"Middle Class" Blacks in the United States

[NYC Rebel]

That is possible, but there are a couple of factors that might color your view

Your industry might be the problem. I know a lot of high level black engineering managers. I got my first job through a black Con Ed district manager. My brother in law is an engineering manager at my current company. One of my friends just got promoted to 1 level below executives and he is only 29. Does that mean there isn't a problem? No, but its not like that in every industry.

Secondly there are only so many high level positions. Most people don't become executives or even managers. Most people feel like they are overqualified for their positions. So to really establish a valid generalization you need a comprehensive study spanning different industries and regions.

Thirdly I'm not saying it is or isnt the case but its possible you have determined there is a problem without actually gather the evidence to say its the case. Its called confirmation bias

Since when has the experience of an engineer, one of the vaunted yet under populated fields in any industry, reflect the norms of the business world?

My wife has an engineering degree. Its a unique skill set and is a complete outlier.

 

[Still@it]

I'm with you 100%



I've been harassed by the judicial system and the police my whole life.
I've seen it, I've lived it. It's cruel, it's ugly, it's racist.

Have I been called a ****** to my face in recent memory? No.
Has it happend? More than I probably care to admit to myself.
Is it due to jealous and or ignorance? Every time.

What Cose and the rest of you don't realize is that just because you have it good does not mean that others do. And we cannot stop fighting institutional racism until we all are better off. This article epitomizes why we as a people have not been able to progress like other races and ethnicities. We have not been taught collectivism and sticking together to achieve a goal. Too many of us move up and don't care about the ones left behind.
It is the exact opposite in almost every other culture...Sad but true.
We really need to wake up and starting thinking as a cohesive group instead of just a bunch of individuals trying to get ahead

 

[No1]

If he grew up in Philly and is considering himself middle class, I'd have to say he didn't grow up in North/West Philly. So I'm starting to question how exposed he was to situations of conflict



Never understood this, and maybe we should make a thread on it. Why does everyone direct their anger at cops and not the nikkas in the neighborhood bringing heat???

I don't bother talking to that She Agree that I'm Looney cat because he's always on some borderline ish. But quite frankly, you responded to yourself and asked a question that had nothing to do with what I'm saying. Where did you get the idea that all of these events happened in the hood that I was talking about? I didn't grow up in the hood, my family was lower middle class, the "gateway to the ghetto" if you will. I know what poor ass people look like, a lot of my boys were that, we weren't.

The fact is, what you're doing is justifying racial profiling. You're making the argument that, if "your people" weren't fukking up then we wouldn't have to racially profile you. You can see where that will lead us without me writing that essay. But furthermore, I never said all of these events happen to me in the hood. I had friends of every racial background and socioeconomic status, I could blend in anywhere. I still can. That has nothing to do with cops pulling me and my friends over for no apparent reason, when we're nowhere near the hood. It has nothing to do with them showing up at a cook out at my boy's house and getting violent with people (hispanic) for their music being too loud. It has nothing to do with man....I could go on forever.

All you said was that old argument of, "we need to start looking at ourselves and changing our communities." Yeah, but that has nothing to do with police harassment. They didn't even bother me much, due to my friends' parents, a lot of them recognized me.

 

[The Message]

The author seems like he's on that, post racial America, tough love giving, personal responsiblity talk to "those other black folks", just like Skip Gates does. And we see how he got a bitter dose of reality from that cop a few years ago.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Yea he did, right in the third paragraph.

That's not what I gathered from that paragraph

Yea he did, by citing his socioeconomic standing & places of residence. The whole thesis of the paper is, whether you agree or not, and which I'm not saying is or isn't correct, that he hasn't experienced the kind of racism many cite as being the norm for the black experience in America, largely due to how and where he grew up + lived

In reality it's not about where you grow up or how you live. A white lady clutching her purse has no idea where your from or what you do, she just sees a black man. He downplayed the real reason he hasn't experienced racism, and that's his clean cut- non threatening, safe(to white people) appearance.

Whether you want to believe his experiences actually happened or not is really on you; but if you're not even willing to entertain that dude's experiences happened as they are why even bother discussing the paper?

again I never said he was lying about his experiences.

Where did he even imply that?

