HI Everyone: I just discovered your website. What a great idea! I had no clue there was such a site. I believe it goes a long way to help people understand the existing problems of race relations. I'm a white woman in her 70's. I grew up in an African-American neighborhood since my parents had a business there. All of my friends and playmates were children of color. It made me very sensitive to the racism I saw all around me in later life. I'd like to make two points. One is that racism, as well as sexism, and ageism, etc. exist because people use it as a coping mechanism to feel better about themselves. Putting someone down is an effective way to boost your own ego. People who feel good about themselves have no need to put someone down. Surveys have shown that college graduates are less likely to have prejudices towards others. The answer would be to foster positive self-esteem in young children in the early grades. It is more important than reading, wrilting, and arithmetic. Secondly, there is a bill in Congress to establish a Cabinet level Dept. of Peace. This would not only focus on international peace efforts, but would also introduce programs on non-violence within the school system. Check it out at www.thepeacealliance.org. It would go a long way towards resolving many existing problems.

Hi,

I would have to agree with LenaC. we really do need to start teaching peace at an early age. We have to start accepting responsibility for the things that we do and the things that we allow to happen. Our communities arent, going to change by themmselves, someone has to be brave enough to first step. If we do not change our commmunities, starting with our own families, no one else will. Being African American, i found "Why are So Many Black Men In Prison" to provide a very good amount of insight in to why the black community is the way it is. Bottom line, you have to fully understand where you came from in order to know and devise a plan for where your going

"If you do not understandWhite Supremancy(Racism)-what it is, and how it wokrs-everything else that you understand,will only confuse you." Neel Fuller, Jr. (1971) The United Independent Compensatory Code/System/Concept. The Seeds of Racism," A Mental Illness Orally Transmitted from One Generation to Another" says autheor Lee Miller. The ISIS PAPERS, The Keys to Colors, by Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, shares that people of colors are not minorities, but the majority. It shows how White Supremancy, controls people of color in all the areas of people activity, Education, Entertainment,Labor,Law,Politics, Religion,Sex,War,Economics, I like to add Health, as one who spoke out against the medical sytem over 30 years ago

I am a 43 year old "woman". I do not identify myself by race. I identify myself by gender only for the laughing matter. We need to stop with all the hate. Period. If we would teach the simple concept of "peace", at a very early age, to everyone, we would all be better off. In a "White" neighborhood the crimes are generally commited by "whites", and in a "hispanic" neighborhood.......by "hispanics", and so on. If you can't stand the changes in the world, move to a mountain top and create your own reality. The only thing that is proven to be constant is the fact that everything changes. I love unconditionally. I could care less what color you are as long as you are a decent human being and have love in your heart. Not everyone is prejudice.....Not everyone hates. Most people would just like the world to calm its ass down. Go back to the golden rule...and apply it to everyone. I personally have a rainbow family, and wouldn't trade anyone in it. We range from dark skin black, to ginger, to light skin freckle face white. Everyone brings something to our table that we wouldn't be complete without. So I plead with humanity to practice tolerance and love.....It is all that will save OUR world. Peace and Love to all.

Im a black woman who parter is a white woman. I was beat by five white policeman and front of my children ,parter and home. My parter(lover) is going to school to be a lawyer. I feel she dont understand my pain, she did nothing , I feel together as couple we could have sue the police. when obama stold up for his friend the teacher she said obama was wrong. again I told her she dont understand. At this moment, I feel alot of dislike towards her . I love her with all my heart, My life needs her . What can I do to make things better with me and her.

I was with my friend, Eagle Eyes recently…

…another unplanned occasion we often catch on the fly — to share and purge the unnecessary malarkey that preoccupies our thoughts.

As per usual our conversation started down one road — and before long — we’d taken several unexpected detours.

This time around, we took a protracted pit stop at Rajen Persaud’s book, Why Black Men Love White Women. We both have dog-eared and highlighted copies — and, we both have encouraged our other friends — independently — to purchase copies of their own.

During our brief, yet lively discussion, we pondered a particularly fascinating question Persaud addresses in his book: Are Black men choosing white women – or rejecting Black women?

Certainly, that discussion is too large in scope for this post; suffice it to say, Persaud’s book has given me fodder for MANY future posts.

My conversation with Eagle Eyes got me to thinking about cultural loyalty and creature comfort. Many Black women have told me that although they are open to dating outside their race, they love the comfort of being with a Black man.

