Sep 12, 2011
Hillman commented on Deeply Embarrassed White People Talk Awkwardly About Race.
Patricia raises an interesting point.
I assume its because the author started with the premise that the ultimate evil person is a white male. Regardless of the actual individual involved.
I assume its because the author started with the premise that the ultimate evil person is a white male. Regardless of the actual individual involved.
Sep 12, 2011
Hillman commented on Deeply Embarrassed White People Talk Awkwardly About Race.
"But pretending they don't exist because I have the luxury of "not looking" well, that's just being a blind ignorant fool! "
Please show me where I said racism doesn't exist.
Please show me where I said racism doesn't exist.
Sep 12, 2011
Hillman commented on Deeply Embarrassed White People Talk Awkwardly About Race.
Madcap:
You write with style and grace. Which is a rare and unexpected surprise when reading blog comments.
You write with style and grace. Which is a rare and unexpected surprise when reading blog comments.
Sep 11, 2011
Hillman commented on Deeply Embarrassed White People Talk Awkwardly About Race.
"It's things like gentrification, where a black owned business that has been serving its community for decades is pushed out to accommodate the influx of yuppies who would rather be within walking distance of Trader Joe's, or forcing lower income people in that black neighborhood to move because they can no longer afford the rising property values that come along with your neighborhood becoming the it place for white hipsters in their mid-to-late twenties looking to buy their first home."
First, a lot of those incoming yuppies are black.
How do you figure that's racism?
Second, being 'forced out'? The only real way that happens is if your rent rises (most towns have property tax deferrment programs that ensure the poor won't lose their homes because of rising real estate taxes). And if you lived in a neighborhood for more than ten years 'back in the day' and you never bought your apt when you had the chance (as most nearly everyone in my town of DC did) then honestly it's hard to have that much empathy for you.
With the ease and convenience of being a renter comes the possibility that your neighborhood will change and you can no longer afford it.
I will admit that given today's stunning real estate prices my pat answer is no longer really valid.
But it certainly was in many cities for the last wave of gentrification.
Don't want to be displaced? Assume the responsibility of home ownership.
More...
First, a lot of those incoming yuppies are black.
How do you figure that's racism?
Second, being 'forced out'? The only real way that happens is if your rent rises (most towns have property tax deferrment programs that ensure the poor won't lose their homes because of rising real estate taxes). And if you lived in a neighborhood for more than ten years 'back in the day' and you never bought your apt when you had the chance (as most nearly everyone in my town of DC did) then honestly it's hard to have that much empathy for you.
With the ease and convenience of being a renter comes the possibility that your neighborhood will change and you can no longer afford it.
I will admit that given today's stunning real estate prices my pat answer is no longer really valid.
But it certainly was in many cities for the last wave of gentrification.
Don't want to be displaced? Assume the responsibility of home ownership.
Sep 11, 2011
Hillman commented on Deeply Embarrassed White People Talk Awkwardly About Race.
"I have been educating those around me, mainly whites, about their privilege for years now and dealing with discussing discrimination at my place of work with my employers and co workers."
You must be fun at parties.
"If you start to pay attention, racism is everywhere you look."
If you start by looking for it, then you can imagine it everywhere.
But also if you look hard enough you will see a lot of people of all races that are decent, hard-working people. And they don't discriminate. And they aren't racist.
But if you are determined to see only racism that's what you will see.
You must be fun at parties.
"If you start to pay attention, racism is everywhere you look."
If you start by looking for it, then you can imagine it everywhere.
But also if you look hard enough you will see a lot of people of all races that are decent, hard-working people. And they don't discriminate. And they aren't racist.
But if you are determined to see only racism that's what you will see.
Sep 11, 2011
Hillman commented on Deeply Embarrassed White People Talk Awkwardly About Race.
"Racism = Prejudice + Power, and just because we have a black president doesn't mean that African-Americans are now holding the reins. "
Apparently you've never spent much time in DC.
Blacks 'hold the reins' here. Black mayor. Black city government. Black school system.
Most of the local institutions are black run.
And I see a lot of black racism.
There's a reason white business owners here hire black 'facilitators' to get them building permits or otherwise make visits to various city government offices.
I also see a lot of very decent blacks that don't discriminate.
But the suggestion that you have to have power to be racist is absurd. A racist without power is still a racist, albeit theoretically a castrated one.
But I suspect you don't include all forms of power.
The power to influence others through hate is likely just a big a power as the immediate power to, say, deny someone a job.
And I routinely see blacks in DC passing on their hate to a new generation.
Just like I saw whites in rural Tennessee doing the same thing.
More...
Apparently you've never spent much time in DC.
Blacks 'hold the reins' here. Black mayor. Black city government. Black school system.
Most of the local institutions are black run.
And I see a lot of black racism.
There's a reason white business owners here hire black 'facilitators' to get them building permits or otherwise make visits to various city government offices.
I also see a lot of very decent blacks that don't discriminate.
But the suggestion that you have to have power to be racist is absurd. A racist without power is still a racist, albeit theoretically a castrated one.
But I suspect you don't include all forms of power.
The power to influence others through hate is likely just a big a power as the immediate power to, say, deny someone a job.
And I routinely see blacks in DC passing on their hate to a new generation.
Just like I saw whites in rural Tennessee doing the same thing.
Sep 11, 2011
Hillman joined My Stranger Face
Sep 11, 2011
Hillman commented on Deeply Embarrassed White People Talk Awkwardly About Race.
You want to opt out of white guilt?
Move to DC.
Or Detroit.
You will soon discover that white privilege is anything but in these majority-black cities.
Racism isn't intrinsically a white thing.
I've seen racist whites and racist blacks. Of the two, I'd say the more deeply seeded hatred is from the racist blacks.
Of course I may feel that way because it was aimed more directly at me.
As for white privilege generally, I'm the offspring of very poor white parents. We literally scrounged for our next meal.
A middle class black family in the same community, or most certainly in a black-centric power structure like DC or Detroit, most certainly had more 'privilege' than I.
Move to DC.
Or Detroit.
You will soon discover that white privilege is anything but in these majority-black cities.
Racism isn't intrinsically a white thing.
I've seen racist whites and racist blacks. Of the two, I'd say the more deeply seeded hatred is from the racist blacks.
Of course I may feel that way because it was aimed more directly at me.
As for white privilege generally, I'm the offspring of very poor white parents. We literally scrounged for our next meal.
A middle class black family in the same community, or most certainly in a black-centric power structure like DC or Detroit, most certainly had more 'privilege' than I.
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I assume its because the author started with the premise that the ultimate evil person is a white male. Regardless of the actual individual involved.
Sortof the reverse of Martin Luther King's 'judge a person by the content of their character, not the color of their skin(or what's in their pants).'