How To Become White

What would it take to have all the current racial groups listed on the census to seemingly blend and become one group, that glorious dream group, Americans. Lets face it, Ross Perot has more of a chance at winning the 2008 North Korean election than some of the prevalent races in America have at becoming part of the A-team, or W-team if you will. The larger question lies in not if the idea is even possible, but more so if the people of the minority racial groups would allow it to happen. Would they choose assimilation, pluralism, or none of the above? George Yancey paints a picture of an inevitable blending. Giving examples of how overtime different European countries (i.e. North vs. South) have undergone different phenomenon’s that resulted in a less visible line dividing ethnic groups. He describes how assimilation allows for the minority groups to adopt the habits/ traits of the larger group and slowly begin to assimilate into the larger group over longer periods of time. He shows how this has worked in other cultures, and the debates whether it is a certain outcome or whether the minority race can choose to avoid it through methods such as cultural pluralism, where the group is accepted as respectable human beings, however they keep their cultural distinctions. While reading several questions were raised in my own mind. Could blacks truly assimilate after years of slavery, hate, discrimination. It has been a almost constant use of propaganda since day one to point out the differences of blacks and whites to rationalize behavior on both sides of the issue. Is there a inevitable melting pot in the future that will turn us all into one big McDonalds eating, baseball watching, flag flying American? I pose not. American is a hybrid on multiple levels. The thought of assimilation starts with a minority group that wants to be a part of the majority group, and a majority group that over time, allows it. Neither of these conditions exists. Due to the way blacks were treated of the past 200 or so years paired with the fact that the white people have given bits a pieces to not only make blacks happy, but keep the groups separate I think that Cultural Pluralism is the goal for each group. So if a blending of the two groups isn’t a foreseeable plan, but not all are united, what can be done. Well the media has become the frontrunner according to Jennifer Wood to something that I’d like to call “Continue the Hate, Adopt a Negro”. In her piece Wood explains the difference between a “field negro”, and a “house negro”. Wood shows how some blacks have crossed the color line and become a “house negro” (i.e. Brian Gumble, Oprah Winfrey). They are just as any of white person of the media, expect one small detail, they are black, they dress, talk, socialize and get paid, just like white people. They are undoubtedly the rarity. This tool of the media however most likely hurts the black race, as much as it helps in that, Woods shows how they are nothing more that puppets for their rich white employers. Some would thing the solution here is for a black to control the media. The idea is noble however when a black person controls something, Yancey’s one drop rule applies and that object becomes black. Black media is then taken as a joke. The dialect of English used is unfitting and comical to whites, thus furthering the discrimination. Both Yancey and Wood make points that were historically true and somewhat disheartening. The concept of cultural pluralism in my mind is not a bad thing, however that people of other races would have to sell out their own heritage to become successful is disturbing. The two articles points combine to ask a tough question to American blacks, do you want to stay black or sell out and be white? Cited: Rethinking the Color Line

Bill Cosby and The Washington Redskins...

