I'm just wondering, with some recent black people in Chicago speaking out saying that a black person cannot achieve anything spectacular, and that society holds them back, and that white people are racist.

I'm just wondering if people in (mostly America, I'd think) think Racism has gone too far and spread out of control.

I just hate when people say white people are racist, just watch the Chapelle Show and you can see black people are just as racist.

Yeah. We learned about this in history - Racism devolped in Amercia (mostly).

I don't think I'm from a very racist part of america, but I just find it really stupid...

Don't have much to say on the topic, though.

Lala.

Didn't develop in America, its just, America being the super-power, anything minor or major happens to be minor or major in the world.

There are real issues, and then there are people who take real issues and blow them out of proportion for thier own economic gain.

The people who insist the white man is trying to keep the black man down make quite a large profit off of it.
However, its still true that many people can not walk around a store without being given funny looks in certain places.

However, I think most real issues are a matter of education not law or policy at this point in history.

I had read this paper by a highschool student, called The Great Divide, he lived in Missouri and wrote this paper about the 'great divide' between white people and black people, and how one half of the lunchroom is all black, and the other half is all white. I still feel like their is some racism in Southern states were slavery was, since the generation they grew up, with their parents, had told them of this. Is anyone around here in a southern state and want to tell of their opinion?

Eh..it's encouraged by both sides, really. Personally, I'm not racist at all. I think it's silly, because we're all exactly the same save for the parts of our DNA that determine skin color, and other racial features. But there is racism everywhere, from -both- sides. For example, I work in a pizza place, and one day a woman was complaining about something silly..like her pizza was too crispy or something, and one of our managers was trying to explain to her what happened. Next thing I know, she insists she's being treated rudely (and..she honestly wasn't) and says, "You must not get a lot of black people around here." and storms out.

I know that's not a standard and that most people aren't..ignorant like that, but it's not the first time I've seen it. Some people need to stop caring about someone's skin color or ethnicity, and some people need to stop feeling like they are going to live their lives being discriminated against. What is that, reverse discrimination?

There's always going to be some racism, because there are always going to be prejudices and stereotypes about race and every other thing that makes one person different from the other. It's really unfortunate, but we've definitely come a long way from 40 years ago. As for me, I'm from the northeast, along with my entire family, and so I've never actually known anyone who was racist.

I find it dissapointing that people talk about racism but never talk about Culturism.

People seem to fail to recognize the different cultures that exist in America, and when those cultures colide you often get predudice and the like.

For example, a black person wearing a suit and tie, clean shaven and driving a honda is going to be treated very differently than a black person wearing a sports outfit, has a ghoti and drives an escalade. Just like a white person who wears torn jeans, a ski beanie and drives a pickup or motorcylce is going to be treated differently than a white person wearing a suite and tie and driving a honda.

In all my classes at school about inequality in society and predjudice and all that stuff, nobody ever talks about the way you dress or act or the language you use as being probabbly the number one factor, or if you have a different accent.

People often make assumptions about the way you were raised and what values you have based on those outward appearances, more so than any other factor I think.

Well, fortunately and unfortunately, I grew up in Main Line Pennsylvania (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=main+line&r=f). Basically, everything there is true, and anything that doesn't fit in is judged and deemed as "lesser." Even at school, the people who aren't as wealthy still have ipods and cars. And you should hear people talk about anyone who lives in the country. It's basically a huge bubble where no one has any idea what the rest of the country is like (including me :/!) That could be why I don't know anyone who is racist, because there is practically no diversity here.

I wonder when they are going to make a special term for South African JAPs... Those are by far the worst.

Are you trying to say racism started in America? If so, that has to be the most ignorant thing I've heard since...

...well, actually not that long ago, but that just goes to show you.

Anyway, don't go and talk about Chappelle's Show. That man is a genius. It isn't racist against white or black people, really; it makes fun of everyone, including itself.

