Soulflower

Great topic Roxy!

Here is my opinion:

I personally like talking about the issues mentioned in this thread because I think these are vital issues that still affect us today. Unfortunately, racism will always exist because America was built on racism and it is deeply embedded in our culture. Classicism exists BECAUSE of racism. It is the result of slavery, Jim Crow Laws, Lynchings, slave master rape, murders, hangings, shootings, Voting laws, politics, government etc, etc and ETC which is why there is so much unequal levels of classicism.

In our current society, racism is still very prevalent and still very much an issue that needs to be addressed it just exists on a different level. Instead of hangings and lynchings, we have implicit and institutionalized racism which is just as worse. We have micro aggression and indirect forms of prejudice attitudes that reflect racial stereotypes. We have racial profiling and non verbal gestures that reflect pre Civil Rights era of racism.

I know sometimes I have often mention race and racism on this board to support some of my arguments quite a bit in the past and notice that most of the posters disturbingly do not see racism as an issue. I personally think it is easy for white people/Caucasian to not think of it as an "issue" because it has never been an "issue" for them. As a African American, this is outrageously offensive to me.

White people do not have to worry about being stereotyped as a thug walking down the street with a hoody. White men do not have to worry about being stereotyped as a robber on the elevator by a white or even black woman. A group of white guys do not have to worry about being stereotyped as "drug dealers" while walking down the street at night. White woman do not have to worry about if their hair texture or skin color is acceptable to a Western oriented working environment/society like African American/minority women. An average looking white woman do not have to worry about being called beautiful by Western society while African American woman can only be called beautiful if they fit a certain European Westernized "standard" or have a certain skin color.

These are some of MANY issues white people do not have to worry about because they are "privileged". There skin color gives them power and automatically allows them to be receptive to opportunities that minorities will never have OR have to work MUCH harder for. There skin color has allowed them to control the way minorities are depicted and are represented in our society for over the last 500 years.

It is disturbing that the amount of people that listen to music do not understand the history of how certain genres were formed. I was alarmed that most here did not know that Hip Hop was actually created BECAUSE of the racism/discrimination that was prevalent against African Americans during the late 60's and 70's. I was taken back that some said racism had nothing to do with that when it actually was the main reason why Hip Hop was created. I think it is important for some here to have an open mind and not be afraid to talk about issues (racism, discrimination etc) that affected the creation of certain music. It might not be peaches and cream but it does not mean it should be ignored or swept under the rug. I don't care what race you are, White, Black, Blue or whatever it is still apart of music and needs to be addressed. It is insulting to act like it did not affect certain forms of music and that it never or doesn't still exist.

I personally will always address racism as an issue because it is still an important issue.I think we as a culture have gotten to comfortable and passive about issues that still affect us today. When I think of the Trayvon Martin case it just makes me sick to my stomach. If that had been a white young man it would not have been a discussion on where he was going that night and he would not have been stopped.

I just wonder if someone white or someone who does not think racism does not exist would feel the same way if they were stopped by the police multiple of times because of their skin color or if they were shot for no reason just because they were profiled as a "thug". You shouldn't have to experience certain things in order to be empathetic to the experiences of others but I guess for some people it might be necessary in order to really have a full of understanding of a culturally embedded problem that does not directly or indirectly affect YOU.

Soulflower

Roxy has a right to her opinion but I do agree with your perspectives on the issue.

GREAT post, Bravo!

Tristesse

I'm sorry but quite a few things that you said white people don't need to worry about being stereotyped as are just bull****. Just like you said white people don't know what it's like for african americans, the same ignorance can be said vice versa. Of course the issues faced by the different races aren't the same, but please don't act like you understand what it's like to be a different race when you clearly don't.

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Soulflower

Actually I think I would know since I am a African American and have experienced some of the things mentioned in my post so don't you please tell me what not to act like as a minority. You clearly do not know what it is like.

Also can you intelligently explain why you disagree with my post instead of calling it b.s?

butthead aka 216

Realtalk he's sayin u only know what its like to be black. Just like how ppl like u are vonstantly sayin whites can never relate cause they only understand white. Same idea for ppl like u.

My stance is known but I will rrpeat briefly that you priv whiners out there are huge hypocrites if u complain about whites or whoever generalizing or stereotyping csuse ya do the same exact thing constantly

Tristesse

You misunderstood my post realtalk. Let me clarify:

Don't act like you understand what it's like to be a white person if you aren't, it's laughably hypocritical and makes your post one big contradiction.

"an average looking white woman do not have to worry about being called beautiful by Western society"

Why the **** you think that you know what white women worry about is beyond me. Of course they worry about being beautiful, this kind of stereotyping makes you as bad as the people you are complaining about.

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Carpe Mortem

Frankly, as a jew, I have it harder than any of you blacks because my lack of money really hits me where it hurts. You can never understand this pain.

Also, as a woman, I consider all race issues in America trivial since my kind are raped for our holes in this day and age on the regular. You just deal with some lost opportunities and hurt feelings. ****in grow a pair, your grandparents did.

But also... I'm sorry some white people suck. To be fair, black dudes stereotype me a lot by assuming I'm afraid of them, and as a woman who has punched a black dude who deserved it in the face, I find their lack of faith disturbing.

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djchameleon

Lol it funny to bring the pity Olympics against realtalk because she is a black woman. So she as all your woman issues with the added racial stuff.

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Fame, fortune, power, titties. People say these are the most crucial things in life, but you can have a pocket full o' gold and it doesn't mean sh*t if you don't have someone to share that gold with. Seems simple. Yet it's an important lesson to learn. Even lone wolves run in packs sometimes.

Soulflower

I am not trying to act like I understand what it is like to be "white". I am specifically speaking from my own experiences as well as the experiences of African American so not sure why you got that from my post.

A White person will never understand what it feels like to be stared at the mall because someone thinks you are going to steal something.

How is that acting like I "understand" what it is like to be white when I am talking about the experiences of African American/minorities?

ONCE AGAIN, Why do you assume that I think I know that when I am talking about African American women?

Western culture glorifies average looking white women as beautiful or African American women who are light skin who have European features. Are you honestly saying this is not true???

This is a well known observation that has been going on since the beginning of time and no I am sorry but I am not going to "sugar coat" the truth for you.

White woman do not have to worry about some of the issues African American women have to worry about and yes it can go vice versa but I am clearly and specifically talking about the black/minority experience so not sure why you keep arguing I am trying to understand what it is like to be "white" because that was not the point of my post and it is sad that you did not get the point.

It is nothing bad about pointing out stereotypes and representations that reflect/symbolize prejudice attitudes.

Soulflower

I am sorry about your situation..... but I respectfully disagree with you insisting that you have it harder than African Americans as a "race"

Also, I think it is sad that you think other racial issues besides your own issues are trivial. I highly doubt you would want people to consider your personal struggles trivial so I think its odd you think other racial issues are trivial. I also think most of this post is offensive.

I don't think I ever implied African American's can't be racist because anybody from any background can be racist. However Classicism is the result of Racism and prejudice attitudes and unfortunately minorities i.e. (African American, Latinos, Hispanics, etc) have had it the worse in that respect.