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Why is Obama labeled "black?"

lilithu

The Devil's Advocate
Probably because you tend to do similar things ;)
I took two sentences from your post to make a point. The part that I left out did not explain the two sentences. If I had left the rest in and highlighted the two sentences, it would not have changed their meaning.

Can you contribute anything to the conversation aside from making snide comments from the sidelines?
 

Buttons*

Glass half Panda'd
I took two sentences from your post to make a point. The part that I left out did not explain the two sentences. If I had left the rest in and highlighted the two sentences, it would not have changed their meaning.

Can you contribute anything to the conversation aside from making snide comments from the sidelines?
I already did :) Feel free to go back and read it anytime :D
 

ChrisP

Veteran Member
Don't make me get out the kitten mittens ladies

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lilithu

The Devil's Advocate
I was addressing the whole statement. I only cut and pasted part of it just so you'd know what I was responding to. I personally hate to see whole entire quoted segments, it is a bit annoying to me, since I already had read the original statement. That is why I avoid doing it myself, if it is possible.
To my mind, the rest of the paragraph was essential to understanding what I was saying.

Of course, ultimately, we are all human beings. Race is only a construct with no biological or even cultural basis. But in this society, people get treated differently based on their perceived race. That's not the ideal, but it's the reality. When you say that you don't see color, only a human being, what you are saying is that you do not acknowledge these differences. We are NOT all equal. We should be, but we're not.

I once had a friend who told me that I was being racist for cheering the success of Michael Chang, the first Chinese-American professional tennis player. In his mind, we're not supposed to notice color and all tennis players were just tennis players. He could not see that his experience in the U.S. was full of positive role models - doctors, judges, athletes, artists, actors - that looked like him and sent the message that he could be anything. The message was so ubiquitous that he didn't have to even consciously think about it. I, otoh, grew up thinking that there was some unwritten rule that Chinese people could only be doctors and own restaurants and shops, because those were the only places that I saw them.

"I don't see color" fails to take into account that "race" influences people experiences. Treating people all the same when they are not is just as harmful as treating them differently when they're the same.
 

ChristineES

Tiggerism
Premium Member
That's just it. I do notice differences, I just don't make an issue of them. We are all different, not just race, but values, faith (or lack of faith), lifestyle, sexual preference, and even what books we read and music we listen to.
 

lilithu

The Devil's Advocate
That's just it. I do notice differences, I just don't make an issue of them.
That's fine as long as you allow room for others to make an issue of them if they need to.

For example, and I'm not saying that you did this, it's just an example, if someone were to say, "What's the big deal about Obama being black? I don't see color. To me he's just a president and everyone who makes note of Obama being a black president is racist."

That to me is a racist statement.
 

ChristineES

Tiggerism
Premium Member
That's fine as long as you allow room for others to make an issue of them if they need to.

For example, and I'm not saying that you did this, it's just an example, if someone were to say, "What's the big deal about Obama being black? I don't see color. To me he's just a president and everyone who makes note of Obama being a black president is racist."

That to me is a racist statement.

You can be assured that I would not say something like that. I thought it was great that we finally had a black president. And it was a big deal to a lot of people. :) I understand that at certain times it will be an issue to people.
 

Reverend Rick

Frubal Whore
Premium Member
Now this is just way out of line. Today violence is everywhere and while some is racial motivated most is violence for the sake of violence. You think a white man can go anywhere he wants without fear of violence? You think I wouldn't get shot driving through Little Havanah, Harlem or Watts?

I don't know about the last two, but you are wrong about Little Havanah. I'm as white as they come and never had a problem ever when I was there.
 

Trey of Diamonds

Well-Known Member
I don't know about the last two, but you are wrong about Little Havanah. I'm as white as they come and never had a problem ever when I was there.

Which one and what time were you there and what were you doing? All of these things matter just as they did for a Black man going through Polk county Tennessee. The point is that while Blacks were in greater danger of racial violence, it is unrealistic to say that only Blacks were in danger and it is especially unrealistic today when I would say the chances of racially motivated violence could come from and be against any color.
 

Autodidact

Intentionally Blank
No, Trey, I don't think you would get shot driving through Harlem or Watts, why do you? Hundreds of white people do it every day. For heaven's sakes, Bill Clintons office was (is?) in Harlem. Racist stereotype much?
 

Trey of Diamonds

Well-Known Member
No, Trey, I don't think you would get shot driving through Harlem or Watts, why do you? Hundreds of white people do it every day. For heaven's sakes, Bill Clintons office was (is?) in Harlem. Racist stereotype much?

