Stop Talking About Race?

[MarcATL]

There are people that say the best way to get rid of racism is to stop talking about race. I have always wondered what made people think this would stop racism. Can anyone explain the theory behind this approach?

That mindset, Brother Asclepias, is the height of foolishness. Plain & simple.

 

[MarcATL]

There are people that say the best way to get rid of racism is to stop talking about race. I have always wondered what made people think this would stop racism. Can anyone explain the theory behind this approach?

Quite a few here jumped on Morgan Freemans bandwagon when he made that
that very statement. Remember?


FLASHBACK Morgan Freeman on Ending Racism Stop Talking About It CNS News

I remember that. I wondered what made him think that people would just up and stop calling each other Black or white.when this nation was built on the notion of racism.

Personally, I dont think that he really feels that way deep down. He is almost 80 years old and has lived in an era where there was blatant discrimination, so I am certain that privately, he has some memories that are unpleasant.

For him to believe that seems unlikely, then again, I have known and still know quite a few elderly black people in his age range that I have spoken to who feel "safer" if they take what they feel is a more publically non confrontational approach on the subject of race because they still recall when speaking out could be dangerous, and they are reluctant to believe that those days are actually over.

If you read his biography, his success as an actor came late in life, and he has come a long way since he played in "Driving Miss Daisy", and "Stand by Me".

Because he has enjoyed some crossover success, it is possible that he takes that position publicly in order to gain favor with the non black fan base that he has acquired. and being publicly "race neutral" makes his personna less threatening and in his mind he is playing it safe.

JMO.

That's a thoughtful, reasonable and quite likely accurate depiction of what's going on with that brother.

Kudos!

 

[MarathonMike]

Ok so here's a question for you. Do you believe that you were able to become successful in spite of your being Black or did you somehow benefit from being Black or was it a non-factor?

 

[Abishai100]

Lexicon Labeling


What can be gleaned from a surname?

From the early days of the New World, settlers adopted surnames based on professions (i.e., Robert Tailor, Steve Carpenter, Earl Blacksmith, etc.).

If you have a potent surname such as Battle or King, people think about your background with a degree of interest. However, if you have a mainstream or even mundane surname such as Roberts or Jennings, people think less about your experiences. Such pensiveness increases with our modern age of mercantilism-based networking (i.e., Internet auctioneer site aliases).

Would a rose smell sweeter by any other name?

 

[Esmeralda]

There are people that say the best way to get rid of racism is to stop talking about race. I have always wondered what made people think this would stop racism. Can anyone explain the theory behind this approach?

I've never heard this philosophy. My opinion is that not talking about something means you are just pretending it isn't there. Trying to pretend a problem doesn't exist is no way to solve the problem.

People in America will stop taking about racial issues when they no longer exist. Not talking about them now is just trying to ignore them rather than solving them.

 

[Not2BSubjugated]

There are people that say the best way to get rid of racism is to stop talking about race. I have always wondered what made people think this would stop racism. Can anyone explain the theory behind this approach?

I can't speak for these people per say, but I do understand where they're coming from.

First and foremost, you'll never get rid of racism. As long as there are people who look significantly different from some people while looking significantly more similar to other people, there will be racism or some 'ism akin to it.

I can't abide by the thought that we should "stop talking about it", but I will agree with those people insofar that I believe our cultural lexicon often lends itself to mainstream racism. A lot of it is based purely in ignorance, and not the typical racial ignorance, but ignorance of innocuous things like names. People don't generally know the name of the guy who invented gun powder (myself included), and so they say "The Chinese invented gun powder." People don't know the individuals they saw on camera looting the liquor store in Ferguson, so they say, "the blacks in Ferguson are rioting." Sometimes it's simple practicality. Rather than list each country or, better yet, specific leaders and individuals who committed which specific atrocities, we just say, "the white man did X to the natives".

And sometimes it's just ethnic pride and the individual's need to justify their importance. "Black people invented rock and roll and white people stole it" is a much more common sentiment than is the list of names of the specific black people who pioneered the style (though, in defense of this particular narrative, I hear "Elvis stole it" as often as I hear "white people stole it", which I still consider silly, but at least a step in the right direction in that it assigns blame directly to the individual believed to be responsible, as opposed to everyone who shares his skin color). Ethnic "ownership" of sports is also a big one. Acknowledging that the greatest basketball players tend to be of African descent is a world away from saying, "Basketball is a black sport".

It boils down to shared glory and shared blame. When we substitute the race for the individual in conversation, it implies shared glory or shared blame for the event in question, based upon ethnic lines. It is literally a subconscious encouragement to have an "us and them" attitude toward race and is completely counterproductive to the ideals of multiculturalism. Ignoring race doesn't change anything, and is totally stupid. That said, attributing shared responsibility based on race, whether directly or via unintended implications, is equally stupid, and totally destructive. Somewhere between where we are now and shutting up about it lies the practical level of acknowledgement.

 

[katsteve2012]

There are people that say the best way to get rid of racism is to stop talking about race. I have always wondered what made people think this would stop racism. Can anyone explain the theory behind this approach?

