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YoungDemCA

(5,714 posts)
Tue Jul 25, 2017, 11:21 PM Jul 2017

A British friend told me, "It's bizarre that 'black' and 'poor' are seen as synonymous in the US."

To which I replied, essentially, "Well, it makes sense in the US considering our history - and how that history has fed into common American prejudices."

No one wants to be poor, obviously - absurd Republican "welfare queen" rhetoric notwithstanding. Thus, the more that the influential members and institutions of American culture shame the poor, and the more that poverty is associated with black and brown people, the more that white supremacy takes hold over white America - regardless of economic level or social class. And forgive me if I'm being presumptuous, but isn't the shame and hatred of the ideology of white supremacy all too often internalized by persons of color as well?

Pretty damn horrible, but that goes without saying.

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A British friend told me, "It's bizarre that 'black' and 'poor' are seen as synonymous in the US." (Original Post) YoungDemCA Jul 2017 OP
Very perceptive of him Warpy Jul 2017 #1
I will ignore the other comment for the obvious reason and point out to you Eliot Rosewater Jul 2017 #2
Things in the U.K. aren't so peachy either JHan Jul 2017 #3
Yet when black folks point out JustAnotherGen Jul 2017 #4
++++++++++ Lol JHan Jul 2017 #5
Jesus. White supremacy is attached to historical colonialism. What the hell do you men "the more"? ismnotwasm Jul 2017 #6
++ White supremacy has been a constitutive fact of American politics since inception. JHan Jul 2017 #7
Right? ismnotwasm Jul 2017 #8
damn, and I haven't watched that yet. JHan Jul 2017 #9
The series starts out with a "Somewhere in America" segment ismnotwasm Jul 2017 #10
++++ very powerful. JHan Jul 2017 #11
Watch it if you can JustAnotherGen Jul 2017 #12

Warpy

(110,900 posts)
1. Very perceptive of him
Tue Jul 25, 2017, 11:41 PM
Jul 2017

Race is also a class issue since no matter how nicely dressed black Americans are, how well spoken and educated, ignorant racists will always just slot them into the "shiftless, poor, trash" category based only on skin color. That includes the cops who do DWB stops based on the bigoted idiocy that a black person driving a new car must have stolen it.

This is why social and economic justice have to be intertwined, as much as light switch personalities hate the idea.

Eliot Rosewater

(31,097 posts)
2. I will ignore the other comment for the obvious reason and point out to you
Wed Jul 26, 2017, 12:52 PM
Jul 2017

that for THIS Reason it is wrong to "intertwine" class and race issues.

Your post proves they are not intertwined, yet you know who out there still insists on doing so.

Pisses me the fuck OFF

JHan

(10,173 posts)
3. Things in the U.K. aren't so peachy either
Wed Jul 26, 2017, 06:18 PM
Jul 2017

In the States, the problem is unfortunately seen through a very narrow lens:

Like last year, when problems facing afro americans was reduced to problems "in the ghetto" and prisons, when the impact of social injustice are far reaching - from educated middle class and lower middle class Afro Americans who still find it tough to get capital to expand their business, to educated Afro Americans who can't get a job, Afro-Americans who -despite where they live - get harassed by police, Afro-American small business owners who face a bureaucratic nightmare at the state level when even trying to start a business. For young educated afro - american men and women, there's still a possibility of getting shafted or facing the race/gender paygap in salary negotiations ( as JustAnotherGen mentioned in this thread Things like tax relief and simplifying tax codes, a more open economy with access to new markets, supporting entrepreneurs, and providing support for small businesses also matter for black people. W.r.t to education, even a priority on free college won't be a magical fix if the formative years of education aren't given much attention. These are all connected to attitudes , contribute to income inequity, the resources available to communities and how those resources are managed, and how the concerns of afro americans are treated and perceived. If there's no recognition of the complex challenges experienced by many PoC, we'll see the continued perpetuation of harmful stereotypes such as you mentioned.

EDIT: And to expand more on resources and how they impact communities, just take a simple thing like infrastructure investment, which Obama was determined to put through but he was blocked by Republicans. Crumbling infrastructure affects not just poor areas but urban communities, and there is a multiplier effect on jobs and health. Roads, airports, water systems and telecommunications are all essential in eliminating poverty and providing opportunities. Better roads and transport systems mean access to better employment options, even better healthcare. It provides citizens with options. An area can be permanently depressed or become dissipated if infrastructure is ignored, which in turn affects opportunities to create wealth ( And social mobility).

JustAnotherGen

(31,681 posts)
4. Yet when black folks point out
Thu Jul 27, 2017, 08:49 AM
Jul 2017

Who is really impoverished and taking the lion's share of benefits in America - we get accused of engaging in class warfare.

Seriously - Welcome to America. What's your dream? Everybody's got a dream! Keep on dreaming!

ismnotwasm

(41,919 posts)
6. Jesus. White supremacy is attached to historical colonialism. What the hell do you men "the more"?
Thu Jul 27, 2017, 11:41 AM
Jul 2017

White supremacy is written in the laws of this land and it's taken countless court cases to root it out. And it's still there. In our laws, in our cultures, in our deepest psychological perceptions. Internalized? Perhaps. Also, fought against from the day a child is othered, by gender, by color. Our history is full of this, as well. You sound like you've been reading Thomas Sowell.

ismnotwasm

(41,919 posts)
8. Right?
Thu Jul 27, 2017, 12:02 PM
Jul 2017

It's not an evolving state--it was THERE boom. It was there before America. I keep thinking of this scene from "American Gods"--one line isn't in this clip I don't think-- "oh you motherfuckers don't know you're black yet"

ismnotwasm

(41,919 posts)
10. The series starts out with a "Somewhere in America" segment
Thu Jul 27, 2017, 12:17 PM
Jul 2017

Like that one. I love the book--wasn't sure how they would translate it into a series--second episode and that hits me upside the head. So powerful.

JustAnotherGen

(31,681 posts)
12. Watch it if you can
Thu Jul 27, 2017, 01:38 PM
Jul 2017

We watched a few episodes this past weekend on demand (STARZ).

The opening monologue for that 'god' is shocking. And true. And sad.

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