Disagree that racism will always exist, always is a very long time, and things really do change over time, as you yourself pointed out.
Slavery and Reconstruction were over and done before any of my ancestors, on either side entered this country. I am simply not responsible for what went on here, previous to their arrival, period. I am responsible for what I do, not what someone else, that may bear some resemblance to me does, or maybe has some religious, work, or hobby the same as mine. I will stand and fall on what I have done not what others say I am a part of because of ...., feel free to fill in the blank.
If you spend a lifetime in public service in New York, as I have, you cannot help but notice the positivity of Caribbean and African immigrants compared to some of the homegrown Black population. And that is partly due to a key advantage that they have: they do NOT have the likes of Nike Hannah-Jones and Ta-Neisi Coates telling them that the odds are stacked against them and there is no chance for them to succeed. As humans, we are inclined to use any excuse to feel sorry for ourselves -and to give up as a result- and the Black community has far too many “leaders” giving them that message (the Asian and Jewish obsession with meritocracy has its own perils, of course, but they are working through those issues reasonably well, subject for another day). That the New York Times feels obliged to feed this monster is one of its great disservices to the people of this city.
Disagree that racism will always exist, always is a very long time, and things really do change over time, as you yourself pointed out.
Slavery and Reconstruction were over and done before any of my ancestors, on either side entered this country. I am simply not responsible for what went on here, previous to their arrival, period. I am responsible for what I do, not what someone else, that may bear some resemblance to me does, or maybe has some religious, work, or hobby the same as mine. I will stand and fall on what I have done not what others say I am a part of because of ...., feel free to fill in the blank.
If you spend a lifetime in public service in New York, as I have, you cannot help but notice the positivity of Caribbean and African immigrants compared to some of the homegrown Black population. And that is partly due to a key advantage that they have: they do NOT have the likes of Nike Hannah-Jones and Ta-Neisi Coates telling them that the odds are stacked against them and there is no chance for them to succeed. As humans, we are inclined to use any excuse to feel sorry for ourselves -and to give up as a result- and the Black community has far too many “leaders” giving them that message (the Asian and Jewish obsession with meritocracy has its own perils, of course, but they are working through those issues reasonably well, subject for another day). That the New York Times feels obliged to feed this monster is one of its great disservices to the people of this city.
Stuck in the middle again?