The Making of the "Other" Chicago

A must read article on the violence in Chicago. I loved it so please cheack it out!

The Making of the "Other" Chicago!

A Note About Race

(I just wanted to share a note that originated from Facebook so some things might not make sense but trust me, there are issues in this note that everyone should read!)

I know no one really wants to talk about race, I mean I know this. It's a hot topic and it's one of those things you want to sweep under a rug and hopefully forget it was there in the first place but somehow the dirt ended up right below my feet in kind of this unexpected way on facebook. I posted a poem by WEB Du Bois, "I am the Smoke King", where the poet finds strength and sorrow in the legacy of the slave hoping to find a new strength and dignity that all African Americans can unite behind. I recieved such a negative reaction from a white male and though it didn't end well because I think anger got the best of all of us but I would like to believe I am a rational person. I'm open...completely! So afterwards not fully understanding where he was coming from I sought out the help of a friend who has this ability to see both sides of the table and from a perspective I don't necessarily understand at times. The white male lol! I had issues with skin color growing up so black empowerment is natural to me but when I really look at it, I wonder how white people must feel sometimes, to always see, "My black is beautiful" or "Black Girls Rock"...you know this messages that they necessarily can't create themselves without being labeled racist or seen as some sort of white supremacy group. I think especially for the newer generations who don't feel that this is necessary in todays times. It must feel unfair. Anyway, my friend wrote this incredible note back to me that I just have to share because he really tapped in on both sides. I feel like he gives you a mirror of understanding into both groups that make you want to say, "Ohhhhh ok, I get it." Lastly, he references the thread where all the drama went down so if you want to check that out first I recommend it just so you can understand what he's talking about. I didn't delete it because I don't believe in that. I think there is something to learn in whatever situation whether the outcome is positive or negative. You can still grow from it. I tried to make this the most diverse tag EVER because I felt like if were going to talk about race, let's get everybody in on it. In the end, that's what we have to do to truly progress anyway. It's very insightful, I just wanted some people to walk away feeling like this helped them understand what maybe they didn't before.



"I am glad you brought me in on this. The conversation (or argument) you had with that young man is reflective of a raging (though under the surface) social debate in our country. Most Americans seem to think that we live in a post-racial society. We do not. I used to think we did. We don’t. Yes, we have a black president, black political leaders, black celebrities, and black people filling all kinds of roles in our society. However, when we talk about them, they are a "black" president, a "black" leader, a "black" this and a "black" that. We very much live in a society sensitive to color. Even you and I discuss our races. We joke, we debate, we compare, we contrast. As a society, frankly I think we are obsessed with race, but we don’t even realize it anymore. And that goes for black and white. As you know I have always been a politics and history buff. And a few years back my reading and personal study led me to read a lot about the Civil War. I walked away from that believing, as I do now, that it is the most significant event in American history. It shaped who we were, and continues to shapes who we are today. It was a war about race, and it was a war about directing our collective futures. The argument that it was simply about abstract states’ rights ignores that the state right in question was slavery. There were nearly a million casualties in the Civil War in a collectively bloody effort to hash out the issue, yet we are still fighting it today in one way or another: racially, geographically, culturally, and the fact we are even discussing this right now. After coming to these historical conclusions, I decided I needed to read more Afro-centric literature and history. I needed more context. I realized I knew nothing about black people. Yes, that is a blanket statement. But, what I realized is that all I knew of the black community was the pop culture stuff: the athletes, musicians, and famous people. I didn't know the writers, the poets, the philosophers, and the thinkers. Reading The Souls of Black Folk kind of recalibrated my compass in regards to looking at race in America. Here is a book that is over 100 years old, but could have been written today. And that is my point. We have made progress in terms of race, but we are still very far from the finish line. I know reading books about groups of people doesn't make me know who they are, but I think it’s given me a better idea of who I am in relation to black people. Our understanding of races other than our own, has to be through the prism of who we are ourselves. My understanding of the black community can only be through my own eyes as a white man. Understanding who I am to the black community is step-one in my gaining a deeper understanding of who they are, individually and collectively. In America, we evaluate the color of the face first, and the content of the character second. That’s not a good way to understand someone.

The guy you debated didn't realize that the topic of race, and how black people feel about themselves collectively IS IMPORTANT. It is very relevant particularly in relation to white people. Here is why he got mad: a lot of white folks feel like there are things black people can say and do and "get away with it" that white people can't. To a large extent this is true. But, that is because of historical context, and your facebook friend fails to realize that. It took me a long time to understand that. I didn’t realize it until my mid-twenties. The black community is a minority community, who has been historically disadvantaged, and live in a white-dominant society. The collective-efficacy of a group of people (particularly a minority group) hinges on their ability to understand themselves, build shared values, and have a common purpose. That is just historical fact. Your facebook friend sees Black Entertainment Television and thinks its racist because there isn't a White Entertainment Television. But, guess what? THERE IS! It’s called ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CNN, and every other channel. American cultural values and entertainment are still largely driven by Western-European (white) heritage. Removing all the racial history in this country, and then looking at these issues, then your friends point would be valid. But, we can't erase history. We also can't ignore that there are simply more white people than black people. That’s not race, that’s just numbers. And because of that, most things reflect that. What your friend doesn't realize, is that he lives in a society that is largely controlled by his own, and my own. The white male remains largely in control of our society. And so people who are not like us, would naturally want things that reflect their own heritage, and their own image. If I were living in Beijing, China as a minority, I would want to be able to watch tv shows where the people looked and sounded like me. That is a natural human inclination to seek out things that reflect ourselves. In a society of white faces, it is totally natural for a black minority community to want to turn on the television and see a black face. That’s not racist, that’s human nature.

I do believe some of your friend’s points, or perhaps what he intended, are valid. I think our society has become way too politically correct. It’s really difficult for white people to talk about race in public because we are terrified of being labeled as racist. That term can ruin someone’s career. And that’s unfortunate. Even what I have written here to you today would be torn apart if read by a large audience. Black folks would say that I boiled down their entire history and culture into a couple books, and that I think you are all the same. White people would tell me that I think all white people are racist, and that I am rehashing history. Discussing race in our country has become a zero-sum game; one side wins, one side loses. There is no discussion, only yelling. What I believe is that we are a society who has made incredible strides forward, and righted a lot of wrongs, but that there is ALOT of work left to be done. We are the only society in human history to self-correct. We identify what we are doing wrong, and we modify the behavior. This is unique in the course of human events, and it is something all Americans, of every color and creed, should be very proud of. There are still some bad apples, but they really aren’t the problem. The primary road block to progress is the regular folks like us who are either unwilling, or just too afraid to discuss race openly. It’s impossible for me as a white man, to completely understand you as a black woman, and vice a versa. But, that’s all the more reason to get to know each other better! You and I were not participants in the past; we can only be the architects of the future. I do not believe the answer is to ascribe to the belief that we are all the same, and nobody should recognize our differences. Differences are what make us individuals. Differences are what create this beautiful culture we all share. Differences are how we come up with solutions to our common problems, and ideas for our common goals. I just think we are all so uncomfortable with race that we don’t know how to deal with it. It’s really difficult to dislike someone you understand. So, a little bit of reciprocal understanding could go a long way. Let’s talk more."

When I write or post things of black empowerment, it's not to offend anyone or escalate race relations. I just feel there is still much brokenness in terms of the way we see ourselves sometimes and in order to move into the colorless society we all hope for, we need to repair the damage to truly progress. You can't build a home on sand. You need a strong foundation that can withstand anything! Well I hope this was just as insightful for you as it was me! Peace everybody. Much love and enjoy the rest of this great and eventful month!