Racism is nothing today compared to any other time in history, it's dwindling away. With increases in travel and communications technology, ect. all the races are slowly sort of blending together.

Well the broadway show Avenue Q tells us that "Everyones A Little Bit Racist"
And since I work in theare I listen. If you really want the song just ask, I have it somewhere, its not just funny its message seems reasonable.

What I meant is in the colonies, people found that people taken from africa made the best slaves (because they could be used for free amoung other things). While Europe had an active trade of ideas and goods and services with africa, somehow the Americans started thinking that people with lighter skin were superior to those with dark skin...

Meh, dno.

There is actual racism out there, but a majority of it has to deal with ignorance than the actual hatred of a race.

Anyone thought about Spartans and the Athens? They hated the other and thought each race was weaker and therefore, substandard to the other. That was back in the day. I can go farther, but I'd have to look it up to make sure.

Racism, well, Indiana was once the head state of the KKK and at one time had more members than any other state. So I've seen my share of old Klansmen. But thats the thing, they are _old_ and dieing. Give it another generation and the Klan is nothing but memories.

What really ticks me off are people who assume that I owe them something. Rev. Al Sharpton is just down the road, and Jesse Jackson regularly hold protest marches do to police actions against felons and drug lords... How is it in your areas?

Spartans and Athenians were the same race and recognized it as such, just they thought the others culture was weaker then the other. Both Sparta and Athens thought the Macedonians were weak, backwards, and smelly.

The only way I've seen with racism is, technically, we aren't different races. However, there are ethnic differences (that isn't to say one is better than the other).

But, look at dogs. Different breeds, yet they remain the same species, and you can breed a labrador retriever with a poodle, and get a labradoodle.

::Shrugs::

I think Silvanus just backed up my point once again.

There isnt really any blatant racism. It's more or less subtle things. Like at Abercrombie and Fitch only white people work in the front of the store.(In OKlahoma anyways). I used to work at Lonestar Steakhouse and Saloon as a waiter and whenever black people came in I magically always got them. They didnt ask for me as a waiter either.

The board of regents in Oklahoma did away with all race based scholarships. Screw the fact that I got a 1450 on my SAT to earn the scholarship. Granted it only costs me 1500 a semester, but still getting loans to pay for college sucks. To everyone who thinks there are all these magical scholarships for black people out there, there aren't. I dont play a sport and I don't want to go to a historically founded black college so that doesnt leave many.

Then there are the people who are like "You speak so well for a black person." or "You dont act like all the other black people." Sorry if I like better in A&F than Fubu or sean jean. Sorry kinda ranted there.

When Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton say America owes black people, I believe they are referring to the Emancipation Proclamation. It stated that all slaves would receive 40 acres and a mule as payment for their suffering. They never recieved it, and not really likely to happen as they arent alive to receive it. It could be argued that the US owes restitution to those whom suffered before the Civil Rights Act because their status as a second class citizen caused them much grief and what not. It could also be argue that black people of today suffer from the affects of slavery i.e. really crappy schools in predominately black neighborhoods, and the cylce of poverty within them. Historically, black people are the only race which has been mistreated and not recieved something in return for it.

I didnt grow up in the ghetto or a predominately black neighborhood so I can only give my perception of it.

Realized I kind threw in random ideas there. Sorry.

A good book to read is The Black Non-Black Society Also, I know southern and eastern European immigrants were treated as second class citizens for awhile, but they were still treated better than the slaves were, and actually gained equal status when they adopted they view that black people were inferior.

Chinese people were probabbly treated worse in California than anyone else. Especially during the railroad erra.

The lowest races in the North were Irish and Blacks, Blacks obviously being worse. In the west, it was Chinese, since they were coming over in buttloads, after Dec. 7th 1941 to about 1980, all Asian people were hated in America (Go Pearl Harbor and Vietnam for racism!). What is a common misconception is the KKK did not go after just blacks, they went after any non-Anglo-Saxon, especially the Irish, since English people hate Irish people.