Any insights into the recent string of race flare ups?

[Topper]

Naturally, I have read public news reports as to events, but I haven't seen empirical information as to the causes attributed to the string of outbreaks within the AA communities. What is so different within the AA communities from other underprivileged ethnic groups? Is it simply long-standing rage with no meaningful release?

It seems odd it should confined to one ethnic group primarily. Or will we see it transpire in other communities as well?

[pellegrino]

Naturally, I have read public news reports as to events, but I haven't seen empirical information as to the causes attributed to the string of outbreaks within the AA communities. What is so different within the AA communities from other underprivileged ethnic groups? Is it simply long-standing rage with no meaningful release?

It seems odd it should confined to one ethnic group primarily. Or will we see it transpire in other communities as well?

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this is not the issue.

[Art Vandelay]

No. I'm waiting to read all the posts on a different sports board I participate in, before I can fully understand what's going on.

[wuapinmon]

This issue is incredibly complex. But, I'd start by saying you should familiarize yourself with postcolonial theory if you really want to try to understand the unique position of AA culture in this country.

[pellegrino]

This issue is incredibly complex. But, I'd start by saying you should familiarize yourself with postcolonial theory if you really want to try to understand the unique position of AA culture in this country.

or maybe just think about how he would feel if his people were enslaved for nearly 300 years, then freed, only to find that that freedom meant legalized exclusion from all societal institutions and that even when the laws were revoked, white people and government institutions still prevented them from accessing capital with equal opportunity. Did I mention discrimination in policing and prosecution? Because if I didn't that would be another log to throw on the fire.

Simply put, the "American Dream" does not exist for the overwhelming majority of Black America.

[frank ryan]

or maybe just think about how he would feel if his people were enslaved for nearly 300 years, then freed, only to find that that freedom meant legalized exclusion from all societal institutions and that even when the laws were revoked, white people and government institutions still prevented them from accessing capital with equal opportunity. Did I mention discrimination in policing and prosecution? Because if I didn't that would be another log to throw on the fire.

Simply put, the "American Dream" does not exist for the overwhelming majority of Black America.

Yeah, historical trauma is a real thing.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

or maybe just think about how he would feel if his people were enslaved for nearly 300 years, then freed, only to find that that freedom meant legalized exclusion from all societal institutions and that even when the laws were revoked, white people and government institutions still prevented them from accessing capital with equal opportunity. Did I mention discrimination in policing and prosecution? Because if I didn't that would be another log to throw on the fire.

Simply put, the "American Dream" does not exist for the overwhelming majority of Black America.

Do you honestly believe that blacks are really still restricted from access to capital? I simply don't buy it.

If you look at the segment of the black population that chooses to actually have two parents in the home and get educated their levels of income are fairly comparable to similarly situated whites. For example, married black households have an 8% poverty rate compared to a 6% for all married households. Unfortunately, something like 70% of black children are born into single parent households.

Much more than what happened 300 years ago, the more relevant factor is the emergence of the drug culture from 60s to 80s which coincided with the blacks finally obtaining equal rights. Drugs were bound to inflict more damage on the poorer segments of society, which blacks comprised because of rampant discrimination from before and through the 60s and 70s. Drugs and the related criminal gangs and criminal activity destroyed the black family.

But I just don't buy into this bullshit that everyone is still falling all over themselves to hold back the black population. Honestly, how many people in the upper echelons of society, those with money and making hiring decisions are also toothless, hillbilly racists? The highest amounts paid per pupil are in places like Baltimore and DC, not Orange County.

Are they dealing with the legacy of past discrimination? Of course. But I think that has to be considered with the timing of when they obtained equal rights.

[Goatnapper'96]

Do you honestly believe that blacks are really still restricted from access to capital? I simply don't buy it.

If you look at the segment of the black population that chooses to actually have two parents in the home and get educated their levels of income are fairly comparable to similarly situated whites. For example, married black households have an 8% poverty rate compared to a 6% for all married households. Unfortunately, something like 70% of black children are born into single parent households.

