- 06:32 PM
- 11/05/24
but isn't there something inately hypocritical--or worse, an assumption that racial inequality (e.g., the achievement gap, the disproportionate prison population, the segregated neighborhoods, etc) is natural rather than manmade--in a society that claims it can't see color but that has such striking statistical trends along lines of race?
posted by blue at 02:43 PM on December 15, 2005
but in a segregated society is it possible to not think of yourself as black or white - colorblindness might be a nice elementary school lesson, but we're generations from being to where that's a responsible ideology. should we ignore the achievement gap? the disproportionate racial makeup of our prisons? the segregated nature of most of our cities? colorblindness is a great conscience massager but it's not gonna make those problems disappear. neither is not talking about them. i'm not saying we need to talk about them in this venue either, and i certainly think the naacp pres in philly misjudged whatever he thought the positive outcome of his comment would be.
posted by blue at 02:27 PM on December 15, 2005
i think i might use this post in one of my classes to show how complicated an issue race remains in US society today. elsewhere in the world, race isn't like it is in america. in some places it's bad or similarly unjust, but nowhere but in the US of A is such an obvious issue so fervently brushed under a rug that by now is taller than a mountain. qmkirk's got it right, and no one responded - until the past is recognized, the present's destined to be stuck in the stagnant water of racism that we've yet to more than stir as a country ideologically "committed" to equality... with that as an example of commitment, it's no wonder our divorce rates are as high as they are. and don't forget that being white (which i am) and claiming this problem is someone else's fault (Sasquatch12154) is simple... i don't blame it on you sasqy, i blame it on our schools, which have failed to develop empathy in all stratas of US society since thomas jefferson came up with this neat experiment called a "meritocracy." i recommend we focus on something we know (sports) rather than something that we as a country remain inept to address (race relations).
posted by blue at 01:09 PM on December 15, 2005
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