This is exactly what I've always been saying

[calichillout]

Finally, there is a debate on the dubious nature of people calling themselves African-American when they were not descendents of slaves, but rather immigrants from majority black nations in Africa or the Caribbean. It's really quite ridiculous that these blacks are entitled to the same benefits as the descendents of slaves even though they have a

Comments

[pianodude34]

I kinda understand that, but I kinda don't lol. I thought a black person was considered an African-American, because that's what they were. My af-am friend sometimes gets mad when I call him "a black person", so I refer to them as "african american" for a higher respect level, if that makes sense.

~Chris

[calichillout]

Yeah, you're right but there's a difference between black people who immigrated from Africa or the Caribbean and blacks who are directly descended from slaves. It's those blacks who have inherited the poverty and racism that is directly a result of slavery and who need hands up from the government. Blacks who come from other countries and already have moderate wealth and education (brought on from a culture that is not the same as the African-American culture that is here in the states) DO NOT deserve to take spaces at colleges and professional schools etc from blacks who really do need a hand up, whose families are blue-collar or poverty-stricken, as opposed to some of the immigrant families whose parents were/are money makers or government figures.

[pianodude34]

Holy cow, boy, you are smart :).

[calichillout]

hehehe, thanks bud...but really I am just enlightened:-)

[dudepower1982]

But is it certain that those students cited by Harvard were beneficiaries of Affirmative Action programs, or did many of them get into Harvard because they had educational advantages and university connections?

[calichillout]

That's a question; however, I'm pretty sure that affirmative action had something to do with it.

[dudepower1982]

Hmmm, well, then that says something about how Harvard is implementing its Affirmative Action policies. I'd like to know more about what their rationale is for admissions.

[calichillout]

I really think that when schools operate their affirmative action policies, they look only at the race that a person checks and that's it. No look at heritage or economic needs. I mean, let me tell you, of all the blacks that I know here at Stanford, maybe 1 has come from a family who isn't upper middle class, wealthy, or has some kind of quality resources. Most are from the suburbs (including myself). This is not the kind of population affirmative action should be targeting. That said, I still support the kind of practice w have today anyway, because one of the other important functions of affirmative action is to educate people who look similar to others (ie. same race) to serve as role models for that race. A lot of inner city blacks only have drug dealers or abusive parents or blue collar workers as role models. In order to help change the culture, you have to have role models for people to look at and say, "Wow, I could do that too? I would have never known."

[haha206]

Race and color are a product of society and so that makes sense of why they have higher education levels. and when you mean african american you mean the descendents of slaves who are recieving payments for what? the stupidity ignorance and sheer evil of the men who put their ancestors into the misery of slavery, the white people of today had no control over their ancestors. payback has to end somewhere and i hate to be the one to say it. i have black friends who agree with me and we dont see race as an issue, we just enjoy each others company as people not as colors.

[calichillout]

I agree that race is a social construct but just because it's a construct doesn't mean that it doesn't have real, valid implications in today's society. Yes, white people who put blacks into slavery were wrong (actually a lot of Africans helped sell Africans into slavery over here and were wrong too) but you have to understand the true consequences of slavery and why a majority of blacks descended from slavery haven't been able to succeed at a level the same as whites. You see, during the time that blacks were in slavery and discriminated against in segregration, whites who settled in this country were allowed to build "nest eggs" of money, education, connections and the like, that even if they didn't impact their generation, would impact their children's generation and their grandkid's generation. Blacks weren't allowed to set up this nest egg. The government had it right when they decreed upon abolishing slavery that all slaves would receive "40 acres and a mule;" they were hoping to set up blacks with that nest egg so that they

[dudepower1982]

What too many people often forget about the "reparations debate" is that *reparations* does not necessarily mean that everyone who is black receives a check from the federal government.

Anyone who takes the time to read the legislation authored by John Conyers and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus knows that there are a variety of ways in which *reparations* can be distributed.

I don't think anybody agrees that it is practical, given our huge and still-ballooning national debt, for every black person to receive a monetary portion of the Federal Treasury. Yet, that's the myth people try to perpetuate in order to silence the discussion on *reparations*.

[haha206]

I agree completely and im glad you have the balls to say what you think.

[calichillout]

Thanks for commenting so quickly in my journal dude! I really appreciate it

[dudepower1982]

Well, given that so many of the failing and underfunded schools are located in predominently-black communities, what is the best way to give those schools quality resources for their students? Part of it is lack of funding from state/federal governments, but also problems with successful recruitment of teachers to urban areas where crime rates are high.

As much as the media loves to stir up racial tension, there has been no meaningful national dialogue on this.

[bemyinfinity]

Pumping resources into failing schools could help, but I think so many of these kids have hopeless lives already. Things have been so bad for so long that they don't believe they can change anything. These people also have children, and those children inherit the same hopelessness. Vicious cycle. The schooling already available to them could suffice in squashing their ignorance, hopelessness and indifference to the world, but the motivation isn't there. They carry the oppression of their past generations on their shoulders.

Wow, the US sure likes to fuck up. Slaves, mass indigenous genocide, I fucking Raq, etc.