voter registration polls to ensure black voting rights
Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin by federal and state governments as well as some public places
Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act
Civil Rights Act of 1991, providing the right to trial by jury on discrimination claims and introducing the possibility of emotional distress damages, while limiting the amount that a jury could award
Five centuries later, I have the tolerance level of a people who have spent the last 500 years being treated and portrayed as inferior to those that share the skin tone of white European slave owners who enslaved black Africans.
Black people have continually had to fight for everything that is our right as human beings and American citizens and those very rights we fought for are now enjoyed by many non-blacks. Yet, in this screwed world sharing the skin tone of people who committed genocides on numerous countries around the world is far more prized than sharing the skin tone of those who fought to level the rights for all of us.
Non-white people should NEVER defend, excuse, perpetuate or succumb to white privilege.
The goal of slavery was to create a system that would continually feed the ideal that to be anything other than Anglo is meant to be shamed and destroyed. The media(print and broadcast), texts, social history and policy have now taken the place of slavery in the mistreatment and enslavement of black people. White privilege was spawned from the racism of white cowards that felt inferior without it, including America's forefathers.
*bows to the master*
ReplyDeleteThanks. Had to be said... it's been one of those months.
ReplyDeleteAND the country s with the MOST natural resources are the poorest!
ReplyDeleteGreat piece
ReplyDeleteI understand not giving in to the white world, I truly do, but let us not ignore the complete and utter reality of black communities in America. After five years in Brooklyn, it is very disturbing watching the overwhelming majority of behavior by American blacks, and to ignore that behavior will not help anyone. What people, black and white, fail to acknowledge is that a large majority of blacks in America are simply sociopaths that act less than most animals act. Literally watching people walk their dogs, the dogs behave better than most. Islanders are COMPLETELY ashamed of American blacks, but nobody listens to them. Blacks from Africa driving cabs won't even consider picking up a black. There seems to be a certain age group of blacks in this country that should literally be thrown away, along with their parents, who are the immediate culprit. So keep on talking about white this and that, and watch your people slip further and further into the cracks. Or, start taking responsibility for your children and taking control of your lives. It starts with education. It ends with education. I'm not saying forget about what happened in your history, that is not excusable, but wallowing in pity won't change anything.
ReplyDeleteFoolish Enemy who commented as anonymous. A person like you perpetuates the problem within a society that LOVES to continually endorse white privilege.
ReplyDeleteWhat people, black and white, fail to acknowledge is that a large majority of blacks in America are simply sociopaths that act less than most animals act.
Really? As opposed to the sociopathic white privilege individuals that would kill in order to preserve "rights" gained through murder, oppressive behaviors and laws!
Islanders are COMPLETELY ashamed of American blacks, but nobody listens to them.
That is a quite interesting concept considering the fact that black Islanders and black Africans should have gratitude for black American's fight to gain access to rights and privileges (you currently enjoy in the U.S.) that were denied to us (black Americans) for centuries by your beloved white privilege. Why exactly are you here in America with us lowly black Americans and not in your island homeland fighting for the same thing black Americans died for here?
So keep on talking about white this and that, and watch your people slip further and further into the cracks.
You make me laugh... loudly. I am going to give you a clue since you don't seem to understand the blatantly obvious! In this world that we currently live in, white privilege doesn't see a difference between black American, black Islander or black African. They only see BLAAAACK and that black that they see, they see as a negative!
So until people that think like you realize this fact we all will sink or swim together in the waters that were polluted by obviously self loathing insecure white privilege endorsing people like them and you!!!
I don't neccesarily disagree with you. But I certainly see a difference between American blacks and literally every other population of blacks in the world, and other groups recognize it immediately as well. I can't ignore the systematic destruction of blacks in this country perpetrated by whites, I understand that, I really do. But the reality is that too many blacks in this country today are indeed sociopaths and self destructive past a reasonable level and yet the problem seems to be largely ignored. Without yelling back....what do you suggest?
ReplyDeleteI'm fine with agreeing to disagree and I think that is what we ultimately will have here. In my opinion your thought process when differentiating between "blacks" in any part of the world in today's society is the crux of the problem with your seeing the huge error in it.
ReplyDeleteBut I certainly see a difference between American blacks and literally every other population of blacks in the world, and other groups recognize it immediately as well.
Is that you talking or the years of brainwashing at the hands of white supremacist propaganda that has taken hold? Please take the time to really think about that question. Black people really have to work hard to counter the years of subliminal and overt brainwashing that has scarred our psyche.
But the reality is that too many blacks in this country today are indeed sociopaths and self destructive past a reasonable level and yet the problem seems to be largely ignored.
Sociopaths exist within all groups in our society. Due to centuries of violence and degradation inflicted on black people here in the U.S. and around the world, the people that you call sociopaths are the products of that treatment. Does that fact make it acceptable? No. But again, we can't afford to see a difference between any of us because the white supremacist society that we currently live under does not see any difference. They see inferiority when you have black skin regardless of where you are from.
Unlike white people, black people are still the only race of people that are globally subjected to a level of disrespect solely based on the color of our skin due to the successfully sinister efforts of those that indulge in white privilege.
My suggestion to any of us is to counter the white propaganda view of ourselves that has caused significant devastation in the black community. Look deeper than the surface layer of bullshyt that we have all unfortunately been subjected to since youth. Realize and internalize the fact that black people are no more and no less susceptible to sociopathic behaviors than any other group would be dealing with the same current and historical circumstances. We will change how we address the issues in the black community and the negativity seen in being black by changing our perceptions of who we are within the black community.
P.S. As I tell my daughter I don't yell I emphasize.
I like the emphasis, and I certainly realize that anyone under the circumstances would indeed develop serious problems from the racism, not only here, but virtually everywhere. The color of somebody's skin has been very relevant for a very long time. The caste systems in India and other places are largely based on skin color. We are all 99.9% identical, yet it was easy I guess to just assume that the closer a person is to white, the more intelligent they are deemed, which obviously is ridiculous, but somebody or some group cleverly has ruined societies based on it.
ReplyDeleteI guess that would be a starting point in this country in terms if dealing with racism. It does seem so simple yet most people honestly assume that people with black skin are simply inferior and it's been too easy for that stereotype to accomplish it's work. Our entire society perpetrated these stereotypes and too many blacks reinforce it due to the nature of the beast. That cycle must be broken some how.
Uh oh I think we are getting closer to an understanding.
ReplyDeleteIt really is a simple concept but with five centuries of degradation it is complicated. Black people as a group have spent too many years dealing with always fighting to have our own cup at the table. For centuries we have been subjected to drinking out of the cup of our oppressors most often by murderous force. It is a difficult task to convince the abused to turn away from the abuser.