I'm black, have been for a very long time, am not nearly light-skinned enough to look anything but, and these things simply do not happen to me. I am even told that I tend to look rather "serious" when walking down the street (I tend to be outlining and writing paragraphs in my head)—my default demeanor is not a smiley, gentle-looking one. Again, it doesn't matter that I don't look or talk "street" because the Cose idea is that the nastiness falls upon blacks of all "profiles."

He lists the things he "isn't" as if those that "are" deserve the treatment they receive.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

I can't really highlight anything, because every sentence is important....

Like mentioned in the original post, just going by the highlights, doesn't tell the story at all. In order to understand his pov you have to read the whole article...

What i don't agree with is the last sentence, this comes off extra c00nish. It screams: look at me
2 Chainz - I'm Different - YouTube

That paragraph you quoted isn't anylizing why some black people feel the way they do. It is all about making excuses, or coming up with reasons why that woman's ignorance was justified.

 

[tru_m.a.c]

I know what the article is in response to, but in this article he paints two sides of black people.

no...no...no...in this article he's painting the side of the story that never gets talked about ever.

Those that don't agree with him are portrayed as feeling angry and victimized.

and those that don't agree with "The rage of the privileged class" are labeled uncle toms

The observer (us) should see this as opportunity to view the biases on both sides of the fence, so that we can grow as an individual and not jump to assumptions.

 

[88m3]

I mean, basically, people have foregone conclusions on race relations in America, and tear down anyone who says anything that doesn't fall in line with them.

I find it awfully hard to believe. I've had a nice life living in upperscale areas over the years and racism has always presented itself in one way or another.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

no...no...no...in this article he's painting the side of the story that never gets talked about ever.

I think this side of the story is talked about a lot.

and those that don't agree with "The rage of the privileged class" are labeled uncle toms

I disagree with both

The observer (us) should see this as opportunity to view the biases on both sides of the fence, so that we can grow as an individual and not jump to assumptions.

I can agree with this statement. We should all stand together try to learn from each others expiernces. I don't think this article encourages this line of thinking though.

 

[88m3]

What Cose and the rest of you don't realize is that just because you have it good does not mean that others do. And we cannot stop fighting institutional racism until we all are better off. This article epitomizes why we as a people have not been able to progress like other races and ethnicities. We have not been taught collectivism and sticking together to achieve a goal. Too many of us move up and don't care about the ones left behind.
It is the exact opposite in almost every other culture...Sad but true.
We really need to wake up and starting thinking as a cohesive group instead of just a bunch of individuals trying to get ahead

I think you missed what I was getting at. I think the article is bogus.
Racism is alive and well as ever and shouldn't be treated like some thing that doesn't exist. I've done and continue to do whatever possible no matter how small for people from the same background as myself.

 

[tru_m.a.c]

I don't bother talking to that She Agree that I'm Looney cat because he's always on some borderline ish. But quite frankly, you responded to yourself and asked a question that had nothing to do with what I'm saying.

did you even read the article or just the bolded??? If you do a quick 'SOAPS' the speaker is a dude that grew up in Philadelphia in the lates 70s through the 80s and never dealt with every day racism.

Which lead to me stating "he must not have grown up in North/West philly. Hence why I'm "starting to question how exposed he was to situations of conflict." So that was a statement in response to the article to clear up your understanding of the authors background.

Where did you get the idea that all of these events happened in the hood that I was talking about? I didn't grow up in the hood, my fa-

Please quote the part of my post that dealt with your background/experiences? Cause I used the word neighborhood??? You really turned neighborhood into hood??? I didn't contest a thing in your statement beside saying, "Why do nikkas direct their anger at the cops and not the nikkas in the NEIGHBORHOOD bringing heat." How's that justification for going off on a tangent?

 

[Binary]

So I'm not middle class?

 

[tru_m.a.c]

That paragraph you quoted isn't anylizing why some black people feel the way they do. It is all about making excuses, or coming up with reasons why that woman's ignorance was justified.

ignorance is simply a lack of knowledge

you're not really trying to call her ignorant...cause if you are, you're just as ignorant for not realizing why she wouldn't feel comfortable around you

this shyt isn't about right/wrong

you're not wrong for not accepting that she doesn't like you because of your identity

she's not wrong for not knowing how to react better

but neither of subjects in that event are ever going to do anything about building trust to shatter the ignorance. And thats where the right and wrong comes into play

 

[88m3]

So I'm not middle class?

If you have experienced racism, you are not middle class.

 

[Binary]

If you have experienced racism, you are not middle class.

What? LOL.