Does Your Race Define You?

[Blackout]

We only got our own.

Most people aren't ready to accept all of us being equal so we must stay to ourselves and rise.

 

[PlainSight]

I am of the belief that many things define us as the individuals we are - either within or without a collective of some sort.

To an extent, I am defined by my blackness in the sense that it's an important and foremost component of my personality. It is, however, not the only thing that defines me. Being a free thinker is also something that defines me. Being an autistic individual is an important definition of who I am. It does not affect how I treat people, nor does it negate my ability to objectively view other people - put it this way, my critical thinking skills and acceptance does not get in the way of my blackness and they co-exist quite easily.

Anyway, I rambled, so - yeah, I am in part defined by my race, as I am defined by lots of other things too.

 

[scarlxrd]

I define myself.

 

[Solo ✧✦✧]

No. From an individual view your personality traits, interests and morals etc... are things that I believe define me. Race is a factor, but it's not the only factor that matters.

 

[010101]

action defines everything

that being said look at how much people of the same race have done to themselves
people highlight race like it matters
even when you look the same there is no obstacle to bloodshed and violence etc.

and for a few difference of appearance is no obstacle to love and kindness etc.

#koonbyye#c00nbyya


Z z z z z z

 

[Pifferry]

No.

 

[godkiller]

I'm hoping we can have a mature discussion about this without anyone using derogatory language in response to my question.

Personally, I do not allow any label in society to define me. We're all born into a structured society already set in place: cultural identifiers such as race, religion and other ideologies are fed to us through indoctrination. When you allow your culture/race to define you, immediately your subconscious mind begins mimicry. You start to act the way you think you're supposed to act. If you act differently from your 'group' then you will be an outcast and your membership revoked.

I'm sure you've heard countless negative connotations being attached to black people, and sometimes those same negative stereotypes held up by black people themselves. Of course, this is something that did not appear on its own. Psychological warfare has always been used as a weapon against black people for eons. And it's admirable that many try to highlight the positives, but if we play the tit for tat game in an attempt to rise above our oppressors, then we're forced to acknowledge an actual hierarchal system exists. This is what they've desperately tried to establish for centuries and if we play their game we'll be fighting them forever.

IMO, the only true way to destroy the system is through destroying the social construct they've created, because at the end of the day that is what race is: a social construct. The only way to truly free people from race is to free them psychologically. Yes, you'll always have people who are racist towards you and yes, there are many racist institutions out there, but if you allow your race to define you -- then you've made their job much easier. This does not mean you become blind to racism... you just change your rhetoric and fighting tactics. Our fight shouldn't be with the white man per se, if anything for too long we've belived that he is the enemy, when our real enemy is the idea put forth from him. We should be fighting the very foundation of racism, not the carrier of racism. Even if we killed every carrier, the idea of superiority/racism would still stand. It would still grow and manifest itself into new born racists.

We need to eradicate the social construct that was created, if we truly wish to free mankind from the disease of racism.

Race exists (it is not merely a social construct), and the hierarchical system exists, has always existed and obtensibly will always exist in human societies. The same racial trends you see today have been recorded since the beginning of human history. Your fighting racism or race by ignoring it is fighting thievery or theft by ignoring it. Theft and racism is a part of the human condition as much as emotionality, and ignoring it is no panacea. As such, even if we deny the existence of theft, depression, cancer, race, racism or depression, they will all still exist. And left alone these conditions, like racism, will only fester. The best option then is to treat them, and what better way to defeat hierarchies and racism than to complete redefine them.

Because, as respects your "theory", it does not work. For even in a "colour-blind " societies like Brazil where "race" is not at the forefront and obtensibly Brazilians are not "defined by race", blacks are still at the bottom. Your "solution", strictly speaking, is not solution at all as pertains to black advancement and betterment. It will lead to the same pernicious anti-black hierarchy that has always existed.

 

[godkiller]

No, I side with truth and justice. I wouldn't side with a 'race' on an issue simply because we share the same level of melanin. For example, I oppose giving someone a job simply because they're black. I think the person who is most qualified should get the position. Just because some people use race as a leverage, it doesn't mean that's the 'right' thing to do and we should all do it. In fact, we should be working hard to eradicate that sort of mentality, not encouraging it!

This is a losing mentality. You aspire to morals like "truth" and "justice" whereas other groups aspire only to victory and solidarity, which are what matter in conflicts.

Your logic is like the USA refusing to develop nuclear weapons because doing so preempts the killing of innocents, which would be "unjust" (the opposite of "justice"). This " just" maxim of yours would have led the Russians to victory and blacks to extinction. Your logic is like the USA refusing to disseminate anti-Nazi propaganda, most of which is untrue, because doing so is "dishonest". This "truth" maxim of yours would have won the Nazis the warn and again plunged blacks into extinction.Following your "justice" maxims, the Europeans would never have come to rule the Americas through killing off the Natives. Given all these negative consequences, I don't care for "truth" or "victory". There is only time for such when we are not slaves, not dead and not oppressed.

