I have had the opportunity to debate the reasons that black people face hurtles of racism and discrimination like no other minority group here in America.
So often people will say well look at the Asian Americans and how they have been able to adapt and thrive here in this great nation.
I will say that this on the surface is a fair comparison until we start to look beyond the surface for underlying factors.
Asian Americans were not brought here in chains and told that they were subhuman.
They came here looking for a better life and were allowed to keep their culture and their language.
What culture did Black American's attach themselves to after being here in slavery for so many years? What history do we claim? I have traveled around the world and the people of Africa do not claim us, they say we are Americans.
The majority of American's can say that we are past racial issues but in my lifetime I have faced discrimination and I am only 46 years old, (I am not blaming a particular person here, just stating a fact).
I have been able to succeed.
To sum up the issue; it would amount to taking a people (the black race) who less than 50 years ago were still being beat in the streets for wanting to be treated equal and then saying okay although we have housed you in the poorest areas and the worst schools, you as a people should be adjusted to our society now and all of you should act like a good American who's lineage has never faced discrimination here in America.
Yes Asians have faced discrimination but they as a whole they came here with an identity and a history and their own language.
After 2 hundred plus years of slavery we had none of that and were forced to adapt to a culture that didn't even think we were human and didn't even want us to read and write.
Imagine your family (obviously I am assuming here) came here and because they were white they were allowed to open businesses and buy houses...
well through the generations that builds wealth that the majority of blacks didn't have access to.
Now you can say well you can do better now...
okay I am not saying that this isn't true but as black men we still face certain types of discrimination...
look at well-established business and tell me how many can be traced to Black American founders...
I mean business that are more than 50 years old...
That is how wealth is established and success in America.
Can you actually tell me you think rich white folk today just happened to amass more wealth through their intelligence? Or was it their families (who were allowed to start and own businesses years ago) that has amassed wealth and status that has continued for generations.
The majority of blacks even after slavery were placed in the poorest areas had to work for less, all the while being told that they were ignorant monkeys (although our DNA is exactly like everyone else's except for pigmentation).
Do you really believe that (although none of this is your fault) that as a whole that black society would just magically turnout alright? That although we started 100's of miles behind the starting blocks that we as a whole would arrive at the same place at the same time? It is not feasible...
I understand that we have a responsibility to fit into society...
but please do not be ignorant on the fact that this society built its wealth on the backs of black slaves and then told us we were nothing...
Once again I am not blaming you for what is going on, I am however stating a point that we cannot judge everything just through the paradigm of our own lives and think we know the correct answer...
it is much more complicated than that.
Malcolm X said that the KKK has taken off their white robes and become police officers...
well guess who are still killing unarmed black men? I mean a police officer in the mid-west killed a black couple in their car firing his last 15 rounds through the windshield while standing on the hood of their car and was acquitted because of the new found code for killing blacks (I feared for my life).
How can we justify that decision? What does it say to other black people? I have friends that are police officers so I am not saying that all or even the majority of police officers are bad...
but just look at the past 15 years and see how many unarmed blacks were killed by police and tell me that this is not disturbing? Do blacks kill black...
yes and that is horrible and needs to stop...
but when those charged with your protection and have the legal right to carry a gun kill you without any fear of conviction...
what is a black American's recourse? (I know one is indicted in South Carolina but so was the police officer in the mid-west, talk to me when they get long jail sentences for murder).
It so easy to look at today's society and think what is wrong with those black people? Have you ever thought, what exactly is the effect that slavery and segregation has played on the black community? Look at the many successful black men over the past 40 years; whether it be in entertainment, sports, business, law or medicine and you will probably see that 60% of them are married to a white ladies.
Why do you think that is? They had been told so much how bad they were for just being black that when they finally were accepted into a society that demonize their fore fathers, even they want to be attached to something that society considered (s) to be right.
Without realizing it they have preferred something other than themselves to procreate with.
We have one famous black entertainer (now dead), not only was he trying to be white, he had his kids fathered by a white man...
what other race would do that? I mean his kids are his in name only.
His DNA stopped with him.
What causes a person to be so hateful of their own race? So while I believe that America is trying to do what is right as a whole, it would be foolish of us to believe that all past evils are washed under the rug and have no bearing on what is happening today.
Burying your head in the sand still leaves your flank exposed.