Much more than what happened 300 years ago, the more relevant factor is the emergence of the drug culture from 60s to 80s which coincided with the blacks finally obtaining equal rights. Drugs were bound to inflict more damage on the poorer segments of society, which blacks comprised because of rampant discrimination from before and through the 60s and 70s. Drugs and the related criminal gangs and criminal activity destroyed the black family.

But I just don't buy into this bullshit that everyone is still falling all over themselves to hold back the black population. Honestly, how many people in the upper echelons of society, those with money and making hiring decisions are also toothless, hillbilly racists? The highest amounts paid per pupil are in places like Baltimore and DC, not Orange County.

Are they dealing with the legacy of past discrimination? Of course. But I think that has to be considered with the timing of when they obtained equal rights.

The cool part is that we get to spend another generation or two arguing over which plays a larger role in causing and maintaining rampant poverty among the AA community while not a great deal will improve for them. Weeeee identity politics!

There are two different types of racism. One is historical racism in which the impacts of previous generations of racism has resulted in conditions that make it more difficult for blacks to succeed than it is for others. The other type of racism is action racism which is when a white guy won't hire a black person because they are black. I believe the overwhelming majority of Americans accept that historical racism has played a major role in helping to create the conditions of poverty so prevalent amongst black Americans. The extent to which it is to blame versus other more modern cultural impediments is a legitimate argument - and God bless President Obama as he seems to take a great deal of heat amongst black Americans for willing to be outspoken about black America cleansing its own vessel. Further, the reality is there is just going to be a limit to which the American people are going to roll out government handouts. It is too deeply ingrained in US culture that people should pick themselves up by their bootstraps and git'r'dun on their own - such is the result of us being an immigrant nation. Finally, in making a case about historical racism black advocates often rely so heavily upon action racism that they destroy their own legitimacy. Identity politics needs incidents to which offense can be so aggressively taken. Coordinating community organization and protest is always much easier with a specific incidence that demonstrates your grievous claims. It is really no different than the role of propaganda to warfighters. However, when convincing the American public is the goal, it really hurts black America when something like "Hands Up Don't Shoot" comes along and is entirely proven to be bunk. The point is that historical racism played a role in Michael Brown being so screwed up, bitter and feeling he had so few options that he stupidly took on an armed policeman and essentially committed suicide. However, the efforts to paint the incident as proof of widespread action racism fell flat on its face for many reasons. Primarily, the facts of the case did not support it. Michael Brown was a thug and the reason he died was due more to his own stupid actions than anything else that happened that day. Further, most of us aren't racist and we don't see action racism in our daily lives so we just are not identifying with the cause. When we saw Blacks being prevented from voting we could clearly see the discrimination, what exists now is the results of many years of that discrimination which has resulted in poverty and developed internal cultural conditions that are making that poverty more and more entrenched each generation, but the specific events and actions with which we can identify just are not there for us to see in our daily lives.

[wuapinmon]

Action racism is often unconscious. And that's not sociological theory, it's demonstrable fact. https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/

[Clark Addison]

Action racism is often unconscious. And that's not sociological theory, it's demonstrable fact. https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/

I don't want to brag here but as part of some corporate training we had a couple of years ago, we all had to take the Race IAT and Gender-Career IAT. I scored as completely neutral on both, so it has been scientifically demonstrated that I am not a racist or a sexist.

I saw several other members of my team's scores, though, so I agree that there is still a lot of racism out there.

[Uncle Ted]

I don't want to brag here but as part of some corporate training we had a couple of years ago, we all had to take the Race IAT and Gender-Career IAT. I scored as completely neutral on both, so it has been scientifically demonstrated that I am not a racist or a sexist.

I saw several other members of my team's scores, though, so I agree that there is still a lot of racism out there.

But apparently you have something against poor people and think they are fat, however.

[byu71]

I don't want to brag here but as part of some corporate training we had a couple of years ago, we all had to take the Race IAT and Gender-Career IAT. I scored as completely neutral on both, so it has been scientifically demonstrated that I am not a racist or a sexist.

I saw several other members of my team's scores, though, so I agree that there is still a lot of racism out there.

I would like to see the questions. I would like to see what qualifies one as a racist or sexist these days?

I guess President Obama is now a sexist according to NOW because he called Senator Warren Elizabeth instead of Senator dip shit.

