Overt Racism As The New Normal: "Can My Children Be Friends With White People?"
Ekow N. Yankah -- a university professor! (at Cardozo School of Law) -- has an op-ed under that headline in The New York Times:
I will teach my boys to have profound doubts that friendship with white people is possible....For African-Americans, race has become a proxy not just for politics but also for decency. White faces are swept together, ominous anxiety behind every chance encounter at the airport or smiling white cashier. If they are not clearly allies, they will seem unsafe to me.
She takes on the white Trump voter, as well.
Guess what: Black people voted for Trump, too. And there are a number of explanations for why that don't include hating black people and recent immigrants or immigrants-to-come.
Ed from Virginia, in the NYT's comments, with some sense:
This melodrama from blacks in particular blacks from a recent African background is simply too much for me to go on uncommented upon.White liberals you are being hustled. It's that simple. I can assure you that the vast majority of black people aren't obsessing over their interactions with whites nor fear that their children interact with them
I'm 40 years old, my parents are from Ghana, born and raised in VA. My first friend at 4 was white. We're still friends. I went to Catholic school which was mostly white. I don't recall a cross word due to my race. This was all in the 80s. I actually voted for Trump. Do I approve of everything he does? Nope.
Just live your lives and stop obsessing over race.
Another -- from Singapore:
HPE, Singapore
This piece defies my logic. I like who i like based on who they are. And i befriend based on reciprocity of these feelings. Irrespective of age, gender, race, nationality, sexual preferences or religion. To start teaching your children that they cannot be befriended with whites (or homosexuals or jews for that matter )is feeding the exact raciacial segregation the author so deeply despises. There always has to be one that tries to bridge the divide, and waits for the helping hand to be accepted. To aim for a better world, don't wait for others but starts with oneself.
via @RobbySoave
Inequality, racism and (mostly unfounded) white fears obviously exist. To advocate seperatism--in any form--is a mistake. An exhausted, confused, frustrated Rodney King once simply asked, "Can't we all just get along?". The answer is "yes," and races largely do throughout the land. THAT is the bottom line. Races largely get along throughout this country. Things HAVE come a long way. Are there still battles to fight? Are there problems within the cultures of some/many law enforcement agencies? Fears to face? Absolutely. But moving away, or seeking retroactive means to combat societal issues, only serves the bad guys.
Sandy marsh at November 12, 2017 8:14 AM
Ta-Nehisi Coates, who writes about nothing but race and imagines magical powers for whites, admitted in his book that he was only ever assaulted by blacks growing up and had to make a big deal about his kid getting pushed by a white lady--the only "abuse" he could document in his life by white people. It is an ideology, not a reality. The "N" word is far more likely to be found in a rap song than anywhere else.
cc at November 12, 2017 8:37 AM
Professor Yankah
Africa is right over there. I'm sure any of a number of sub Saharan would welcome a woman of letters and her family to their nation. Then you won't have to deal with any icky white people.
I'm sure you won't be discriminated against because you aren't black enough, or too black, or from the wrong tribe, or because you live in a certain area. Buy a Coke and teach the world to sing!
I R A Darth Aggie at November 12, 2017 8:49 AM
he was only ever assaulted by blacks growing up
That's right.
It isn't the Klan, or the Aryan Nation, or the Nazis, or even Chicago PD visiting death upon the poor unfortunates there. No, they're murdering each other. Apparently, some Black Lives don't actually matter.
I R A Darth Aggie at November 12, 2017 8:53 AM
She takes on the white Trump voter, as well.
Yankah is a guy, but that's a small point compared to the larger one:
White faces are swept together, ominous anxiety behind every chance encounter at the airport or smiling white cashier. If they are not clearly allies, they will seem unsafe to me.
I'm not sure how someone can "clearly" be your ally if you don't get to know them, their works, their thoughts. If any group of people is "swept together" in your mind, then you'll never see the individual.
Kevin at November 12, 2017 9:58 AM
Maybe this idiot ought to consider whose values and actions makes simply walking downtown a fatal mistake in dozens of American cities.
Cities have been the heart of the intellectual and artistic in all civilizations, as for example, Athens, Rome, Florence, Vienna, New York. By contrast, blacks have destroyed city after American city after American city. Trenton, Camden, Newark, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Detroit, Chicago, Gary, Flint, St. Louis, New Orleans, Milwaukee. At one time in all of these one could live, walk at will, send one’s children to the schools. Now, no. Violence, crime, racial attacks, and illiteracy drive the civilized to remote suburbs. This is not my culture and I see no reason to apologize for it.
Radwaste at November 12, 2017 11:07 AM
@NAChristakis tweet:
https://twitter.com/NAChristakis/status/929763550226190343
"Teaching kids to be suspicious of kids of other races is illiberal, is against MLK’s vision, borders on child abuse"
Amy Alkon at November 12, 2017 12:34 PM
Mr. (Mrs/Ms/Xes/whatever) Yankah, allow me to introduce you to J.B. Stoner. I'll bet the two of you will find that you have a lot of things in common.
Cousin Dave at November 12, 2017 12:39 PM
That was almost a complete sentence, Snoop!
Crid at November 13, 2017 10:01 AM
Wrong thread, but still.
Crid at November 13, 2017 10:02 AM
Not if they're on the UCLA basketball team and get arrested for shoplifting in China, they can't.
http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2017/11/07/liangelo-ball-two-ucla-players-arrested-in-china-for-alleged-shoplifting.html
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at November 13, 2017 11:36 AM
"White faces are swept together, ominous anxiety behind every chance encounter at the airport or smiling white cashier. If they are not clearly allies, they will seem unsafe to me."
In what possible way do blacks feel "unsafe" at the airport or the mall? Do they get assaulted there? Because I've missed all the assaults.
cc at November 13, 2017 2:25 PM
"Do they get assaulted there? Because I've missed all the assaults."
The difference between reality and the narrative. The narrative you learn like the above from parent, preacher, school, and politicians. That you are constantly oppressed and attacked. i.e. Being watched extra in a mall, is an "assault". And way more important that being stabbed by the guy down the block. Driving while black because whites never get pulled over. And cops hunt you for sport. Is all the narrative drummed into generations.
Reality doesn't resemble it, often hidden by the media and politicians and activists.
It's a different world with different rules, speech by you is violence, violence by me is irrelevant.
Joe J at November 13, 2017 10:20 PM
Leave a comment