Women like you lack pragmatism. You are idealists and romantics whom cannot fight, let alone contemplate it. Truth and justice are meaningless words dumb bytches whine about while they're getting raped and killed. I care only for nikkas, victory, solidarity. These things are what matter. You can take your "truth" and "justice" and tell it to the Natives, whose ears the Europeans cut right off as punishment for a lack of solidarity and victory.

 

[FemiO]

Yes



Yes, I'm black.



No, I side with truth and justice. I wouldn't side with a 'race' on an issue simply because we share the same level of melanin. For example, I oppose giving someone a job simply because they're black. I think the person who is most qualified should get the position. Just because some people use race as a leverage, it doesn't mean that's the 'right' thing to do and we should all do it. In fact, we should be working hard to eradicate that sort of mentality, not encouraging it!



Correct. I do not have a particular attachment to any culture. I observe humans as a collective and take on behaviours, skills and morals I deem fit/appropriate. I create my own identity.

racial solidarity has nothing to do with siding with your race on 100% of all issues. it's about seeing another black person and recognizing you're both siblings in the same struggle. supporting those who look like you because you share an ethnic history, and because no one else will.

and if you think you're above the influences of you're culture you lost your mind. news flash: the very fact that you believe that you have the power to create your own identity is something that you likely learned subconsciously through the individualism of American culture. had you been born in Asia you likely would feel differently.

 

[Black Nate Grey]

Yes

Money>Race>>Religion/Ideology

 

[Indiglow Meta (R$G)]

This is a losing mentality. You aspire to morals like "truth" and "justice" whereas other groups aspire only to victory and solidarity, which are what matter in conflicts.

Your logic is like the USA refusing to develop nuclear weapons because doing so preempts the killing of innocents, which would be "unjust" (the opposite of "justice"). This " just" maxim of yours would have led the Russians to victory and blacks to extinction. Your logic is like the USA refusing to disseminate anti-Nazi propaganda, most of which is untrue, because doing so is "dishonest". This "truth" maxim of yours would have won the Nazis the warn and again plunged blacks into extinction.Following your "justice" maxims, the Europeans would never have come to rule the Americas through killing off the Natives. Given all these negative consequences, I don't care for "truth" or "victory". There is only time for such when we are not slaves, not dead and not oppressed.

Women like you lack pragmatism. You are idealists and romantics whom cannot fight, let alone contemplate it. Truth and justice are meaningless words dumb bytches whine about while they're getting raped and killed. I care only for nikkas, victory, solidarity. These things are what matter. You can take your "truth" and "justice" and tell it to the Natives, whose ears the Europeans cut right off as punishment for a lack of solidarity and victory.

I heard black people were treated BETTER in the USSR.

 

[CinnaSlim]

It's definitely part of my definition.

 

[Mr. Togo]

fukk no

 

[Sudani]

My culture defines me, and not my actually race.

 

[koopz]

I see what you mean but thinking and living that way is only beneficial if every other race does it too.

Take a black business owner, yea he could simply hire the most qualified and ignore race but that doesn't help us, it hurts us. If every other race is hiring their own first and foremost then you trying to be fair and equal just makes everything harder cause theres no cultural safety nest when everyone else rejects you. There's no leading by example cause it doesn't work. If it did, Asians and white people would be shopping at our stores at the same rate cause we've always been equal on that front.

I hate when people say this cause its asking black people to live like we're in a utopia when we're not and it's a non solution. Sticking with the business example, if you owned a business and you had a family member who needed a job, would you bypass them and give it to a stranger? Would you rather have a business run by over qualified strangers or by family? We need to start treating each other more as family instead of the opposite, saying 'well I have nothing in common with these people other than skin so fukk that'

I get not wanting to be labelled by society but just dropping the label does nothing to fix people being hurt under that label. The other day I saw some guy say an almost similar thing, he was talking about Baltimore and his solution was, there's no such thing as black. We're all human. That's no solution, all it does is disconnect black people even further.

The way to destroy the system is to unify first and foremost. Black, black, fukk anything else (for the time being). Then once we're in a position where white supremacy is either dead or can't hurt us, THEN you can give equal treatment across the board. Black, yellow, red, white, whatever. And THEN eradicate the social construct. You're trying to skip to the end and it's not realistic.

And to me there's nothing wrong with identifying as being black because it's more about the culture than the skintone. Unless you consider identifying with any culture as labelling yourself? Cause you dont have to stereotype yourself to know your history and being proud of that history. I never understand this mindset because it sounds like people just want everyone to be the same which would make the world boring as hell. Let's all get rid of our names and just call each other Human while we're at it.