Comments on: Why Is the Conversation Always About Black and White People?

By: accendere23

accendere23 — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:46:55 +0000

I agree with Laurie that slavery in the United States is not a sufficient explanation for the reason that race issues always come back to white and black people. Our country is not the only one that experienced slavery, in fact, slavery has been around a lot longer than our own history and did not always involve White and Black people. If you take a look into the past and focus on the hoards of other groups that were involved in slavery from many different areas of the world, you will realize that the modern conception of slavery (White versus Black) is inapplicable. It looks like each country had its own form of slavery within its populations, and often times it was based on who did the conquering and who was conquered. In those cultures where slavery once was a prominent issue, it appears that over time those populations successfully integrated. Actually, the integration was so successful that most people today do not even consider anything prior to our country’s history when they think of slave trade.
Based off of the past, I can confidently say that our culture will not always focus on the White-Black relationship. I also do not think it will always be inevitable in conversation. Our nation is fairly young in comparison to the rest of the world. Moreover, the civil rights movement is still fresh in our history. There has not been enough time to see all the ripples that the civil rights movement may have caused. I definitely think that the fact that our country even had a civil rights movement is reason enough to substantiate a White-Black focus. As long as individuals who experienced the movement firsthand are around, we will continue to hear the stories that changed the nation and brought it to where we are today. Additionally, I do not view the White-Black dialogue as being a negative idea and I do not agree with people who take offense to it. Because the concept is still so new, it will take a while for the focus to shift.
I do, however, have an optimistic outlook on this situation. I think that in a few decades, the White-Black issue will be less relevant, and a few decades after that virtually no one will refer to it in the sense that we do today. Obviously, the only factor we cannot control is time. Meanwhile, we can make a more conscious effort to focus on inter-cultural relationships between other groups as well.
With the growing numbers of Hispanic individuals in our population, the White-Hispanic relationship will eventually have to become the forefront sociological issue, as will the Brown-White relationship, and soon enough, every other permutation of race relations.

By: kgh5025

kgh5025 — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:10:09 +0000

I completely agree that the issue is always between whites and blacks. It is inevitable considering most people think of whites vs. blacks when it comes to racism. Though I agree that this is usually the case when discussing race, I do not believe that it is right or fair. Now don't get me wrong, I see the hardships and the troubles that black people are going through. But, there is racism against all races.

Racial profiling in airport security is a HUGE problem and must be addressed. The facts must be presented; a lot of terrorists that would enter a plane are not going to be Arab. Al-Queda and other terrorist groups are recruiting people of different races in order to get through airport security. For example: the failed jet bomb terrorist about a month ago was of African decent. There are terrorists all over the world in multiple races. Targeting one group of people in airport security is both stupid and racist.

There are also issues with Hispanic people. Due to illegal immigration, there is a lot of discrimination against Hispanics, especially in the northern states. Conservatives don't like the fact that there have been Spanish translations on labels. Some businesses are going as far as to discriminate against Spanish speaking people, refusing to serve them if they don't speak English. There is also a racial slur in sorts right now, calling all Hispanic people “Mexicans” when clearly a lot of them are not of Mexican decent.

Asian Americans are also experiencing racism on their part. Many people perceive any person with Asian eyes as to be either Chinese or Japanese. More common it is Chinese. This perception is TOTALLY wrong and racist. People are ignorant to the fact that there are many Asian countries, not just China and Japan.

All of these issues and more are important. Some races I didn't even cover. Such as Native Americans, Asians, Indians, and other racial groups. I know there are a lot of problems for African Americans, and there is racism towards white people. But there are many other issues that are usually not addressed.