In the late nineteen eighties for the first time in American television history a African American family was first seen as upper middle class functioning family lead by a doctor and a lawyer. Unlike previous shows featuring African Americans the Cosby show didn’t focus on racial issues, rather focused on values seen by most as upper-middle class. Cowboys and Indians, Redman Chewing tobacco, Land O Lakes butter contrary to what any outsider may think these are not products or games neither found on Native American reservations nor were they companies founded by someone of native culture. The branding however does have an additional tie beyond using native jargon, white men created not only the branding but also the stereotype to which the branding refers and collect the revenue that is gained from the perpetuation of these multimillion-dollar racial slurs. Although both African American and Native Americans have made marginal advances over the past hundred years, often what is presented as a advance into American culture, or advancing their own culture does more to negatively effect their respective people groups that it does to advance. A black doctor and lawyer, raising clean cut, well dressed children ranging in ages living in a two story home in a up scale urban neighborhood, proof of the American Dream right? A black family, not getting suited up in bright colors to go down to the lord’s house for a prayer meeting and to celebrate the great Martin Luther King Jr.s’ birthday, the end of racial issues right? To many the Cosby family represented what parts of America thought a black family would be like if there were not issues of race. They were in white minds normal upper-middle class folks with normal upper-middle class values. The picture to minorities however was a sell-out family that had assimilated into “white culture” and had adopted “white values”. African American Families saw the values that way due to the constant presentation of those values as being white, and more over, not being normal or attainable. If you want a good chew, why not buy the kind with the “Indian” on the front of it? I mean their people were the ones who gave the first what Americans what would come to be America’s leading cash crop, solely benefiting white men and the culture that surrounds them. If you want to buy butter, why not get some fresh churned butter, like your ancestors had at the first thanksgiving? While Native Americans sit on reservations after years of torment from white Americans and continue to be disenfranchised by American social service agencies the white people who named them “Indians” because they couldn’t read a map own and operate multi-million dollar industries by plastering their products with racial slurs. Why is this tolerated? The Native American representatives in the U.S. House and Senate from each respective tribe have been too busy to worry about their people’s problems. Unfortunately that is not the case. Someone who represents them does not represent them, but rather through an individual elected by the state around them, possibly one who gains money from further exploitation of what is assumed to be Native American culture. Although the Cosby show did not come well received the thought that native Americans could ever be seen as attaining upper middle class status without their income being directly related to Casinos or the sales of illegal substances is unfathomable. The medias’ push of stereotypes, whether it be the marketing of products through unfounded racial advertising, or if it is allowing a prime time version of assimilation be nothing more than a nightly reminder to a disenfranchised race of what they are not, racism is perpetuated daily through every form a media imaginable. One key link stands behind almost every racist center, that link being white people allowing or even promoting the continuation of, no matter the intent, stereotypes promoting racism. The advance of a people group is often laid upon that group as its own burden however after reading the articles I pose that at the very least the majority of the continue failure of minority groups to attain status equal to that of comparable whites resides in the continuation of racist patterns through institutions pair with other factors such as white privilege and a lack of racial equality in marketing and media. (Articles 36,38- Rethinking the Color Line)

