The Top 5 Issues Facing Black Americans

[kcchiefs6465]

[kahless]

I agree with the substance of the video and the specificity of it however one could say it applies to some individuals of all races. Regardless a history of institutionalized racism against blacks has and does put blacks at a disadvantage. The solutions propagate the complaint as well as falsely accusing non-blacks and retaliation against non-blacks.

With that said I believe the #1 issue facing white Americans <cough sarcasm> is having to be subject to listening to the plight of black Americans 24x7x365. Again only adding to the problem.

[brushfire]

That was some heavy truth - hats off to that guy for having the courage. Excellent vid, thanks for posting.

[GunnyFreedom]

This is a great video, but I can't use it as a share because the gentleman uses "black" as a noun, which thing is offensive to most Black people.

[jmdrake]

I agree with the substance of the video and the specificity of it however one could say it applies to some individuals of all races. Regardless a history of institutionalized racism against blacks has and does put blacks at a disadvantage. The solutions propagate the complaint as well as falsely accusing non-blacks and retaliation against non-blacks.

With that said I believe the #1 issue facing white Americans is having to be subject to listening to the plight of black Americans 24x7x365. Again only adding to the problem.

It's possible to believe that there has been and continues to be genuine oppression of blacks and simultaneously believe that more government is not the answer. Or in other words ask yourself the question "How many prominent Asian American politicians can you name?"

[jmdrake]

This is a great video, but I can't use it as a share because the gentleman uses "black" as a noun, which thing is offensive to most Black people.

Ummmm....huh? I've never heard that.

[dannno]

Ummmm....huh? I've never heard that.

Sometime in the early 90s I think, maybe sooner even, they decided that "African American" was better than "black". It was a PC move, just not very well thought out.

What do you call a black person in Canada? Or London? What do you call a white person from Africa who lives in America? Or China?

[jmdrake]

Sometime in the early 90s I think, maybe sooner even, they decided that "African American" was better than "black". It was a PC move, just not very well thought out.

1) That doesn't mean the term "black" automagically became offensive.

2) The "they" you speak of does not exist. It's not like this was put out for a vote. I never got a ballot.

3) The term "black" is in current use, i.e. "black lives matter."

4) The person in the video is black/African American.

What do you call a black person in Canada? Or London? What do you call a white person from Africa who lives in America? Or China?

You could say "people of African descent" for all of the black people you are talking about and a "person of European descent" for the white guy born in Africa. Or you could just say "African" versus "European" versus "Asian."

Regardless, I don't think any of that rises to the level of "I can't share this video because African Americans will be offended by a black man using the term black." But....whatever.

[H_H]

Top Five Issues, No Question

1) Coffee Racism. Yo, what's up with that? Coffee is Black.

2) Golf Course Denialism. Geriatric Black Women everywhere are being systematically denied their Golf-Related Rights.

3) Racist Hoodieism. White supremacist corporation H&M (formerly known as K&K&K) released a disgusting and offensive hoodie earlier this year that still has the community reeling.

4) Pizza Racism. Papa Johns' CEO made headlines when he unambiguously endorsed slavery, deportation, and Nazism.

5) Hands-Up Get-Shot-Anyway-ism. As we all know, in 1965 The Reverend Trayvon Brown was sitting innocently in a bus when he cried out, and I quote, "Hands-up, Don't shoot!" but was ignomoniously shot anyway for no reason whatsoever. Since then, this exact scenario has happened to millions of other Black Americans.

[GunnyFreedom]

Ummmm....huh? I've never heard that.

My experience has been that "Black" as an adjective is just fine: ie "I talked to a Black person."

But the term "Black" as a noun has been offensive: ie "I talked to a Black."

There may be regional differences, but that has been in experience in North Carolina.

[jmdrake]

My experience has been that "Black" as an adjective is just fine: ie "I talked to a Black person."

But the term "Black" as a noun has been offensive: ie "I talked to a Black."

There may be regional differences, but that has been in experience in North Carolina.

