coldcoffeeandcocacola said:

Also, free speech does seem to be stifled. Here too. (UK, not the org) This is a problem! I don't know enough about usa culture to comment on the rest of your post, you are often I suppose quite extreme in your views but I think both of these points you made are very, very accurate. [Edited 3/31/21 15:16pm]

Do you know why you would call my views extreme?

jjhunsecker said:

Margot said:

I think you mentioned attending parochial school as I did. I attended one year of parochial high school as well. The classes were arduous but I am now greatful for the experience.

After that year I attended high school in an affluent zip code in the Bay Area and was one year ahead in every subject, particularly Latin. (Did a little skating that year). It showed me that very few public schools are likely teaching @ a high level unless one is enrolled in AP or Honor's classes.

[Edited 4/3/21 17:51pm]

After leaving Catholic grammar school I attended a very good public high school, considered at the time a “magnet school “. It was in an almost entirely White neighborhood, and my mother, knowing the iniquities in society and the especially the school system, very wisely assessed that a school like this would have better teachers and better facilities. I received an excellent education there, both academically and socially, as I learned how to interact with different types of people. I made friendships that last to this day. Being one of the few minorities in this environment also had an ugly side: I heard the words “nigger” and “spic” pretty much every day. And there were several instances of what could be described as racially motivated confrontations and even violence, especially in the areas surrounding the school. At that time, race riots were not uncommon in the boroughs and suburbs of New York. One had to be on-guard at all times

It's difficult to know what to do.

Sad to hear about your experiences.

Margot said:

jjhunsecker said:

jjhunsecker said:

Margot said:

I think you mentioned attending parochial school as I did. I attended one year of parochial high school as well. The classes were arduous but I am now greatful for the experience.

After that year I attended high school in an affluent zip code in the Bay Area and was one year ahead in every subject, particularly Latin. (Did a little skating that year). It showed me that very few public schools are likely teaching @ a high level unless one is enrolled in AP or Honor's classes.

[Edited 4/3/21 17:51pm]

After leaving Catholic grammar school I attended a very good public high school, considered at the time a “magnet school “. It was in an almost entirely White neighborhood, and my mother, knowing the iniquities in society and the especially the school system, very wisely assessed that a school like this would have better teachers and better facilities. I received an excellent education there, both academically and socially, as I learned how to interact with different types of people. I made friendships that last to this day. Being one of the few minorities in this environment also had an ugly side: I heard the words “nigger” and “spic” pretty much every day. And there were several instances of what could be described as racially motivated confrontations and even violence, especially in the areas surrounding the school. At that time, race riots were not uncommon in the boroughs and suburbs of New York. One had to be on-guard at all times

I had similar experiences when my family moved from the South Bronx to Long Island, but with less violence (probably because the neighborhood was @ 60/40). Not only did I deal with ignorant shit from racist whites, but also from some brothas who called me "punk", "fa****" or "white" because I got good grades and was only average at sports. I wasn't exactly part of the "cool" crowd who smoked weed and talked "hip". College was a breath of fresh air....it was pleasure being around brothas and sistas who were all about education/empowerment instead of nonsense. But it was a good life lesson....just because someone has the same color as me, doesn't mean they have my back.

coldcoffeeandcocacola said:

uPtoWnNY said:

I had similar experiences when my family moved from the South Bronx to Long Island, but with less violence (probably because the neighborhood was @ 60/40). Not only did I deal with ignorant shit from racist whites, but also from some brothas who called me "punk", "fa****" or "white" because I got good grades and was only average at sports. I wasn't exactly part of the "cool" crowd who smoked weed and talked "hip". College was a breath of fresh air....it was pleasure being around brothas and sistas who were all about education/empowerment instead of nonsense. But it was a good life lesson....just because someone has the same color as me, doesn't mean they have my back.

This is such an interesting comment. I've often wondered (I'm white) why some people I know who are black think other black people will support them just for colour. My colleague messed up and assumed another black colleague would have her back who she isn't friendly with and didn't witness. She said it's sisterhood. I said nothing as it wasn't my place but when the other colleague shrugged and said she hasn't seen a thing, the lady next to me (who had this incident) seemed like an offence had been made! I felt bad for her as she was so sure she'd be off the hook (she had messed up but I wasn't going to say I saw, but equally I wasn't going to lie for her) but I was left wondering why she thought this was a thing?? So interested to know whether this was exclusive to her or a belief you grow up as a minority (black is minority where I am from although I see at least one, usually many people of colour in every shop or street at least so it's not a small minority at all). The lady who triggered said incident is smart, well educated, beautiful, social, wealthy.. She's the epitome of success and so she wasn't a chancer who had grown up used to people bailing her out. Thats why I think her assuming this was jarring to me. Is it a cultural thing I wouldn't grasp or is it something else? [Edited 4/8/21 0:58am]

Growing up in the South Bronx during the 60s & 70s, I learned at an early age, black and brown folks can be just as devious as white folks. And as adults, we're all trying to get the same piece of the pie, especially in cold-blooded city like New York. I handle my own business and trust NO ONE outside my inner circle of family and close friends.