Standardized Testing isn't racist... its the Junk food and Letterman

Could a system, created to achieve equality in determining the effectiveness of education, be flawed in a way to give white test takers an advantage, and create an unequal or unfair test for minority test takers? The answer to that question has shown itself evident in at every level since standardized testing became common practice. Standardized testing is an undeniable part of every American students life, so if the system itself can be defined as a perpetuating factor of modern day racism, the effects are obviously widespread with unknown depth. Determining where institutional racism exist and how it effects minority groups is the responsibility of any individual that counts them truly concerned with eliminating racism, especially members of the majority groups that have the ability to assist. If racism is being perpetuated then, there are multiple venues for its perpetuation, followed by a variety of impacts that are inflicted on the minority groups. The Marxist based theory of social conflict is the best sociological explanation for why a agent meant to evaluate the education system can be used as a tool of racism stronger than The Jim Crow Laws. The concept of “ separate, but equal” saw its end through the decision of Brown v. Board of Education, and in much of Americas’ mind schools became one of the first public entities that was equal for all races. After reviewing standardized testing it is understood that the American classroom will possibly be one of the last places that sees an end of racial disparity. Social Conflict Theory explains why such a practices are continued. The theory describes that the group that is in power, to ensure the continuation of that power, controls all structure, including but not limited to legislation, laws, ordinances, and religious practices, social norms and memberships. The theory explains why minorities, have seen improvements in test scores but still continue to lag behind the scores of whites, with the rare exception being Asian Americans, who are rightfully referred to as the “model minority”. Dr. Charles Clariborn discusses how the cycle of standardized testing is continued in his article “Does Testing Deserve a Passing Grade?” The discussion presented revolves around studies showing the only minority group scoring higher than whites on standardized testing were students defined as Asian Americans, and then only in quantitative portions of the test, with white test-takers scoring consistently higher in areas of language and comprehension. Lester Gibson of Waco, Texas became fed up with the testing issue once his second child failed the local standardized test. He demanded answers and found “Seventy-five percent of the black students and 66 percent of the Hispanic students failed the test in 1995, compared with only 37 percent of the white students”. The Waco administration blamed the failure of minorities on poverty and poor parenting, Gibson pointed to institutional racism. Interviews with two members of the education field revealed much of the same results. One interviewee, an assistant principal, and testing coordinator revealed a great deal of knowledge about the testing system itself. With that experience however she admitted that in her seventeen years though she consistently saw minorities score lower than whites she never considered it a fallacy with the test, because “ the test is standardized, it is written by professionals…” She continued to that she focused on getting teachers to teach the material on the test as test scores “ say a lot about your school, and what resources will be made available to you.” In her seventeen years she remembers multiple diversity trainings, but when asked what she brought away from the test, she focused on dealing with difficult minority parents and keep racial tension out of the classroom. A student teacher, graduate of Appalachian State University, spoke with much less experience on the system but with what she referred to as “fresh approaches to education”. When asked about standardized testing she was obviously inexperienced, sharing only the logistics of the when and where with a strong focus on the why it was necessary. Discussing in great length what was at stake with the testing. She acknowledged that minorities often didn’t due well attributing the failure to poor economic and home life situations. Fresh with ideas on how to teach, the student had little to no thoughts on race in the classroom or testing stating, “ we didn’t focus on the negatives in my education classes. We focused on how to get kids interested and how to help them learn to process information at their grade level.” Other articles point to explain the ignorance of the racial issues the two educators posses by pointing to “high stakes testing”. The thought process of the educators at the base level being the test, be it EOG, EOC or SAT is the most important thing the students will do in a school year, thus “teaching the test” becomes a unspoken norm of the educational field from third grade through the students graduation. Each area or person researched, even those who acknowledged some biasis in standardized testing pointed to other areas as a reason for minority inadequacy. The seventeen-year veteran explained, “ Our school is a Title One school, we have a low economic base, which effects lots of other areas. Any student could pass these test, and many do, but the parents of many of the minorities are not involved and do not care. They allow their children to stay up late, and eat what they want. A student that does not receive proper rest and nutrition will not perform as well as others.” In a forum discussion one commenter pointed to minorities as not caring because, “ if they do not do well they will get bailed out…it’s a cycle of dependency that minorities do not wish to break.” In the November 1993 issue of The Atlantic Monthly, Duke University professor, Stanley Fish, referenced his findings stating: "Statistical studies have suggested that test scores reflect income and socioeconomic status. It has been demonstrated again and again that scores vary in relation to cultural background; the test's questions assume a certain uniformity in educational experience and lifestyle and penalize those who, for whatever reason, have had a different experience and lived different kinds of lives. In short, what is being measured by the SAT is not absolutes like native ability and merit but accidents like birth, social position, access to libraries, and the opportunity to take vacations or to take SAT prep courses." These ideals are arguably valid but if entire races are underscoring on test due to junk food, late night television, lack of vacations and their parents goals to help their children continue to depend on others to “bail the out” then the system is equally as flawed. Although all of these arguments may be factors they do not explain the disparity that are the results of the research on minority scores on standardized testing, rather they show mere statistical outliers that have been overrepresented in a attempt to hide the institutional racism that is standardized testing. The claims are at face, easily understood, logical factors that would contribute to the end result. In examining the claims however, they reek of stereotypical jargon meant to cover the stench of racism. The claims mirror the same reasons that were given for blacks being segregated in the Jim Crow South. Pointing to differences in mannerisms or a style of child rearing in modern day America does not point to a cause, but rather to a truth, the underlying truth that racism is the cause. Can the system be biased allowing minority failure to go unnoticed or to be explained away by menial differences culture or home life? Social Conflict Theory detailed from the beginning that there would be a conflict as long as there was power, and a group attempting to maintain that power. The reasoning behind keeping standardized testing even though it has proven itself unworthy to all races is simple. With every advance in raising scores whether through teaching the test or through modifying the environment to promote better testing situations, although scores may rise, the gap between white students and minority students stays the same. The continued gap points to the continued oppression of institutional racism explained most simply by Social Conflict Theory. Results like the ones found in Waco Texas and graphs denoting that even when SAT scores rise with the students’ family income, the gap between white and black students exist just the same. Standardized testing can be explained away through a countless sets of factors that cover the truth, just as counterfeit science of the antebellum south pointed to blacks being close decedents of monkeys, thus not deserving rights afforded to other humans. Over a hundred years have passed but it is the decedents of whites who once promoted slavery that now sit back and allow the same injustices to occur through the standardized testing service, which since the implementation of No Child Left Behind has become a billion dollar industry led by a majority population. With government supported multibillion dollar racism being pushed through the educational system each year there is no doubt that racism still exist in American. That question could have been answered without the research, what has been unearthed however is how deep that racism runs. The racist movement of testing shows that even in the most progressive point of the countries’ existence, racism is spread like wire grass, blending in to the lawn of Americas’ educational system, justified by indifference. Works Cited Berlak, Harold. "Race and the Achievment Gap." Rethinking Schools 15 (2001). 1 May 2008 . Britannica. "Social Change." Britannica Academic Edition. Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. 29 Apr. 2008. Keyword: Social Conflict. Claiborn, Charles. "Does Testing Deserve a Passing Grade." Britannica Academic Edition. 2001. Britannica. 29 Apr. 2008 . Editor. SAT and ACT Scores by Race/Ethnicity: 2003. Black Excel Org, 2006. 28 Apr. 2008 . Fleming, Jacqueline. "Affirmative Action and Standardized Test Scores." The Journal of Negro Education os 69 (2000): 27-37. JSTOR. Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. 1 May 2008. Keyword: Standardized Testing+ Racism. Hartocollos, Anemona. "Racial Gap in Test Scores Found Across New York." New York Times 28 Mar. 202. 28 Apr. 2008 .