I'm not used to hearing someone say "I talked to a black" and that sounds weird to me. But I hear terms like "Blacks usually vote democratic" or something like that all the time. I sent my best friend, who is also black (and democratic...and voted for Bernie Sanders..and at least likes Ron Paul), the Prager University "Black in power don't help blacks" video and she thought it made some valid points and she didn't seem at all offended. But then again, I'm the one who sent it...and I'm black. People inside a group can say and do things that might be offensive coming from people outside of the group. Libertarians can say stuff about libertarians that might be offensive coming from non libertarians for example.

[H_H]

Since then, this exact scenario has happened to millions of other Black Americans.

Every year.

[juleswin]

I'm not used to hearing someone say "I talked to a black" and that sounds weird to me. But I hear terms like "Blacks usually vote democratic" or something like that all the time. I sent my best friend, who is also black (and democratic...and voted for Bernie Sanders..and at least likes Ron Paul), the Prager University "Black in power don't help blacks" video and she thought it made some valid points and she didn't seem at all offended. But then again, I'm the one who sent it...and I'm black. People inside a group can say and do things that might be offensive coming from people outside of the group. Libertarians can say stuff about libertarians that might be offensive coming from non libertarians for example.

This guy was offended, but apart from him, I have yet to meet anyone(black, white and in between) who takes offense to the use of the word blacks to refer to black people

[shakey1]

My experience has been that "Black" as an adjective is just fine: ie "I talked to a Black person."

But the term "Black" as a noun has been offensive: ie "I talked to a Black."

There may be regional differences, but that has been in experience in North Carolina.

Could be it's ok when a black person refers to black people as 'blacks', but not for anyone else... same would (or used to) hold true for the 'n'-word.

[Madison320]

It's possible to believe that there has been and continues to be genuine oppression of blacks and simultaneously believe that more government is not the answer. Or in other words ask yourself the question "How many prominent Asian American politicians can you name?"

I agree in a way. The "oppression" is disguised as government "help".

I couldn't play the video but here's my top five:

1. Welfare state (income redistribution).
2. Government schools.
3. Drug laws.
4. Discrimination laws.
5. Minimum wage.

Get rid of those and the problems will go away on their own.

[jmdrake]

This guy was offended, but apart from him, I have yet to meet anyone(black, white and in between) who takes offense to the use of the word blacks to refer to black people

LOL. This guy couldn't name any funny black Englishmen? Has he never seen Red Dwarf?

[juleswin]

LOL. This guy couldn't name any funny black Englishmen? Has he never seen Red Dwarf?

Funny English standup comedian. Also, it was mainly done to point out that Lenny Henry is NOT funny.

[GunnyFreedom]

Sometime in the early 90s I think, maybe sooner even, they decided that "African American" was better than "black". It was a PC move, just not very well thought out.

What do you call a black person in Canada? Or London? What do you call a white person from Africa who lives in America? Or China?

1) That doesn't mean the term "black" automagically became offensive.

2) The "they" you speak of does not exist. It's not like this was put out for a vote. I never got a ballot.

3) The term "black" is in current use, i.e. "black lives matter."

4) The person in the video is black/African American.



You could say "people of African descent" for all of the black people you are talking about and a "person of European descent" for the white guy born in Africa. Or you could just say "African" versus "European" versus "Asian."

Regardless, I don't think any of that rises to the level of "I can't share this video because African Americans will be offended by a black man using the term black." But....whatever.

My experience has also been that "African American" is just now starting to become offensive, mostly because only a portion of Black Americans have any real roots in Africa.

[juleswin]

Could be it's ok when a black person refers to black people as 'blacks', but not for anyone else... same would (or used to) hold true for the 'n'-word.

It could be but it isn't. This is just one of those ugly rumors people create to make black people look bad. As in "look at those people, they are so triggered and crazy that they are always whining about the word people can call em".