Quite a few here jumped on Morgan Freemans bandwagon when he made that
that very statement. Remember?


FLASHBACK Morgan Freeman on Ending Racism Stop Talking About It CNS News

I remember that. I wondered what made him think that people would just up and stop calling each other Black or white.when this nation was built on the notion of racism.

Personally, I dont think that he really feels that way deep down. He is almost 80 years old and has lived in an era where there was blatant discrimination, so I am certain that privately, he has some memories that are unpleasant.

For him to believe that seems unlikely, then again, I have known and still know quite a few elderly black people in his age range that I have spoken to who feel "safer" if they take what they feel is a more publically non confrontational approach on the subject of race because they still recall when speaking out could be dangerous, and they are reluctant to believe that those days are actually over.

If you read his biography, his success as an actor came late in life, and he has come a long way since he played in "Driving Miss Daisy", and "Stand by Me".

Because he has enjoyed some crossover success, it is possible that he takes that position publicly in order to gain favor with the non black fan base that he has acquired. and being publicly "race neutral" makes his personna less threatening and in his mind he is playing it safe.

JMO.

That's a thoughtful, reasonable and quite likely accurate depiction of what's going on with that brother.


Kudos!

Marc I have seen that same behavior/thought process at work in many older and a few younger black people that have I have known who have had some degree of success, especially those who are recognizable to the general public. For some of them it is an internal struggle daily because they privately know the truth, but they still use their surface denial as a defense/escape mechanism.

For them it is a way of coping with a combination of fear and self hatred.

 

[Politico]

There are people that say the best way to get rid of racism is to stop talking about race. I have always wondered what made people think this would stop racism. Can anyone explain the theory behind this approach?

There is no theory. If CNN and MSNBC turned off their 24x7 cameras there would be no coverage. No 15 minutes of fame opportunities means everyone would go home.

 

[Not2BSubjugated]

There are people that say the best way to get rid of racism is to stop talking about race. I have always wondered what made people think this would stop racism. Can anyone explain the theory behind this approach?

Quite a few here jumped on Morgan Freemans bandwagon when he made that
that very statement. Remember?


FLASHBACK Morgan Freeman on Ending Racism Stop Talking About It CNS News

I remember that. I wondered what made him think that people would just up and stop calling each other Black or white.when this nation was built on the notion of racism.

Personally, I dont think that he really feels that way deep down. He is almost 80 years old and has lived in an era where there was blatant discrimination, so I am certain that privately, he has some memories that are unpleasant.

For him to believe that seems unlikely, then again, I have known and still know quite a few elderly black people in his age range that I have spoken to who feel "safer" if they take what they feel is a more publically non confrontational approach on the subject of race because they still recall when speaking out could be dangerous, and they are reluctant to believe that those days are actually over.

If you read his biography, his success as an actor came late in life, and he has come a long way since he played in "Driving Miss Daisy", and "Stand by Me".

Because he has enjoyed some crossover success, it is possible that he takes that position publicly in order to gain favor with the non black fan base that he has acquired. and being publicly "race neutral" makes his personna less threatening and in his mind he is playing it safe.

JMO.

That's a thoughtful, reasonable and quite likely accurate depiction of what's going on with that brother.


Kudos!

Marc I have seen that same behavior/thought process at work in many older and a few younger black people that have I have known who have had some degree of success, especially those who are recognizable to the general public. For some of them it is an internal struggle daily because they privately know the truth, but they still use their surface denial as a defense/escape mechanism.

For them it is a way of coping with a combination of fear and self hatred.

That's one thing I like about Michael Jordan. He defeated that conundrum by just being openly closed-mouthed on politics. "Republicans buy shoes, too." Fuckin beautiful! Just a candid acknowledgement that his business was more important than pontificating on controversy and potentially alienating consumers.

If you're right about Morgan Freeman, I'd hope he'd man up and just be honest about not wanting to turn off potential and existing fans if he doesn't want to give his honest opinion. But that's me. Most people don't actually value honesty as much as they value people agreeing with them, so it'd probably be a bad business move, even though it worked out okay for MJ. Morgan Freeman's a great actor, but still not nearly as universally popular as Jordan was.

 

[katsteve2012]

Quite a few here jumped on Morgan Freemans bandwagon when he made that
that very statement. Remember?


FLASHBACK Morgan Freeman on Ending Racism Stop Talking About It CNS News

I remember that. I wondered what made him think that people would just up and stop calling each other Black or white.when this nation was built on the notion of racism.

Personally, I dont think that he really feels that way deep down. He is almost 80 years old and has lived in an era where there was blatant discrimination, so I am certain that privately, he has some memories that are unpleasant.

For him to believe that seems unlikely, then again, I have known and still know quite a few elderly black people in his age range that I have spoken to who feel "safer" if they take what they feel is a more publically non confrontational approach on the subject of race because they still recall when speaking out could be dangerous, and they are reluctant to believe that those days are actually over.

If you read his biography, his success as an actor came late in life, and he has come a long way since he played in "Driving Miss Daisy", and "Stand by Me".

