Black People Infringing On White Culture

”I see your point well and its a good one (about the guy in the cubicle). However, I DON’T want to upset the status quo in most areas (bum rush it and flip the table, so to speak). I want people to want to change over time. There is permanancy in that. If we don’t want white people screwing up our culture, why are we trying to infringe on theirs? “ – Carlton

But the major problem with your strategy is that it changes nothing. Your perception is that it is better for the black community if we get permission from the dominant community to participate in their culture. You imply that black people having jobs is an infringement on white people as if we are not entitled to have jobs, educational opportunities, housing, and such. You talk as if black people demanding a fair shot at opportunities are an unfair imposition against the white community. You are correct in your statement that you want to maintain this arrangement. And, sadly, you are more likely to work to protect this arrangement where white people feel entitled to reject black people at their discretion, instead of working to empower the black community.

A black person working in corporate America is not a black person trying to screw up white people’s culture. It is a fact of life that in order to be able to pursue life, liberty, and happiness in America, it is necessary to have a job. It is mandatory to have an education. We need these opportunities just as much as the white community does. The status quo needs to change. Unfortunately, that is one point of my argument that you cannot see.

”Most of the problems with the Black race (at this point) is due to poor choices that are magnified by the discrimination. Say, for example, in college I have a white roommate. He parties 3 times a week and asks me with him. We both graduate with a ‘C’ average. We both eye the same job with a white corporation. I have to be aware that as a black man, the chances of me beating him out is pretty darn slim. I may not even beat him out if I had an ‘A’ average, but at least I have a fighting chance.” – Carlton

This is little more than another weak justification for racial disparity based on nothing but an unsubstantiated racial stereotype. How do you judge most of the problems stem from the poor choices that black people make?

A study by Devah Pager, an Associate Professor of Sociology and Faculty Associate of the Office of Population Research at Princeton University conducting research focused on racial stratification in education, labor markets, and the criminal justice system, did a study where she discovered that a black person with a criminal record looking for employment opportunities had a callback rate of about five percent. Black testers without a criminal record had a callback rate of fourteen percent. But white testers with a criminal record had a callback rate of seventeen percent with a criminal record and thirty four percent without. A white man with a criminal conviction has a better chance of getting a job than a black man who keeps his nose clean. So how does this equate to black people’s poor choices and not the racism associated with the status quo that you are trying to defend and protect?

” There’s no law we can make that can change that.” – Carlton

You are so correct. There is no law we can write to change things especially when we don’t even try because too many people don’t want to upset the status quo.

”White corporations throw out resumes from Kareem Jenkins and Taneisha Powell without even looking at them, but will at least skim the ones from Thomas Jones and Elizabeth Morris. How do you word a law to change that situation? You can’t-not without furthering the chasm between the races. The only way to beat that is to win over hearts one at a time.” – Carlton

So the act of corporations throwing resumes out because names sound too ethnic is not furthering the chasm between the races. Is that your contention? Somehow the black community is supposed to be content with the fact that our resumes get rejected based on nothing but the sound of a name. We have to adapt and change everything we are to fit the parameters corporate America deems acceptable. And why should corporate America make change when there are so many people like you who say this behavior is okay because we can’t write any laws to change it?

I say screw writing laws. If a corporation doesn’t want to support the black community then the black community should respond likewise. It’s not hard. All it takes is a sense of community. But that would mean black people working together and we know how you feel about that. It’s better if we prove that we like the status quo exactly the way it is and that way a handful of us will get the jobs and lead the good life so we won’t make too much of an imposition on white cultures and they can continue to hold all the cards.

” We have to treat everyone like we’d want to be treated.” – Carlton

Doesn’t this philosophy apply to people who control corporate America. Why aren’t you calling them out the way you claim to do in one of your previous comments? Wrong is wrong, remember?

” If I can’t win you over as a white brother to see there needs to be some parity if you’re going to call yourself my white brother, I neutralize you or move on; I don’t try to subjugate you.” – Carlton

Who is trying to subjugate the white brothers? It is amazing the number of people who see a call for equal and fair treatment across racial lines as the subjugation of white people. And you neutralize the white brother? Somehow I seriously doubt it. You said yourself you don’t want to do anything to disturb the status quo. You feel we need permanent changes. The type of change you want is the type of change where nothing really changes and the status quo stays exactly the same because black people should not be trying to infringe on white people’s culture of employment, education, and other opportunities.