[H_H]

6) Being Referred to by the Wrong Term. As the foregoing conversation shows, the ins and outs and intricacies of what terms will be considered grievous, palatable, offensive, or offensively palatable, based on a number of complex variables such as time and date of use, location of the occurrence, coming from whom, directed at whom, and percentage of blackness, has become a question of extreme importance to all right-thinking people which, due to its advanced and technical nature, can now only be adequately addressed by qualified teams of trained scientific specialists. The sad reality that we are not yet funding such teams of scientists, and that in fact the NIH is routinely turning down grant applications from such scientists for such projects, is an indictment upon our whole country and an indelible stain upon our national character.

[fisharmor]

3) The term "black" is in current use, i.e. "black lives matter."

Who among us is old enough to remember the TV commercials for the United Negro College Fund?
"A mind is a terrible thing to waste."
I thought they were really eye-opening commercials with a positive message, that really motivated people to get involved in what was a big problem - not the plight of the black man, but the wasting of a mind.

They never changed the name, and continue to be the largest tuition assistance program for black people.

And good on 'em. The word 'negro' was, and is, a completely valueless descriptor.

One of the things we're 'supposed' to say these days is 'people of color', which is remarkably close to 'colored people' which we haven't been allowed to say for at least 40 years, so who knows, maybe some day we can just go back to 'negro' and call it quits.

[H_H]

My experience has also been that "African American" is just now starting to become offensive, mostly because only a portion of Black Americans have any real roots in Africa.

All those Australian Aboriginal-American immigrants finally getting fed up and putting feet down?

[juleswin]

Who among us is old enough to remember the TV commercials for the United Negro College Fund?
"A mind is a terrible thing to waste."
I thought they were really eye-opening commercials with a positive message, that really motivated people to get involved in what was a big problem - not the plight of the black man, but the wasting of a mind.

They never changed the name, and continue to be the largest tuition assistance program for black people.

And good on 'em. The word 'negro' was, and is, a completely valueless descriptor.

One of the things we're 'supposed' to say these days is 'people of color', which is remarkably close to 'colored people' which we haven't been allowed to say for at least 40 years, so who knows, maybe some day we can just go back to 'negro' and call it quits.

I saw the UNCF commercial a few years back on BET and "people of colour" and "coloured people" is still not offensive. The offensive part about it is when it is put on places to restrict access to black people.

Trivia answer here, the colour in those 2 phrases/names refers to melanin the skin pigment many non whites have. Nothing offensive about melanin

[euphemia]

Sometime in the early 90s I think, maybe sooner even, they decided that "African American" was better than "black". It was a PC move, just not very well thought out.

What do you call a black person in Canada? Or London? What do you call a white person from Africa who lives in America? Or China?

I have an American friend who was born in Africa and lives there still. She's more pale and blond than I am.

[tod evans]

Good video, +rep

[H_H]

I have an American friend who was born in Africa and lives there still. She's more pale and blond than I am.

That's an American-African.

She may be eligible for Negatory Action over there.

[juleswin]

I agree in a way. The "oppression" is disguised as government "help".

I couldn't play the video but here's my top five:

1. Welfare state (income redistribution).
2. Government schools.
3. Drug laws.
4. Discrimination laws.
5. Minimum wage.

Get rid of those and the problems will go away on their own.

You didn't see it but your list was way better than the OP. I think a lot of it is down to pampering and helping from govt. People loose the ability to take care of themselves when the paternalistic agent in their lives never lets them grow up. Take away the govt and the biggest change would be the improvement of the black nuclear family. That alone would bring about a lot of stability in the black communities.

I think the drug war is also important but you fix other aspects of the black community and there wont even be a need to run drugs

[Madison320]

Take away the govt and the biggest change would be the improvement of the black nuclear family. That alone would bring about a lot of stability in the black communities.

I've heard that before the Civil Rights Act (where the govt started to "help"), the percentage of two parent households for black families was like 80% and higher than whites. Now that the govt "fixed" it, it's what, 30% or something? For the record I'm not against all of the Civil Rights Act, only the parts that infringe on private property rights. The government should not be allowed to discriminate but private entities should be allowed to.

[euphemia]

The most important point in the whole video is the one about the dishonesty of the dialogue.