TY for reply. Yeah, I reject that notion of the need for racial caucuses and societies. TY for bringing that up. No, i sort-a doubt that many others do, or have even given it sufficient thought.
However, the leadership You're describing, M BDavi? Is that still around these days? Seriously, tho, a lotta what I see about leadership these days is how to best appease the vocal minorities. The majority? The normies? I dunno they get much shrift.
But i applaud the last paragraph. From what I can tell, that's not necessarily the popular opinion around this crowd. But ICBW (I Could Be Wrong). Frequently am.
I'm just failing to see why Blacks can't agree skin color is not destiny and is, in actual fact, immaterial to the majority of Americans if given half a chance. And the Blacks saying, at the same time, I appreciate some-a the good aspects of what's-called Black culture or traditions, and I wanna keep them.
Somehow it's thought that these two are mutually exclusive. I don't get it. But I'm not in a racial minority. I'm definitely a minority in other respects, tho. But that's a personal problem.
From reading Wesley Yang's "The Soul of Yellow Folk," there's *always* gonna be this trade-off minorities face. How much to accept the majority culture, and whether Your own culture needs to be sacrificed in the process. *All* minorities. I recall this story of a successful, young black woman over on JFBT. She was real excited about all her success. But there was one line that stood out for me, which is she regretted she'd lost some-a her "blackness."
That's sad. But if You want the success, I'm afraid, part-a that necessitates accommodating the culture of the majority population. If an "African American" wants to be more African than American, it's just gonna be harder. I suppose that sounds racist. Because that *is* unfair. But life *isn't* fair, and it's something that minorities around the world face, AFAIK (As Far As I Know). ICBW, of course.
In the end, though, aren't we all -- in one sense or another -- aren't we all our own minority of one?
As trite as it sounds it's undoubtedly true....all of us: strangers in a strange land.
My skin color may be a majority skin color but that is not ME. My western European ancestry has shaped my face, my body, and created a whole slew of genetic tendencies...but that also is not who I am. My height, my weight, the sound of my voice, my likes and dislikes, those things I'm drawn to, those things which repel me, my education, the books I read and don't read, the movies I like, the conversations I enjoy:
gather them all together, shake them up, roll them out and you find ME. And I may be the only one standing there when all is said and done (just as you may be the only standing when a similar shake/rattle/& roll happened with y ou)
So none of us should be surprised to learn that our idiosyncratic selves are at least somewhat 'out of synch' with what passes for 'majority' culture. We all 'have to sacrifice' pieces and part of ourselves (the most minority culture of all) to move smoothly through our 'majority' public spaces.
But I don't know that it's exactly sad that our deepest & most personal selves are not usually welcome in that Public Space. As a matter of fact, most of us actually believe 'constraint' is a good thing in those shared environments. It's why we all discourage our work partners from warming-up Tuna Casserole in the office microwave!
I like that: "shake them up, roll them out..." That fills up most-a the day, with pleasure most-a the time.
Yeah, we're all minority of one. No one that *I* know of escapes trade-offs.
I only got a little into Professor Sowell's views on the vision of constraints. What I fear (when I bother to fear anything, which is pretty much never)... Well, those who believe in the vision of NO constraints don't really have a realistic view of things. AFAIK.
TY for reply. Yeah, I reject that notion of the need for racial caucuses and societies. TY for bringing that up. No, i sort-a doubt that many others do, or have even given it sufficient thought.
However, the leadership You're describing, M BDavi? Is that still around these days? Seriously, tho, a lotta what I see about leadership these days is how to best appease the vocal minorities. The majority? The normies? I dunno they get much shrift.
But i applaud the last paragraph. From what I can tell, that's not necessarily the popular opinion around this crowd. But ICBW (I Could Be Wrong). Frequently am.
I'm just failing to see why Blacks can't agree skin color is not destiny and is, in actual fact, immaterial to the majority of Americans if given half a chance. And the Blacks saying, at the same time, I appreciate some-a the good aspects of what's-called Black culture or traditions, and I wanna keep them.
Somehow it's thought that these two are mutually exclusive. I don't get it. But I'm not in a racial minority. I'm definitely a minority in other respects, tho. But that's a personal problem.
From reading Wesley Yang's "The Soul of Yellow Folk," there's *always* gonna be this trade-off minorities face. How much to accept the majority culture, and whether Your own culture needs to be sacrificed in the process. *All* minorities. I recall this story of a successful, young black woman over on JFBT. She was real excited about all her success. But there was one line that stood out for me, which is she regretted she'd lost some-a her "blackness."
That's sad. But if You want the success, I'm afraid, part-a that necessitates accommodating the culture of the majority population. If an "African American" wants to be more African than American, it's just gonna be harder. I suppose that sounds racist. Because that *is* unfair. But life *isn't* fair, and it's something that minorities around the world face, AFAIK (As Far As I Know). ICBW, of course.
TY again for Your thoughtful reply.
Exactly. Couldn't agree more.
In the end, though, aren't we all -- in one sense or another -- aren't we all our own minority of one?
As trite as it sounds it's undoubtedly true....all of us: strangers in a strange land.
My skin color may be a majority skin color but that is not ME. My western European ancestry has shaped my face, my body, and created a whole slew of genetic tendencies...but that also is not who I am. My height, my weight, the sound of my voice, my likes and dislikes, those things I'm drawn to, those things which repel me, my education, the books I read and don't read, the movies I like, the conversations I enjoy:
gather them all together, shake them up, roll them out and you find ME. And I may be the only one standing there when all is said and done (just as you may be the only standing when a similar shake/rattle/& roll happened with y ou)
So none of us should be surprised to learn that our idiosyncratic selves are at least somewhat 'out of synch' with what passes for 'majority' culture. We all 'have to sacrifice' pieces and part of ourselves (the most minority culture of all) to move smoothly through our 'majority' public spaces.
But I don't know that it's exactly sad that our deepest & most personal selves are not usually welcome in that Public Space. As a matter of fact, most of us actually believe 'constraint' is a good thing in those shared environments. It's why we all discourage our work partners from warming-up Tuna Casserole in the office microwave!
I'll just quote You.
"Exactly. Couldn't agree more."
I like that: "shake them up, roll them out..." That fills up most-a the day, with pleasure most-a the time.
Yeah, we're all minority of one. No one that *I* know of escapes trade-offs.
I only got a little into Professor Sowell's views on the vision of constraints. What I fear (when I bother to fear anything, which is pretty much never)... Well, those who believe in the vision of NO constraints don't really have a realistic view of things. AFAIK.
TY again for reply. A pleasure...