Sunday, 15 March 2009
a thought along the lines of the invisible man...
Recently, we've had some racial unrest at the alternative high school I work at in Provo. This has led me to ponder how much progress as a society we've really made, especially as I read the latest reading. Granted, we just elected an African-American president, and things are nowhere near where they were during Jim Crow. But I have also wondered if maybe we've focused on the wrong things...by this I mean there's channels like Black Starz, Black Entertainment Television, and programs such as affirmitive action. It's a really sensitive discussion, but it just seems to me like if we were truly moving towards a color-blind society, these things are counter-productive. Anyone got an opinion?
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Can you imagine if we turned on the TV and watching our favorite channels such as White TV or White Entertainment?! There would be prejedice lawsuits left and right if such channels existed! How can we claim racial equality and at the same time have this double standard?
ReplyDeleteIt's without a doubt counter productive to have any channel that exclusivley targets a specific audience because of the color of their skin, and at the same time excluding other races.
We don't need a Black Culture or a White Culture. We need an American Culture.
I see these points, certainly, but couldn't one also argue that the reason we need a Black Entertainment Television is that most other channels ARE White Entertainment Telvision? I've heard similar arguments about affirmative action, that it is racist to actively seek out minorities, women, and historically underrepresented groups when hiring. But again, can't one argue that it is BECAUSE these groups have historically been underrepresented, and are still underrepresented in many fields, that we need to have affirmative action laws? Thoughts?
ReplyDeleteI undrestand where your coming from, and affirmative action is a tricky subject. I like the fact that it's designed to help those in tough circumstances, but at the same time i dont like the fact that my 3.0 polynesian buddy got accepted to BYU over my lil sister that was a 3.9 student who had more extra ciricular activities her senior year of high school than most have in their 4 years.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in a racially diverse area in northern california i saw plenty of racial hate. It seemed that the majority of the groups or clicks were divided by their racial background. Once a group of mexican kids hung a noose on the tree where the black kids ate lunch. Another time a kid i knew was jumped by what he said was a group black kids from the school.
By segragating TV channels and limiting the admitance into school or work by the color of ones skin and not based by their marits, aren't we deepening the wedge and furthering the separation bewteen these racial clicks?
Daniel,
ReplyDeleteI am inclined to disagree. My ancestors on my father's side arrived from Ireland right before the Revolutionary War, and as far as our geneology can tell, never owned slaves. My ancestors on my mother's side arrived from Germany in 1903, 50 years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
While it is true that African-Americans have been historically discriminated against and under-represented in this country, such has been the case of many minority groups, such as the Jews, Eastern Europeans, and Irish Catholics. While none were enslaved on our shores, the fact remains; all suffered discrimination and marginalization for a time.
Then I look at where our country stands today. We just elected an African-American President...a man of color has risen to the highest office in the land. Furthermore, the last two Attorney General's have been minorities, and one would be hard pressed to argue that congressional districts are not truly representational.
The age of Jim Crow has passed, and racism is no longer an American institution. Does it exist? Sure. But not to the point that a policy of reverse-discrimination does anyone any good. An affirmitive action policy based upon racial identity does little besides leave bitterness and discontent in its wake.
A more fair situation as far as college goes, in my view, would to guarantee the top 10% of every high school in America admission to a state school. This would compensate for the differential in quality of education and environment between a school in Beverly Hills vs. a school in Compton.