By: las5545

las5545 — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:21:22 +0000

It seems to be the obvious topic. It is impossible to ignore. The color differences are right in front of everybody’s face. We associate every other group with the place they came from. Asian Americans came from Asia. Spanish Americans came from Spain. Even though African Americans technically came from Africa we just consider them black Americans because they do not have accents and have such a large history with white Americans. Even though it is sad to say often times Latin Americans are just grouped together with blacks because there skin is darker then white peoples. As well, slavery is constantly brought up. It is photographed, there are many movies and songs written about the civil rights act and slavery. There were social figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks who stood up for the “black rights”. There were never any controversial Asian or Hispanic social figures. Clearly the civil rights movement has been over for many decades but in places such as Texas and southern states where there is still “south hospitality” there is still a larger separation of blacks and white then there is in the north east such as in New York. When I walk into a big lecture hall, such as Soc 119 the first thing I do (naturally) is look around the classroom to see how many people are there and what not. As I am looking around it is obvious to who is black and who is white. The color of our skin is not something that can be ignored no matter how hard we try to ignore it. I believe that even though we talk about white people and black people it is not always a negative conversation just a way of generalizing groups. We could not be talking about race butt just start talking about groups of people and it can turn into black people and white people. I feel that the generalizing of groups is due to both the white and black races. Black people group themselves together because they feel a “common bond” due to the different struggles they went through as a group of people. They separate themselves from white people because even when white people try to relate to the “black people”, the black people shut the white people out because they do not know the struggles that they went through and are still going through today. Black people wanted to be viewed as equal and do have equal rights but when we separate ourselves in conversation there will always be a dividing line. Even though it seems impossible the less we talk about the past and the more we talk about the present and the future the closer we can move to generalizing blacks and whites into one category.

By: samj113

samj113 — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 04:49:02 +0000

I think it's very possible that the reason we are always drawn to discussions of black and white has a lot to do with our history. The unspoken tension and history between these races goes back to before our nation even started. Learning about this history was actually one of my favorite subjects in high school. The Civil War was one of the most interesting times in our history, in my opinion. Learning about this time in our history is quite possibly the main reason we see the differences in race still today. To add on the way that black people have been oppressed ever since the 19th century (for example: the disproportionate way the mortgages were given out to WWII veterans after the war), it’s no wonder we see divisions between our races. I think it’s so crazy how this country’s society has (whether it’s intentionally or not) kept the white race on top of all others.

By: ecs5086

ecs5086 — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 04:01:04 +0000

I think Dr. Mulvey makes a good point in that the race conversation always comes back to black people because their fight for civil rights was so pronounced in our society. Additionally, until very recently, they were the largest minority. Therefore the only racial clash was between white people and black people. There were no laws preventing Asians or Hispanics from having jobs, getting loans, or eating in certain places. However, there were laws enforced by the government which permitted segregation. Even when the civil rights movement ended in the 1960s, there were still a lot of racist thoughts of whites being superior to blacks. This racist mentality did not go away as easily in the minds of many white people as it did in the courts.

The white people continued to act as though they were superior to blacks through the sixties, and most likely their children watched their behavior and noticed their thoughts and views and continued to express their parents’ white supremacist behavior.

Black people, although given the rights by the government to be entitled to everything that white people were, still harbored the idea that white people don’t want them in America. They probably said things to their children along the lines of, “no matter what, a white person will always get opportunities, jobs, admissions to schools before you.” These ideas of the black parents get put into the heads of their children, and here we are today, only a few generations later, with Black people still thinking that white people are putting them down.

I can understand and empathize why white people couldn’t have changed their mindset about their superiority to black people right after the government outlawed segregation. Their superior white beliefs were merely the beliefs taught to them by their parents, by society, and enforced by their environment.

On the other hand, I can understand and empathize with the black people in America. After a history of terrible prejudice and discrimination, there is no why psychologically Black people could have believed that white people don’t think they were still superior. If I were black, I would be suspect to white people being racist all of the time. If people were to look at me funny, or not really seem happy to talk to me or be around me, I would assume they want nothing to do with me because of the color of my skin.

The other reason why it comes back to black and white people and not any other minorities is because for the amount of time the black people have been in America, they as a group have not reached the American Dream to the degree that white people as a group have. They don’t, as a group, live in high areas of wealth or have high areas of wealth. Other minority groups in America aren’t as wealthy as white people, but I don’t think they have been in America as long as black people. It takes a while for immigrant families, so I have noticed, to become aware of the opportunities of a good education and making connections in America. Many black families have been here for much longer than white families, but they have been prevented throughout the years from growing economically because of racism. They are bitter about, and therefore it is always a subject of discussion.

