Boston University assistant professor GOES OFF on white people

[Prometheus 1,494]

I understand her point but she is wrong in many things.

1. European is not a race. Caucasian is the race she is referring too.

2. In ancient Egypt slavery was inherited from parent to child. Other cultures did the same thing.

3. Saint Patrick's Day day is not made up and it's an actual official public holiday in Ireland. It has been celebrated since the 17th century.

4. There are many people form the LBGT and black people who are Republicans. It has nothing to do with being a cis gender white male cause there are many of them who are democrats.

It's not that I don't agree with some things, it's that you have to know what you are talking about before trying to make such statements. 

​Bless you  

I'm also very sad how people are nitpicking against her valid arguments and statements because they're not historically accurate enough. Doesn't change the fact that the general issue she addresses is an issue that has to be fixed.

​It's basic debate 101. If you bring up historical backing then you need to make sure it is relevant as well as accurate.  

[Prometheus 1,494]

I'm also gonna need to call up @Kayla to provide some unbiased tea from both sides of the spectrum.  

​Call forth the queen of calming controversy  We call to you Mother @Kayla

[Prometheus 1,494]

We (white people) in general, are really quick to say "Oh that was so long ago, that doesn't happen today anymore. Why can't we all just get along, we all bleed red." (Despite people like MLK being just my grandfather's generation.)
To me it seems hypocritical to be all like "let's come together and hold hands" when our ancestors from not too long ago benefited from exploiting, violating and killing black people (directly and indirectly). A symbolic public figure to at least apologize would be a great step into the right direction. (I might remind you that German chancellor begging on his knees for forgiveness ultimately led to Poland and Germany kinda being BFFs despite the holocaust.)
 

​I know that it was recent. It is my country's history after all. However, I was not a slave owner. If your grandfather murdered dozens of people would you be expected to apologize for to all of the victim's family? How many times must I say, "I'm sorry that one of my very distant relatives was a slave owner." I think it it more productive to focus on systematic racism as well as privilege instead of apologizing for ancestral sins.  As a queer male do I loathe Germans for rounding up gay men and putting them in concentration camps? No. Do I expect every Christian I meet to apologize for some in their faith adding to our continued discrimination? No. Do I want any Republican that passes my way to say, "I'm sorry that my political party is preventing you from having the same rights as everyone else?" No. Those examples aren't perfect, but they're the closest thing I can fathom for this argument. I would rather straight people recognize their privilege and become allies for the cause.

[Bette Davis 12,742]

​If Asian, African, and American (Latinos/Latinas, not the nationality) are races then so is European. 

Not according to anthropology 

[PEXI 250]

 

2. In ancient Egypt slavery was inherited from parent to child. Other cultures did the same thing.

​Except they enslaved their own race while in Europe and America it was a different situation

[Prometheus 1,494]

Not according to antrhopolgy 

​Somewhat unrelated:

"The American Anthropological Association recommends the elimination of the term 'race' from OMB Directive 15 during the planning for the 2010 Census. During the past 50 years, 'race' has been scientifically proven to not be a real, natural phenomenon. More specific, social categories such as 'ethnicity' or 'ethnic group' are more salient for scientific purposes and have fewer of the negative, racist connotations for which the concept of race was developed."

"Yet the concept of race has become thoroughly—and perniciously—woven into the cultural and political fabric of the United States. It has become an essential element of both individual identity and government policy. Because so much harm has been based on 'racial' distinctions over the years, correctives for such harm must also acknowledge the impact of 'racial' consciousness among the U.S. populace, regardless of the fact that 'race' has no scientific justification in human biology. Eventually, however, these classifications must be transcended and replaced by more non-racist and accurate ways of representing the diversity of the U.S. population."

Thoughts on that since you incorporated anthropology? 

[DrewStevens 5,249]

​Except they enslaved their own race while in Europe and America it was a different situation

That has nothing to do with what she said. She said Europeans invented inherited slavery. 

Also Egyptians enslaved other ethics groups in Africa. War prisoners were enslaved too so those were not their own people anyway. 

[Bette Davis 12,742]

​Somewhat unrelated:

"The American Anthropological Association recommends the elimination of the term 'race' from OMB Directive 15 during the planning for the 2010 Census. During the past 50 years, 'race' has been scientifically proven to not be a real, natural phenomenon. More specific, social categories such as 'ethnicity' or 'ethnic group' are more salient for scientific purposes and have fewer of the negative, racist connotations for which the concept of race was developed."

