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White Males discriminated against at work.

Mary Fruin,
Charlotte, NC.

I think that Rev . Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Dream is nowhere near being fulfilled when our big corporations are illegally paying big bonuses to managers to hire & promote minorities and women (read: not white men) and giving soft metric well paying jobs to minorities while chasing white males out of jobs to give them to minorities in many situations. We are surprising one race to elevate others, in many cases lowering the bar. Why not hire the best person? Why not promote for good work? Many men in my community are becoming stay at home fathers, not because of want but because their wives have a better career path due to hiring practices.

Ashamed that accomplished minorities surprise me.

Anonymous,
Seattle, WA.

No matter how liberal and progressive I might claim to be, no matter how many workshops I’ve been to or essays I’ve read about privilege, I still hear my inner voice express pleasant surprise when I see a minority doing well at something. Whether I see a minority excelling in business, writing an editorial in the national press, or doing rounds in a hospital, inside I first say, “wow, look at that!”

I am not proud of this and I don’t know how to fix it.

I’m actively black, you’re passively white

Demarcus Robinson
Park Forest, IL

I’ve been thinking about how, as an African-American, I and other minorities actively think about out race as opposed to our Caucasian counterparts. It’s not that I’m thinking “I”m black, I’m black, I’m black” every second of the day, but I know that certain situations force the thought upon me, whereas my white friends don’t have this exhaustive burden.

Can We All Just Get Along!?

Bryan Quevedo
Moreno Valley, CA
California Baptist University

It was not until taking CBU HIS311 class that I have learned a lot about race and how some people are completely ignorant to what has happened in American history. The other day I walked into a grocery store to hear a cashier argue with a black male about who knows what and he stated, “its because I’m black”. I kept walking because I really did not care much for the conversation but it did make me think a little. One of the most upsetting things is to think that an individual (parse a black individual), thinks that they were the only one that was treated badly in history.

After taking this class in Cal Baptist University, I have learned that most minorities have suffered a lot at one point or another. Many races like the Irish, Jews, Japanese, Chinese, Indians and other kinds of races have suffered in America at one point or another. People who shout things like that give me the notion that they are ignorant to culture and history. America was built by immigrants and could not be done without them because they made this country what it is today. If people were blind they would not be able to tell what races are. In addition to that, most races are now mixed with other races. There will be some type of decent that is in their blood line that carries other descents that that they may not know about.

The skin color or features on an individual does not define who they are. There are diverse cultures that have mixed; providing another individual with separate beliefs. We should all get along with each other because we are all children under God; we are all brothers and sisters. Matthew 12:48-50 ESV states, “But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.””

My heritage is Irish, not white.

S. Aleana,
Ocala, FL.

I did not come from a privileged white family. My family line on all sides traces back to the early 1900’s. They were poor Irish immigrants. I have been told I do not understand how minorities feel because I am white and privileged. I have never been handed anything in life, not even from my parents that abandoned me when I was 17. I am not rich, but I make ends meet. If this is what privileged is, then I would rather not be.

I am white, uncomfortable around white’s

Paige,
USA.

I’m am a white woman, oddly uncomfortable being around all white people. Maybe because I date black men, maybe because I hear so many racial slurs (against blacks). Maybe because I see how judgmental white people are to minorities. White people treat me as though I am wrong for dating outside my race. White men think I am “ruined” for dating black men (A white guy friend of mine once told me that) . I have a sense of comfort around black people or any other minority for that matter. I feel safe, I feel at ease, not judged. I don’t feel like an outsider or a “trader.”

Reading actually helps quell racist thoughts.

Jules Jeung,
Union City, CA.

At this very moment, as I write this, destruction is going on in Oakland due to the decision of the grand jury in the Michael Brown/Ferguson case. I grew-up in Oakland.

I hate having negative thoughts about another race and their experience in this country. I hate feeling like a racist. But sometimes those thoughts just crop up out of anger, frustration, and misunderstanding. Coming to this site helped me get my thinking back on track tonight. I know there are many people who feel like me—they see, hear and experience things that make them think negatively about another race, but really, truly do not want to feel that way or think that way. Let me tell you, reading really helps. There are some great sites and great blogs where you can read some brilliant and eloquent discourse about racism and the experiences of minorities in America. It really, really helps.

Gimme a break! Live YOUR Life!

Don Rackley
Chattanooga, TN

I know “minorities” who have succeeded as well as anyone on the planet. I also know white people who have failed miserably. It’s not about the Race; it’s about the Culture you choose to accept. I was part of an “interracial” marriage for 13 years, and I got to see how “they” act around “us”, and I got to see how “they” act when they think none of “us” is around. It’s very different, and it’s a CHOICE!

I was taught that God made man out of dirt. There is brown dirt, yellow dirt, black dirt, red dirt, tan dirt, and even white dirt, but we’re all just dirt, and we all breathe the same air.

And yes, we ALL struggle with SOMETHING!

But you speak English so well!

Lisa Lee
San Francisco, CA

Asian Americans are constantly reminded that they don’t “belong” in America, despite their contributions of building up this great nation. We are reminded in ways big and small, such as the seemingly harmless remark of “but you speak English so well!” The Civil Rights Movement paved the way for all minorities of color, but we have to remember that the movement is far from over. We need solidarity if we want to continue to progress.

The more denial, the more racism.

Mary Clark
Baltimore, MD

People who feel that the current state of race relations are not that damaging/not that big of a deal/brought on by deserving behavior of minorities need to make conscious efforts to become aware of what perpetuates racism and race division in our society and the very large part that privilege plays in complacency. Never forget that this country was built upon white superiority; the foundations of America rest on a foundation of racism. Work to change that in every situation possible.

Don’t assume all whites are racist.

Theresa
CA

I used to work in a public library. Sometimes, if people were too noisy, or were otherwise interfering with other people’s use of the facility, I would have to ask them nicely to stop what they were doing. Frequently, if the other person were non-white, I’d be told, “You’re just picking on me because I’m black.” As a white person, I DEMAND that blacks and other minorities not assume I’m a racist before I even open my mouth. Everybody needs correcting from time to time, and if you don’t listen when I tell you what you need to hear, you are never going to progress as a human being. Also, don’t be surprised if I am less welcoming to other blacks or minorities when they come along after you, either.
Everybody, black and white, loses in this situation.

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