[Edited 4/8/21 3:04am]

uPtoWnNY said:

coldcoffeeandcocacola said:

uPtoWnNY said:

I had similar experiences when my family moved from the South Bronx to Long Island, but with less violence (probably because the neighborhood was @ 60/40). Not only did I deal with ignorant shit from racist whites, but also from some brothas who called me "punk", "fa****" or "white" because I got good grades and was only average at sports. I wasn't exactly part of the "cool" crowd who smoked weed and talked "hip". College was a breath of fresh air....it was pleasure being around brothas and sistas who were all about education/empowerment instead of nonsense. But it was a good life lesson....just because someone has the same color as me, doesn't mean they have my back.

This is such an interesting comment. I've often wondered (I'm white) why some people I know who are black think other black people will support them just for colour. My colleague messed up and assumed another black colleague would have her back who she isn't friendly with and didn't witness. She said it's sisterhood. I said nothing as it wasn't my place but when the other colleague shrugged and said she hasn't seen a thing, the lady next to me (who had this incident) seemed like an offence had been made! I felt bad for her as she was so sure she'd be off the hook (she had messed up but I wasn't going to say I saw, but equally I wasn't going to lie for her) but I was left wondering why she thought this was a thing?? So interested to know whether this was exclusive to her or a belief you grow up as a minority (black is minority where I am from although I see at least one, usually many people of colour in every shop or street at least so it's not a small minority at all). The lady who triggered said incident is smart, well educated, beautiful, social, wealthy.. She's the epitome of success and so she wasn't a chancer who had grown up used to people bailing her out. Thats why I think her assuming this was jarring to me. Is it a cultural thing I wouldn't grasp or is it something else? [Edited 4/8/21 0:58am]

Growing up in the South Bronx during the 60s & 70s, I learned at an early age, black and brown folks can be just as devious as white folks. And as adults, we're all trying to get the same piece of the pie, especially in cold-blooded city like New York. I handle my own business and trust NO ONE outside my inner circle of family and close friends.

[Edited 4/8/21 3:04am]

coldcoffeeandcocacola said:

coldcoffeeandcocacola said:

2elijah said:

Actually no, it’s not a ‘cultural’ thing specific to the Black community. There are people from your racial group, and other non-Black groups, who I’ve experienced doing the same with one another. Really depends on the situation. For example, there are many within their own racial group who will support each others’ businesses just to show ‘economic support’ in their community, to help those persons’ businesses grow. Nothing wrong with that but then there are many who may expect support in moral/personal ways, some not-so-nice ways, from someone from the same racial group, just like you mentioned about your friend, but don’t look at that situation, as ‘a specific to one racial group’, because then that leads to stereotyping, and the Black community is not monolithic.

Also I can relate to some of JJ’s and UptownNY’s experiences growing up in a middle-class community. In the early days my community was 70% White/30% Black. Few years later, when the ‘White-Flight’ started, my community’s demographics changed to a mixture of middle to Black upper class Black community. A community where everyone looked out for each other. In the midst of it all, we still had to endure the racism many of us faced in public school, and outside our community, even while out and about with our parents. But that didn’t stop me from doing well in school. My classes were racially diverse, and I also had the early experience of living in a diverse community as a young child, as the same, when I got older.

During my early school years, I didn’t listen to two White teachers who tried to tell me, because of my racial identity, that I shouldn’t seek certain aspirations in life. I just ignored their racial biases, and thought they were crazy,
because my father always taught me I could achieve whatever I wanted in life.

Sadly, I had to learn how to deal with racial prejudice at a young age, and at the same time, developed the courage to handle it, by not allowing it to define who I am as a human being nor dictate ‘limitations’ to me, because as time passed, I realized that someone else’s racial bias was not my problem, it is the insecurities and ignorance of individuals, who try to impose their racial hatred on others.
[Edited 4/8/21 4:13am]