Anthea Butler

[Sandy]

This got posted earlier, in an obscure thread in New Baptist Covenant. It is worth reading, and fits this section much better.

http://religiondispatches.org/the-fire-this-time/

[Haruo]

Painful to read, doubtless painful to write. And perhaps overly optimistic.

[Dave Roberts]

[Jim]

Under this oppressive white racist society, Butler has managed a Ph. D and is an associate professor at a prestigious university, to which she adds a certain four-letter-word eloquence, as in this little hate-speech. She didn’t say much about the society but quite a lot about herself. Humbug! This is the kind of uber-racist warped professors to whom students are exposed every day, and that’s a shame.

[KeithE]

I’m using this article (last paragraph) as an example of hopelessness in SS class tomorrow.

[Haruo]

I see some truth in what Anthea Butler wrote, and also some truth in what Jim Clark wrote.

[JE Pettibone]

[Jim]

[William Thornton]

Yeah, I read the piece and it was worth reading but not worth much else. There's a large market in white guilt and minority advocacy for it and the day will never come when any benchmarks for racial progress will be accepted by the advocacy complex.

[Sandy]

[KeithE]

[KeithE]

[Dave Roberts]

[William Thornton]

Have you noticed any differences between 1960 and 2017?

[Dave Roberts]

[KeithE]

[Sandy]

[Jim]

[KeithE]

[Sandy]

Dr. Butler is an emotionally strong, very intelligent, highly successful African American woman. She's a prophetic voice, the reaction to her words from some circles, not just here, confirm that. Usually it is those who achieve things like becoming a professor at an ivy league school in spite of all of the barriers, glass ceilings and obstacles who are most able to understand the suffering of those who face the same obstacles for the same reasons. Those of us who can't relate to the experience because our skin color and the lack of finding a similar experience among our ancestors can read her words. She, clearly, expects more than just reading, deservedly so.

[JE Pettibone]

Ed: Dave, when you write "What I see in her article is that we still have not done well to become one people. I live in a black-majority county that is often attached to predominantly white counties to prevent the election of blacks. Yes, I still see a long way to go."

Who are the "we" that "still have not done well to become one people"?

[Dave Roberts]

[Sandy]

Generally, the definition of becoming "one people," is usually some form of assimilation, meaning that those who are Caucasian, or European in origin are the dominant culture, and everyone else must conform to our cultural norms, which are defined as being "American values" or they are the cause of disunity. But most people that have an interest in becoming an American understands that involves the cultural diversity that we have, and the freedom of individual choice, along with the individual, constitutional protections we enjoy in the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. A person who wants to retain the use of their native tongue is not subversive, any more than a person who is Muslim with children who volunteer for military service. What happens, though, is that differences in cultural background lead to discrimination, which means that people who don't conform to Caucasian European background expectations, or cultural norms that have developed here through the years are unable to prosper the same way because they aren't offered the same level or extent of opportunity. Telling them that they just need to get in line and act like everyone else if they want the same opportunity is neither moral, nor is it a reflection of the claim of equal opportunity under law. That's just, simply put, bigotry, prejudice and good old fashioned hate. Then, when those who feel hated speak up, or push back, they are labelled as militants and treated even worse.

[Neil Heath]

Thanks, Sandy, for hitting the bullseye. I agree.

[Dave Roberts]

Sandy, you are exactly on target. Seeing the Muslim woman in a hajib should not brand her as "other" but should simply denote a religious preference just as a cross around the neck of a Christian should be a statement of his or her religious preference.