Finding Your Canidate...

"I can bring jobs back to Flint...", " I am America's candidate", "Its time for change". All comments that have been drilled through media outlets as overpriced attempts to get votes. Or is it? Did Mitt really think he could bring jobs back to a town that hadn't seen industrial growth since the outsourcing of the automotive industry? Does Barack truly see himself as the advocate for change? Can America bear the thought of turning the White House into a Bush/Clinton timeshare property. I do not discredit any of the candidates who have put themselves under the microscope for our scrutiny, however I feel like that its the same song all over again. When it comes down to it will Washington turn these strong willed candidates into Pennsylvania Ave. pen-pushers? Finding a candidate is something that in the past has been simple for me, but I pose that in this election, in a time where the economy is down, racism is on the rise and the War is far beyond what the public expected, there cannot be any simple candidates. There cannot be party-lines, color-lines nor can Americans allow the Media to make their decisions for them. There is the perspective, Find your truth...

Here we go

A 21 W.A.S.P. (white.anglo-saxon.protestant.male.), and hey, while we are at it, lets add S.F. (southern Frat-Boy). Why would I post, and more importantly, why would you care?  That is a question that I will attempt to find the answer to, and you will have to decide whether it is worth the time you spend reading.  I  hope to address the other side of issues that are commonly covered in classes, news publications or other sources that seem to thing that the popular opinion, is the only opinion. 

My goal is to both be informed and inform.  I hope to make issues that seem one sided have another side.  I want to be a voice of the people whose voice has been taking away because of the social constructs they were given without their choosing that are publicized as advantages.