By: sql5113

sql5113 — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 03:13:10 +0000

This is really true that the discussion about race is always about the tension between black and white. Even when there are several other races and other colors, people tend to pay more attention on discrimination against black people. Actually, I have never contemplated why it is so before until I read this blog post. I guess I was just so used to see discussions only about whites and blacks.
To give the conclusion, I agree with Laurie’s opinion. I think we are concentrating only on blacks because we always have been facing their problems for a long time. Since the starting point of the U.S., whites had inglorious history against blacks. With slavery system, white people showed their animal sides; they did not care about blacks’ rights as human beings. Just because of their facial colors, blacks had to be discriminated, treated like animals or life stocks. They were not human beings, but part of whites’ possessions.
Not only slavery, but blacks’ campaigns and marches against racial discrimination are also engraved in our minds so strongly. Especially in southern parts of the U.S., many black people had to shed their blood for their equal rights. Innocent black people had to be sent to prisons just because they participated in demonstrations for keeping their freedom.
After many years, blacks finally got their firm positions in today’s society. In entertainment market, without black singers, actors, and comedians, nothing can be done. Even in politics, a black guy became a president of white America. These phenomena are pretty different from the scenes that we have been watching since we were young. In schools, we watched documentaries or movies about how black people were treated unequally and how white people were harsh to them. In them, blacks were always the weak ones who did not have enough power to stand strong against the whites. But see what is going on now; without blacks, whites cannot do anything. I guess this is why the discussion is putting all the focuses on blacks; because their images from the past and the present got so much different.
Also, blacks always have been the center of the issue in terms of racial discrimination. It is true that other races or people with other facial colors such as brown or yellow have never been majority of the discriminated groups. More brown and yellow people just became part of the U.S. comparing to blacks. From the slavery years, blacks have suffered; however, in case of Asians, they did not take that much of influence in American society when blacks were used as slaves because there were only a few of them. This is applied to brown people too.
I think as long as blacks are the majority of minorities, racial discussions will still focus on the tension between black and white.

By: BreezyGal

BreezyGal — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:19:18 +0000

I agree with Mrs. Mulvey that the conversation is seldom focused on other races of people who have also had to struggle for equality. The blood of our fathers and grandfathers was poured into the foundation of America, and there came a time when we refused to put up with it anymore. I say 'we' meaning black people, African-American, Coloreds, Negros…whatever! I rarely include myself along with my people before me who have struggled to afford me the opportunities I so grandiosely take for granted. The story ALWAYS changes to black and white because that is what people are accustomed to seeing and dealing with. I know other racial minorities have struggled to belong in this society. But none have struggled so vividly in the spotlight of America. YES, THEY HAVE STRUGGLED, MAYBE EVEN MORE SO THAN BLACKS. But these racial groups struggled at a time when little could be done. They struggled when no one cared to look. They struggled individually. Black people came together as a unit, a single overwhelming force against racism and bias and hate. Think back forty fifty or even sixty years. There were so many injustices in the plight of black people. Then they decided not to take the bullshit anymore. It was 1940, 1950, 1960…each of these begins with nineteen. It truly was not that long ago. I feel that black and white will always be an issue among those who can't live in the now. It is an issue worthy of discussion, but has become overdone. The meat of the issue has been overcooked and that never leaves a pleasant taste in anyone's mouth. We can discuss black and white as the day is long but we will not find answers because there are none. For the record, I love white people. I love the 'brightness' they can bring to a room. I love the white people in my life that make me enjoy being alive. I am not color blind. I simply live and love as I should-without bitterness or hatred towards anyone. I live with the incredible belief that the past was the past for the reason. My future rests upon the souls who fought for me to be here and those who fought to keep me away. Which future will I fulfill? Because in the end, it is not what you are called but what you answer to. Also in the end, it doesn't even matter. We all die. Black and white and gray and purple and red and yellow. WE DIE. Death is not the focal point of this submission. It should serve as a reminder to live in the now, Not to be caught up in the rehashing of things past. White people feel guilty. Black people need someone to blame. WOW! We all fall down. Nobody is perfect. In my quest to reach four hundred and fifty words that no one will read I have become enlightened. I miss my boyfriend. He is, by the way, white. And awesome! <3