Because he has enjoyed some crossover success, it is possible that he takes that position publicly in order to gain favor with the non black fan base that he has acquired. and being publicly "race neutral" makes his personna less threatening and in his mind he is playing it safe.

JMO.

That's a thoughtful, reasonable and quite likely accurate depiction of what's going on with that brother.


Kudos!

Marc I have seen that same behavior/thought process at work in many older and a few younger black people that have I have known who have had some degree of success, especially those who are recognizable to the general public. For some of them it is an internal struggle daily because they privately know the truth, but they still use their surface denial as a defense/escape mechanism.

For them it is a way of coping with a combination of fear and self hatred.

That's one thing I like about Michael Jordan. He defeated that conundrum by just being openly closed-mouthed on politics. "Republicans buy shoes, too." Fuckin beautiful! Just a candid acknowledgement that his business was more important than pontificating on controversy and potentially alienating consumers.

If you're right about Morgan Freeman, I'd hope he'd man up and just be honest about not wanting to turn off potential and existing fans if he doesn't want to give his honest opinion. But that's me. Most people don't actually value honesty as much as they value people agreeing with them, so it'd probably be a bad business move, even though it worked out okay for MJ. Morgan Freeman's a great actor, but still not nearly as universally popular as Jordan was.

I would have to agree. Mr. Freeman created more opportunities for him to becone engaged in discussions about race by stating "that we should not discuss it, which only causes speculation and more questions as to why he would avoid such a controversial topic.


He could have just as easily taken a different approach that would have positioned him to be neutral(to the public).

He certainly is an excellent actor though.

 

[Asclepias]

There are people that say the best way to get rid of racism is to stop talking about race. I have always wondered what made people think this would stop racism. Can anyone explain the theory behind this approach?

There is no theory. If CNN and MSNBC turned off their 24x7 cameras there would be no coverage. No 15 minutes of fame opportunities means everyone would go home.

I'm not talking about coverage. I'm talking about people. For instance should Black people stop talking about the racism we face and the ways to overcome it just because some fool thinks we should stop talking about race?

 

[Asclepias]

Ok so here's a question for you. Do you believe that you were able to become successful in spite of your being Black or did you somehow benefit from being Black or was it a non-factor?

In spite of. There are some great benefits of being Black but success as defined in economic terms is harder to achieve when you are Black. You just have to be mentally stronger than the average person.

 

[MarcATL]

I wouldn't praise Michael Jordan for his refusal to cover that "controversial" topic. Proof of the pudding he's no leader.
Homey is in it fo' delf. Nahmean?
Doesn't take away from his prowess and accomplishment as an athlete, but he damn sure ain't no leader, much less of a community.
And that's not even touching his personal foibles.
But dats anudda 'tory.

 

[Esmeralda]

no problemo

let's discuss race and IQ

Sure.

Prove you can measure someones IQ.

Better yet, have squube prove he's got an IQ over 85. Bet he doesn't. Studies show that racists are predictably low IQ and low level educationally.

Let's discuss racism and IQ squube. Racists are lower IQ than those who are not racists. You are a died in the wool racist, therefore, low IQ. Prove otherwise.

 

[squeeze berry]

your ni

no problemo

let's discuss race and IQ

Sure.

Prove you can measure someones IQ.

your
racist NAACP admits to an achievement gap

can't blame whitey on that

 

[squeeze berry]

y

A lot of white conservatives think that since a black man is president, racism must be over. Also, if they don't experience it personally on a daily basis, it must not be happening.

Racism is just a synonym for stupidity.

your racist POTUS and Holder prove that

 

[Jroc]

This sprouts from the liberal orthodoxy that race is a social construct, and that being a social construct it isn't real, and that things that aren't real should be ignored...and if you ignore them, they will go away.

The people I hear say it the most are cons.

A real American unlike you pathetic race baiters

 

[Not2BSubjugated]

I wouldn't praise Michael Jordan for his refusal to cover that "controversial" topic. Proof of the pudding he's no leader.
Homey is in it fo' delf. Nahmean?
Doesn't take away from his prowess and accomplishment as an athlete, but he damn sure ain't no leader, much less of a community.
And that's not even touching his personal foibles.
But dats anudda 'tory.

Nah, not praising him for refusal to comment, just for being honest about it in stead of offering up a disingenuous position.

Without praising, I will say I don't blame him for valuing his business more than being an outspoken activist. Even as a huge icon, the odds of actually swaying someone's political opinion by through arguing one's own are laughable. For most regular people, political views are based in values instilled by a lifelong saturation of input from peers, family, and media. Famous people spouting their values helps some of the dumber people who agree feel validated, but that's mostly all its worth. If you ask me, someone who wants to make a difference is better off making shit tons of money and funding efficient charities than community organizing.

 

[MarathonMike]

Well this thread took a turn into a mudbog, didn't it?

 

[Dogmaphobe]

There are people that say the best way to get rid of racism is to stop talking about race. I have always wondered what made people think this would stop racism. Can anyone explain the theory behind this approach?

Well, I do recall a wise man once saying that he looked forward to the day when a man was judged, not by the color of his skin but by the content of his character.

Perhaps you should start following him.