Soulflower

Great topic Roxy!

Here is my opinion:

I personally like talking about the issues mentioned in this thread because I think these are vital issues that still affect us today. Unfortunately, racism will always exist because America was built on racism and it is deeply embedded in our culture. Classicism exists BECAUSE of racism. It is the result of slavery, Jim Crow Laws, Lynchings, slave master rape, murders, hangings, shootings, Voting laws, politics, government etc, etc and ETC which is why there is so much unequal levels of classicism.

In our current society, racism is still very prevalent and still very much an issue that needs to be addressed it just exists on a different level. Instead of hangings and lynchings, we have implicit and institutionalized racism which is just as worse. We have micro aggression and indirect forms of prejudice attitudes that reflect racial stereotypes. We have racial profiling and non verbal gestures that reflect pre Civil Rights era of racism.

I know sometimes I have often mention race and racism on this board to support some of my arguments quite a bit in the past and notice that most of the posters disturbingly do not see racism as an issue. I personally think it is easy for white people/Caucasian to not think of it as an "issue" because it has never been an "issue" for them. As a African American, this is outrageously offensive to me.

White people do not have to worry about being stereotyped as a thug walking down the street with a hoody. White men do not have to worry about being stereotyped as a robber on the elevator by a white or even black woman. A group of white guys do not have to worry about being stereotyped as "drug dealers" while walking down the street at night. White woman do not have to worry about if their hair texture or skin color is acceptable to a Western oriented working environment/society like African American/minority women. An average looking white woman do not have to worry about being called beautiful by Western society while African American woman can only be called beautiful if they fit a certain European Westernized "standard" or have a certain skin color.

These are some of MANY issues white people do not have to worry about because they are "privileged". There skin color gives them power and automatically allows them to be receptive to opportunities that minorities will never have OR have to work MUCH harder for. There skin color has allowed them to control the way minorities are depicted and are represented in our society for over the last 500 years.

It is disturbing that the amount of people that listen to music do not understand the history of how certain genres were formed. I was alarmed that most here did not know that Hip Hop was actually created BECAUSE of the racism/discrimination that was prevalent against African Americans during the late 60's and 70's. I was taken back that some said racism had nothing to do with that when it actually was the main reason why Hip Hop was created. I think it is important for some here to have an open mind and not be afraid to talk about issues (racism, discrimination etc) that affected the creation of certain music. It might not be peaches and cream but it does not mean it should be ignored or swept under the rug. I don't care what race you are, White, Black, Blue or whatever it is still apart of music and needs to be addressed. It is insulting to act like it did not affect certain forms of music and that it never or doesn't still exist.

I personally will always address racism as an issue because it is still an important issue.I think we as a culture have gotten to comfortable and passive about issues that still affect us today. When I think of the Trayvon Martin case it just makes me sick to my stomach. If that had been a white young man it would not have been a discussion on where he was going that night and he would not have been stopped.

I just wonder if someone white or someone who does not think racism does not exist would feel the same way if they were stopped by the police multiple of times because of their skin color or if they were shot for no reason just because they were profiled as a "thug". You shouldn't have to experience certain things in order to be empathetic to the experiences of others but I guess for some people it might be necessary in order to really have a full of understanding of a culturally embedded problem that does not directly or indirectly affect YOU.