"Yet the concept of race has become thoroughly—and perniciously—woven into the cultural and political fabric of the United States. It has become an essential element of both individual identity and government policy. Because so much harm has been based on 'racial' distinctions over the years, correctives for such harm must also acknowledge the impact of 'racial' consciousness among the U.S. populace, regardless of the fact that 'race' has no scientific justification in human biology. Eventually, however, these classifications must be transcended and replaced by more non-racist and accurate ways of representing the diversity of the U.S. population."

Thoughts on that since you incorporated anthropology? 

This is exactly what I was talking about. I think lumping Europeans/Whites/Caucasians (or any other 'race' for that matter) is arbitrary and harmful.

In relation to the OP, claiming slavery is a white thing is unfair to peoples who had nothing to do with it. What was done by upper class colonials mostly from USA, England, Spain, France, Portugal has nothing to do with other 'Europeans or whites'. Still slavery was a horrible thing and I agree with some thoughts by that 'professor' but I think she needs to rethink the way she expresses it.

[Prometheus 1,494]

This is exactly what I was talk and was talking about. I think lumping Europeans/Whites/Caucasians (or any other 'race' for that matter) is arbitrary and harmful.

In relation to the OP, claiming slavery is a white thing is unfair to peoples who had nothing to do with it. What was done by upper class colonials from colonials from USA, England, Spain, France, Portugal has nothing to do with other 'Europeans or whites'. Still slavery was a horrible thing and I agree with some thoughts by that 'professor' but I think she needs to rethink the way she expresses it.

​Agreed. 

[PEXI 250]

That has nothing to do with what she said. She said Europeans invented inherited slavery. 

Also Egyptians enslaved other ethics groups in Africa. War prisoners were enslaved too so those were not their own people anyway. 

​I think she was mainly talking about the African slavery but she should have specified. And tweets are really not a good way to try to argue these things as there are character limitations and she should have known better.  And arguably every race had war prisoners at some point.

[Supersonic 49,376]

​I know that it was recent. It is my country's history after all. However, I was not a slave owner. If your grandfather murdered dozens of people would you be expected to apologize for to all of the victim's family? How many times must I say, "I'm sorry that one of my very distant relatives was a slave owner." I think it it more productive to focus on systematic racism as well as privilege instead of apologizing for ancestral sins.  As a queer male do I loathe Germans for rounding up gay men and putting them in concentration camps? No. Do I expect every Christian I meet to apologize for some in their faith adding to our continued discrimination? No. Do I want any Republican that passes my way to say, "I'm sorry that my political party is preventing you from having the same rights as everyone else?" No. Those examples aren't perfect, but they're the closest thing I can fathom for this argument. I would rather straight people recognize their privilege and become allies for the cause.

​Tbh, the reason why nowadays there generally no hard feeling towards Germany anymore (except for some special countries) is that Germany is always profusely apologetic for its past and employed education, money and a lot of resources to at least try to make up for the horrors of the Holocaust. I know what you mean by not expecting anything, but in general it is a lot nicer to know that people themselves think what happened was f*cked up and wrong. Judging from what I see on American media, it feels like people aren't.

[faux 2,190]

fighting racism with racism won't help anyone hun

yeah there were whites who were racist, they were horrible and did horrible things

now people are different, why aren't we happy racism levels have dropped? i'm mostly talking about the area where I live, though. there are no racists here.  maybe in America the situation hasn't changed at all thought how should I know I don't live there 

[Prometheus 1,494]

fighting racism with racism won't help anyone hun

yeah there were whites who were racist, they were horrible and did horrible things

now people are different, why aren't we happy racism levels have dropped? i'm mostly talking about the area where I live, though. there are no racists here.  maybe in America the situation hasn't changed at all thought how should I know I don't live there 

​People are changing the meaning of racism to just encompass systematic racism, as opposed to a belief that one race is either inferior or superior to another based on characteristics they thing everyone in said race has. Saying all white people are racist is just as racist as saying all black people are thieves. However, the historical weight of certain racist viewpoints changes things, as does a system that favors one race.

[Kayla 7,595]

Europeans did ****ty, ****ty things in the past. From scalping Native Americans, kidnapping their children, and causing many of them to die on journeys west, to enslaving Africans who we continued to abuse and segregate after slavery ended, we don't have the best track record when it comes to treating people of color with respect.
We still continue to do ****ty things today, except it's more socially ingrained and subtle.