[Green Monstah]

Naturally, I have read public news reports as to events, but I haven't seen empirical information as to the causes attributed to the string of outbreaks within the AA communities. What is so different within the AA communities from other underprivileged ethnic groups? Is it simply long-standing rage with no meaningful release?

It seems odd it should confined to one ethnic group primarily. Or will we see it transpire in other communities as well?

There's a little factory joke in there somewhere.

Here are my uber-scientific observations from discussions on facebook with black friends regarding protests and riots (starting with Trayvon Martin and ending with the unfortunate events in Baltimore): Me and one friend in particular live in very different worlds. We went to the same high school (economically, socially, and racially diverse), both have college degrees, are both professionals, fathers, coaches, etc., but we do not see the world the same way because the world does not see us the same way. He talks of lack of opportunity; I talk of an abundance of opportunity via affirmative action programs, but in the end, I think the root cause for the different way we see the world is probably my naivete. I've never had someone follow me around in shopping malls; I've never worried whether the way I spoke would kill a job interview; I've never had to deal with classmates/co-workers wondering if the only reason I was admitted/hired/promoted was to fill a quota. So, I can rant and rave about how there are numerous opportunities for the taking (and there are), but the roads before and after those opportunities are littered with racial baggage.

So I react differently when a white kid gets shot by the PoPo than some of my black friends do when a black citizen is shot. I think "that stupid little caucasian kid had it coming; you don't point a gun at a police officer," and go on my merry way to my well-paying job, family, and home (with HOA), etc. I think it's understandable that there is a stronger reaction from AA population because they see the same cops who hound them on the streets, in the shopping malls, during traffic stops, etc. unjustifiably (at times) shooting black Americans with impunity. If you have limited opportunity and are impoverished, the only positives in your life may be your associates. When they are unjustifiably killed, I can see that it would feel like the "system" is taking away, not just the most valuable, but the only valuable thing in their lives. Some of the shootings are justified, IMO, but others are complete and total headscratchers. The two from SC are horrific, I believe (gas station, and the man who had a clip emptied in him while running from the police).

[byu71]

There's a little factory joke in there somewhere.

Here are my uber-scientific observations from discussions on facebook with black friends regarding protests and riots (starting with Trayvon Martin and ending with the unfortunate events in Baltimore): Me and my frinds live in very different worlds. We went to the same high school (economically, socially, and racially diverse), both have college degrees, are both professionals, fathers, coaches, etc., but we do not see the world the same way because the world does not see us the same way. He talks of lack of opportunity; I talk of an abundance of opportunity via affirmative action programs, but in the end, I think the root cause for the different way we see the world is probably my naivete. I've never had someone follow me around in shopping malls; I've never worried whether the way I spoke would kill a job interview; I've never had to deal with classmates/co-workers wondering if the only reason I was admitted/hired/promoted was to fill a quota. So, I can rant and rave about how there are numerous opportunities for the taking (and there are), but the roads before and after those opportunities are littered with racial baggage.

Good points. I have absolutely no clue what it would be like to live in the inner cities and deal with the poverty and lack of opportunity. I also have no clue how it would be to be a policeman in that environment where you are expected to protect the law abiders and yet you are distrusted and hated by many of those same law abiders.

A problem far above my ability to state a solution. Sadly it seems the problem is way above anyone's pay grade. The libs don't have the answers and neither do the conservatives.

[San Juan Sun]

Good points. I have absolutely no clue what it would be like to live in the inner cities and deal with the poverty and lack of opportunity. I also have no clue how it would be to be a policeman in that environment where you are expected to protect the law abiders and yet you are distrusted and hated by many of those same law abiders.

A problem far above my ability to state a solution. Sadly it seems the problem is way above anyone's pay grade. The libs don't have the answers and neither do the conservatives.

Living in Michigan and being in a Detroit branch was an eye-opener for me. The lack of economic opportunity was startling. Many times it felt like I was living somewhere other than the US. No jobs, no education, no meaningful programs, no hope, no end to the chronic cycle. The only real choice is to try and somehow move to a suburb where the limited jobs available to a marginally educated, unskilled person might be a little bit better.