They’ve also confessed to feeling “safe” in emotional and intimate relationships with Black men; and, a sense of pride and loyalty maintaining a Black household.

Interestingly, Sisters have also admitted to me that the haunting stings of slavery and the accompanying abuse at the hands of white men have prevented them from comfortably pursuing relationships with white men.

“Why would any Black woman,” one Sister asked me, “want to be with men who have deeply-rooted disrespect for us? It’s a game for them. Don’t let them fool you. Once burned, twice shy,” she said with confidence.

“Our features, thickness, and strength — our package — is an alluring prospect to take to bed — but, oh no, if you’re not half-white, rich, or a celebrity, a real relationship will not happen. We Sisters aren’t good enough for the average white guy. Just look at the numbers!”

Once burned [bitten], twice shy, I repeated. My mother often stated this idiom to me to keep me out of trouble. It suggests that when you’ve had a bad experience, you’re likely to shy away from being in the same situation.

But, as an adult, I wonder if this holds true if the bad experience happens to you indirectly?

This brings me back to Persaud’s question: Are Black men choosing white women – or rejecting Black women?

For Persaud’s question raises related issue for me — the issue of cunning white women with their bag o’ tricks.

She’s the one you see on the evening news with tears in her eyes, fright in her voice, and a secret in her heart. She’s the one who’s winning the sympathy and advocacy of everyone around her.

She’s the gal who knows all too well that her job now is to ‘turn it on’ for the camera and keep her lies straight — nothing too complicated, foreign, or unbelievable.

She’s the clever cutie who finds it so incredibly easy to point her crooked finger in the direction of the black man in time of trouble.

Now, that’s believable!

She’s also the woman embarrassing her family — often taking unsuspecting family members down with her; using to her advantage the justice system, and leaving victims to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives in her wake.

If you don’t know her — you may know of her in a different variation. Trust me, you do. Just think about it.

Due to the size of the videos --- please read the rest at: http://www.ebonyinspired.com/?p=6354

Does anyone know of any studies/surveys etc. regarding racism vs culteralism?

I mean the difference between racial prejudice vs cultural prejudice.

I've known versions of the typical old white conservative guy saying he has a problem with African American culture not African Americans.

Ever since hearing this opinion for the first time, I've always wondered just how common it is.

NOT that the negative impact of this opinion wouldn't be just as destructive as a genetic prejudice, but it seems like a difference worth investigating.

That's what this site's for right?

I have read the conversations above and I feel angry,touched,and disappointed.First and foremost we have to realize that it is human nature to destroy eachother.The main way we do this is by singling eachother out by the color of our skin and applying sterotypes.We tend to be so closeminded.Racism still lives because of conversations like these.We take so much PRIDE in our race,well guess what,PRIDE COMETH BEFORE THE FALL!We are all one race,THE HUMAN RACE.It's sad that the only thing threating the human race is ourselves.In order for us to achieve any kind of peace is to literally stop classifying eachother into different race's.We are all one. Stop taking PRIDE in someone else's achievments just because of their ethnic background.Yes Obama is Black and White but does it matter?NO! He is human just like the rest of us.Did you also know that having things like Black history month keeps racism alive?O like that's a big freakin shock.It keeps it alive by singling out one race.This is America we are Americans and by singling out one race for recognition leaves others feeling insignifficant or unequal.If we are going to recognize one race for a month then we should also recognize everybody else.It's like my teacher taught me,"Don't bring any gum to class unless you have enough for the whole class."

Thanks Jett. When I saw Smiley tack the photo of Malcolm and Martin on the pizzeria wall I was so happy to see this - since all hell was breaking loose inside the pizzeria. Mookie was the calming peace maker all throughout the movie, so I was stunned that he choose to hurl a trash can. But it all makes sense since you indicated the metaphors.

Earlier I googled Spike Lee's answer to the trash can, and he said that not one black person asked why Mookie did this, only white people.

Thank you Jett, for taking the time to answer my question :)

@Katherine:

That trash can was a metaphor for the rage we all feel watching our neighbors get killed by the police, listening to racist Italian people refer to us as "Moe and Joe Black" and a host of other things that were represented in that film.

The tension that built up the entire day and the agonizing heat was a metaphor for racial tension in America. The garbage can was an example of what NOT to do. As we learned, nothing comes from violent revolution but destruction. The character "Smiley" that walked around with pics of Malcolm and Martin was the one voice of reason that nobody heard.

I hope that helped, Katherine. :)