By: janstepp

janstepp — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:16:02 +0000

This is certainly not an easy question, most people would assume that it all goes back to slavery and I think that is a big part of it. But they are other factors as to why it always comes back to black and white. I grew up in a predominately white town and people there typically had the same stereotypical misconceptions of black and brown people that black or brown people probably have about white people. When in most cases, people are people. With every generation things get better, I'm not saying that people will stop seeing each other as black or white, but they will eventually stop seeing the stereotypes. I think haves and have-nots is the bigger issue.

By: fnb5006

fnb5006 — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:14:57 +0000

The fact that everything that people talk about it always ends up being a black/white issue it shows how people still have not overcome the things that went on in the civil rights movement. Some African Americans think that they are treated unfairly, so they feel some type of hatred toward white Americans. With the lecture on Thursday about how racism exists in the judicial system is it shows that white people will never have some of the same experiences African Americans have. When talking about race the African American will always feel that white people cannot really understand what is going on in the world because they have a white privilege. With all the differences in African American and white culture, some black people feel as if the civil rights movement is still going on.
In some places, the movement is still going on so black and white feel separated. When most people think, of the civil rights movement, they think of the 60s and Martin Luther King and they assume by the 70s everybody got along and everything was fine. That is far from the truth some places in the south didn’t stop segregation until the 90s. One school in particular had about equally amount of blacks and whites and still had a segregated prom in the 90s. Even in state college, things are not segregated, but there is huge tension between blacks and whites in schools. People are witness these racist acts going on in their life, so its only natural that they would have some type of feeling to people of the other race.
I think that it is time for it to stop we should be looked at as people and not white people and black people. I remember when Obama was running for president the biggest thing people talked about constantly was that if he won he would be the first black president. That really irritated me because I felt whether he was black or white should not even be an issue it should have been about what he stood for not the color of his skin. In our society, everyone is guilty of referring to somebody as that black person or that white person instead of people. In some black families to try to eliminate the use of color they are corrected when they saw oh that white person and told to use another description of that person. For some strange reason I do not feel like in white families kids are corrected when they refer to somebody by their race.
I don’t think this black and white issue will ever stop. Since now you have a new generation of people who are black and white I think it will make the issue die down so our kids wont be living in a world where everything is a black white issue.

By: raa5073

raa5073 — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:03:39 +0000

When it comes down to black and white people, I don’t think anyone is ever going to see eye to eye on this topic. It’s kind of a forgive but don’t forget kind of thing because when you really debate the topic it mainly goes back to slavery and how blacks used to be treated in the past. It’s something that as a person of the black community, I can’t really ever let it go even though it didn’t happen to me specifically but it did still happen to my people. So, growing up with a history that our ancestors were slaves to white people kind of leaves a pit in your stomach a little bit like “I can’t believe that happened and went on for so long”. People act as if just because it’s been over for a while that it didn’t take place for hundreds of years. They say we were free from slavery in the 1800’s but in actually we may have gotten our rights but still the aftershocks and the discrimination still goes on to this day. Maybe not as intense or as brutal is it used to be, but people over look the fact that it still exists in today’s age.
So it’s still kind of hard to swallow and have complete equality between black and white people when not all white people are still open to the fact of blacks. Today’s date it’s not so much of discrimination and negative acts but more of guilt and sorrow for blacks because of what we went through which if you as me is just as bad. Sometimes I feel that we as black people aren’t looked at as equal, but just as black as if we are of some kind of other species or dogs or something. When black and white isn’t black and white anymore and it is simply just people as a whole, then the debate and the discussions will stop but I honestly still believe that even though we have come a long way as a nation dealing with this topic, we have even further to go to make it a reality. Obama.