Did you see my comment to Rick? It depends on when and what you are doing. It was suggested that Blacks live in fear of racial violence being done to them and I agree that there was and still is a danger. But most of the time that violence was dependant on the environment in which you were in and I was just trying to illustrate the fact that there are places in which a white person would be in danger. It sounds like I selected some bad examples, my appologies.
 

blackout

Violet.
Brought back a memory...

in my early 20's I lived in Brooklyn, NY...
St Marks between 3rd and 4th if I recal.
(it was a looonnngg time ago. shhhh)

and anyway, we were literally the ONLY
"white" row house on the entire street.
lol. don't know how it happened,
but that's how it was when I moved in. :D
White people were definately not the "norm" in that whole area.
I was a racial "sore thumb" for sure. haha
(at that time anyway. don't know about now)

Now I felt VERY comfortable
(as comfortable as one "should" living in a city)
with all my neighbors.
I never ONCE caught a bad vibe from anyone
out on my street.... ever...
nor was anyone rude or anything.
(as it should be).

HOWEVER... there was one thing I dreaded truly,
(besides late night/morning subway travel home
which I never did alone-- as was a genernal safety issue)...
and it was this...
Coming home off the subway when that damned highschool let out.
It was right on the path from the subway, to my apartment.
Damn those highschool kids were racially brutal and generally disresrespectful.
They were. :( I'm quite sure (most) of their parents would not have approved,
going by the way I was treated by all the adults that were my neighbors.
But honestly they sent MAJOR shivers up my spine sometimes.
I really tried to avoid that whole thing.

A trip down memory lane. ;)
 

Trey of Diamonds

Well-Known Member
A trip down memory lane. ;)

And a great example of the wrong place at the wrong time. Where I'm from there used to be government housing called the Projects and while it was safe enough to drive through during the day, you didn't really want to at night. Also, there was some Cajun areas you didn't want to go poking around at night either.
 

Kathryn

It was on fire when I laid down on it.
Hey, I'm originally from New Orleans. I can ASSURE you that there are plenty of places in that city where NO one whose not a native should go after dark - even the natives avoid the streets then. And a WHITE tourist better for dang sure stay out of those areas. It would be like walking around with a bulls-eye painted on your shirt.
 

DallasApple

Depends Upon My Mood..
Im from Birmingham Alabama..I can ASUURE you ...that if you are white(doesnt matter if you are a native) in some places after a certan "time" if you walk around you are a target..

Female is the firt problem..white is just piling on the odds..you are like set up for something REALLY bad happening to you..

Love

Dallas
 

The Voice of Reason

Doctor of Thinkology
The country club that I grew up in was especially risky at certain times of year. If you were caught wearing white after Labor Day, God help you.

I can distinctly remember when we were kids, we had to shag our own tennis balls after practice, and one of my buddies almost 9 years old before he learned not to mix argyle socks and paisley pants.

I can still see my best friend from the seventh grade, walking into the pro shop and buying a sleeve of Top Flite X-Outs to play a round with. Not a pretty day, and I still have trouble talking about it.

Oh, the humanity.
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
Hmm, that's interesting. My biracial kids would tell you that they have NOT been treated as "black" all their lives. I guess perception is reality for some people.

Here's a little story:

When I was married to the father of my kids (who is black), I can honestly tell you that we experienced true discrimination - to my knowledge - only a handful of times in the 11 years we were married. However, I had a white girlfriend who was married to a black guy. She claimed that everywhere they went they were discriminated against. This was always weird to me because we lived in the same town and my experiences were so different.

I finally came to the conclusion that apparently we sent off "different vibes" or "karma." I didn't EXPECT to have problems with people - and I wasn't hypersensitive to the race issue. My husband and I were confident in ourselves, if that makes any sense. If someone was looking closely at my kids, I didn't assume they were thinking they were ugly - I assumed they were thinking they were cute - unless their actions suggested differently (which I don't recall ever happening). My friend always assumed people were staring at her kids and thinking "what ugly kids."

My kids are grown now, and each one of them has stressed to me over and over again how much they have enjoyed being multiracial - and what an asset it's been in their lives.

And I have to admit - they are some beautiful people. But I'm biased!
I really can't speak for Obama. I guess he prefers to be thought of as Black, and as far as I'm concerned, that's a choice he's entitled to make. On the other hand, I loved your post and I wish I could have seen that redneck's face when you told her you weren't checking one of her dumb boxes. :D
 

Storm

ThrUU the Looking Glass
Actually, now that I think of it, every time I've heard Obama himself mention it, he's acknowledged both sides.
 

Kathryn

It was on fire when I laid down on it.
I'm not complaining at all about the way Obama categorizes (or doesn't categorize) himself. I am complaining about why society in general insists on calling him "black."

And Katzpur - thanks!
 
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