Now, what she said about whites isn't racist, it's prejudiced. There is a difference, and I'm not going to give a definition lesson on the two words. Regardless, it's still pretty ignorant- especially what she said about avoiding white-owned businesses. 

However, disagreements with her opinions and historical inaccuracies aside, white people can't say "That all happened in the PAST! It's not happening now so things are fine!"
Wrong- What happened in the past affects what happens today.
I'm only two generations away from family members who were literally in the Ku Klux Klan.
My great grandmother read me a book when I was a kid and pointed out the "black baby," in a non-supportive way.
I remember my own father refusing to go to a coworker's wedding because he was marrying a black woman.
My younger cousin refers to black people as "coloreds" and doesn't take them seriously.
My grandfather was upset when my mom was a teen listening to Michael Jackson because he's a black man. (I should mention my grandfather has changed dramatically in his views of black people- he now does not judge based on color of skin and is quick to admit he was wrong in the past)
My mother always put a quick stop to racist talk around me and spoke to me about race equality from a young age and didn't stay with my mindless father, bless her, but I grew up surrounded by many people who maintained racist opinions. 

If people are thinking/believing these things, you can bet they're influencing decisions.
The scary thing is many of these people won't even call themselves "racists."
They give the excuses-
"But I'm not racist! I have nothing against black people! I have a black friend! I have a black coworker and they're great at their job! One of our black neighbors is a great father!"  
Let's be honest- they're the people keeping an eye on the black person that walks in a store because they assume they'll be the one to steal something. My stepmother was a manager at a mall clothing store and she flat out said when a black person comes in she keeps an eye on them because she "knows they steal more than white people." 
But they're not racist.  

And it's in those "little" things where current racism lies. 
As I said above, black people aren't being lynched. We don't have slaves. Hell, a black man is president and black votes have been worth the same amount as a white vote for a long time now. But that doesn't mean we are equal. Micro-aggression is very real, decisions made based on color of skin absolutely happens, and negative actions of a single black male are frequently used to justify negative opinions about black people as a whole.

Compare vocabulary in articles about people rioting over sports teams losing to people rioting over a black man getting unfairly shot.
Sports rioters are "unruly fans," "rowdy," "shirtless youths," "excessive celebration," "ruckus," "antagonistic," etc. 
and black rioters are "chaos," "illegal marches," "out of control," "thugs," "night of violence," "night of rage," etc.
Now, all of the above things are true, but the way they're reported so differently is questionable.
(I literally got my quotes from articles just now, but I will also say not all articles showed this bias- many wrote very fairly and I was impressed by how more recent articles seem to be more aware of the words they choose)
Take a look at UMass riots. They actually have a history and habit of rioting, but you won't see a UMass student being judged as a rioter because the actions of singular UMass rioters don't label the student body as a whole. Interesting. http://boston.sbnation.com/new-england-patriots/2012/2/5/2774337/super-bowl-2012-riots-break-out-at-umass-amherst-after-patriots-loss
Don't forget to notice how in comment sections, people don't use white sports fans rioting as a way to say "why do whites always ___?" or "If whites want to be taken seriously they can't do this stuff!" or "They act like they're protesting but they're just destroying their town!" but when rioters are predominantly black they are "animals" "destroying their towns."
There is a bias.

(As far as the professor dissing Bruce Jenner for being a Republican, I too also used to hold this type of view until an episode of The West Wing got me thinking and actually allowed me to be more open-minded. A character on the show is a gay man, but Republican. A Democrat character was frustrated by this, and asked him why he chose to be in a political party that did not grant him rights for his s-xuality. The Republican character said that his s-xuality is important to him, but it is not the only thing about his life. He was gay, but he also had beliefs about the economy, laws, etc. that fell more in line with being Republican. 
I personally will always choose human rights over other things, which is why I tend to be more liberal/democrat, but I can understand how a woman or non-straight person may still want to be Republican for reasons not related to their gender or s-xuality.)

 

TL;DR - The professor is ignorant and prejudiced, but racism is a real issue and we need to pay attention to what black people are saying because bias and racism still effect black people in the US today. 

[Kayla 7,595]

​Call forth the queen of calming controversy  We call to you Mother @Kayla

​I hope my way too long essay was exactly what you hoped it would be. 

There's just so much to consider and so much history with this issue. Like. I don't know how to talk about it without just word-vomiting a million paragraphs and thoughts.