OT Black Man In Minnesota Dies After Cop Kneels On His Neck/ Portland Riots

Aww, c'mon man...nothing like that ever happens here...snap out of it !!!

 

Interesting story:

I was just talking to a coffee rep about what's happening in our streets at the moment and it led to a bigger discussion. He was born in Guatemala, but is a US citizen now, and like many immigrants LOVES the U.S. with a passion greater than many of us that were born here. Anyhow, our conversation meandered and ended up in roughly the 1950s...

His grandfather, who is now 95, took part in a college exchange program in which he was able to spend a term at a university in the United States. He ended up an Chapel Hill or Columbia, somewhere in the Carolinas. He was pursuing, and later received, a degree in law.

School went well for him, but what affected him most was the racism in the U.S. A darker skinned Guatemalan, he was subject to Jim Crow laws, and had to ride in the back of bus, use particular drinking fountains and bathrooms, sit at a separate dining area, etc. Holy bizarro.

The white American timeline is doing the Twist and listening to Elvis and stuff, black America, and apparently anyone with darker skin, is treated like a leper. Something about that viewpoint really popped me way, way out of the white American narrative for a moment...

Dude ended up going back to Guatemala and finishing his degree. He has been to the U.S. many times since (never the South however), but his experiences rubbed the luster from the country...

 

What I've posted here transcends our current POTUS. All this same stuff would apply if even Biden were in office, and beyond. But, it's gonna HAVE to take efforts (accountability) from all ends of the color bar. I can tell you this, though, Black folks don't want White folks simply trotting out jargon and/or patronizing. What follows the protests? That takes proactively getting outside of our homes and into the action. It takes co mingling. It takes participating in various school programs - yes, even in neighborhoods other than your own. It takes inviting folks into your home when you have those opportunities. It takes volunteering in social programs. The sky's the limit. It takes....it takes...it takes....being kind.

 

Interesting story, and I can very easily see that sort of thing happening. And while I do agree with the point you made, to be fair, the US by no means had/has a monopoly on racism because it is/was pretty much a worldwide problem. Blacks are/were looked upon unfavorably on just about every continent. Asians, whites, Native American, Irish, Italian, German, et al, also have a history of discrimination.

Again, not at all disputing your post and not intending to take the thread off topic, just pointing out that racism existed or still does exist in one form or another and sometimes to a greater/lesser degree than others, just about everywhere.

 

I know I shouldn't have laughed at that but I did....unbelievable.

 

I agree. What I think the U.S. has is great branding, many times to our detriment. As the Land of the Free and Possibility and so forth, we have A LOT to live up to. Sometimes, it seems we have to gloss over history. Sometimes, we have to pretend that it is a level playing field, when we really know it's rife with pitfalls.

So in regards to other countries...I'd say other countries are (almost universally) who they are because of homogamy. We, on the other hand, are the great Melting Pot. Perhaps, the homogamy arose because integrating is a difficult thing to do. I don't know. I just know we claim to be above race while the minorities in this country many times disagree.

I don't fault us for our lofty expectations; it's just a lot work to fulfill them. I think the majority at this point is nodding their heads that some more work is needed. At least I hope they are.

 

that was stupid to get out of the car regardless!

 

My heart started beating so fast when he opened that door. Like I was watching a horror movie...

 

If the sign didn't have a minimum, he shouldn't even be getting a warning...