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A sticky race-culture relationship forms when society uses the phrase [Some Race] Culture to describe a given culture, such as Black Culture. It's unfortunate

A sticky race-culture relationship forms when society uses the phrase [Some Race] Culture to describe a given culture, such as Black Culture. It's unfortunate when this happens, because it creates a gravitational pull toward racial prejudice: seeing a skin color and making immediate cultural assumptions. Or seeing one's own skin color, and feeling as though one ought to be acting a certain way, as Obama talked about experiencing as a young man. I believe it's a happier thing when we choose the construct [Non-Race Culture], such as Silicon Valley Culture. Then anybody can join in, and we're not meanwhile eyeing one another's skin color.

dncornholio 5y ago
What's black culture? I know Chinese culture, Thai culture, Japanese culture, African culture. I know Christian culture, buddhist culture, etc etc. We don't distinct culture with the color of ones skin but from where he's from right? Black culture does not exist. To me it's just US culture.
- jasonwatkinspdx 5y ago
  This is an ignorant thing to say. I'm assuming that's because you don't live in the US and unfamiliar as a result. Slaves and their descendants forged their own unique culture because they were first stolen from their homeland, treated as chattel slaves for generations that erased any connections to their homelands, then formed their own culture in response to their oppression. Note that this has been a continuous process from the original days of the plantation, through Jim Crow, to the Civil Rights Movement, to today. Black culture is a thread of US culture, but a distinct one due to that shared experience, its lasting multi generational effects, and the structural issues of inequality that remain. Nearly all immigrant groups that have faced discrimination in the US throughout its history have done the same thing in their own unique ways. Saying "it's just US culture" will come across as an attempt to erase that history.
  - dncornholio 5y ago
    I'd take slave culture than but definitely not black culture. I will refuse to distinct culture by race Why I said US culture is that's where this so called culture originated. Because you don't like doesn't mean it's not American. My country has a rich history of slavery as well, but we never started calling people "Black" it's always "African", "Nigerian", "Surinam". Those people live here and have been allowed to live their own culture. Plus I grew up with all the lessons learned from WWII. Slavery has been a thing of the past for a while now. There's 0 reason people should still be suffered from its consequences. We got past it. Yes it's true I have never experienced "Black culture". But I also never will, even if you put me inside the biggest ghetto, I will not call their culture black culture, even if the people in that culture wanted me I would not. The color of your skin is worthless to me. Also, "forged their own culture" is a very ignorant thing to say. It was forced upon them IMO
    - jasonwatkinspdx 5y ago
      The situation between your country and mine are not the same. Black Americans are not the same as people termed black elsewhere. As I explained, it's impossible for black Americans to use terms like Nigerian, as that history was erased by force. Slavery may be over wherever you are, but the impacts here in the US continue. Explicit rezoning continued into the 1980s. It continues today in a more covert way, as proven by numerous studies that do things like send out identical resumes or loan applications with different pictures or names that signal particular racial backgrounds. You are making what is commonly called the "colorblind argument." I'd encourage you to research it with an open mind. Forged their own culture is entirely the right way to put it. Yes they were forced into their situation, but the culture they created was truly their own, as their response to that horror. Your comment on this point acts to attribute the creation of Gospel, Blues, Bluegrass, Jazz, Rock and Roll, and Hip Hop as a creation of the plantation owners, vs their victims. And that's just the examples from music. Race is an essential part of the black American identity. Everyone I've ever talked to about this would respond to your comments as an attempt to erase a part of their identity, one that they are ultimately proud of, albeit in a complex and often bittersweet way. You don't get to make that choice for them, you can just decide whether you respect them or not. If you want to learn about this with an open mind to the idea you're getting something very wrong, Ta-Nehisi Coates is one of the very best writers on this topic. I'd suggest starting here: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/05/health-care-and-social-justice/276281/ https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/05/health-... I'd strongly suggest one of his longer form essays or books as well, but that's a reasonable introduction to how the colorblind perspective remains harmful.

dncornholio 5y ago

What's black culture? I know Chinese culture, Thai culture, Japanese culture, African culture. I know Christian culture, buddhist culture, etc etc. We don't distinct culture with the color of ones skin but from where he's from right? Black culture does not exist. To me it's just US culture.

jasonwatkinspdx 5y ago
This is an ignorant thing to say. I'm assuming that's because you don't live in the US and unfamiliar as a result. Slaves and their descendants forged their own unique culture because they were first stolen from their homeland, treated as chattel slaves for generations that erased any connections to their homelands, then formed their own culture in response to their oppression. Note that this has been a continuous process from the original days of the plantation, through Jim Crow, to the Civil Rights Movement, to today. Black culture is a thread of US culture, but a distinct one due to that shared experience, its lasting multi generational effects, and the structural issues of inequality that remain. Nearly all immigrant groups that have faced discrimination in the US throughout its history have done the same thing in their own unique ways. Saying "it's just US culture" will come across as an attempt to erase that history.
- dncornholio 5y ago
  I'd take slave culture than but definitely not black culture. I will refuse to distinct culture by race Why I said US culture is that's where this so called culture originated. Because you don't like doesn't mean it's not American. My country has a rich history of slavery as well, but we never started calling people "Black" it's always "African", "Nigerian", "Surinam". Those people live here and have been allowed to live their own culture. Plus I grew up with all the lessons learned from WWII. Slavery has been a thing of the past for a while now. There's 0 reason people should still be suffered from its consequences. We got past it. Yes it's true I have never experienced "Black culture". But I also never will, even if you put me inside the biggest ghetto, I will not call their culture black culture, even if the people in that culture wanted me I would not. The color of your skin is worthless to me. Also, "forged their own culture" is a very ignorant thing to say. It was forced upon them IMO
  - jasonwatkinspdx 5y ago
    The situation between your country and mine are not the same. Black Americans are not the same as people termed black elsewhere. As I explained, it's impossible for black Americans to use terms like Nigerian, as that history was erased by force. Slavery may be over wherever you are, but the impacts here in the US continue. Explicit rezoning continued into the 1980s. It continues today in a more covert way, as proven by numerous studies that do things like send out identical resumes or loan applications with different pictures or names that signal particular racial backgrounds. You are making what is commonly called the "colorblind argument." I'd encourage you to research it with an open mind. Forged their own culture is entirely the right way to put it. Yes they were forced into their situation, but the culture they created was truly their own, as their response to that horror. Your comment on this point acts to attribute the creation of Gospel, Blues, Bluegrass, Jazz, Rock and Roll, and Hip Hop as a creation of the plantation owners, vs their victims. And that's just the examples from music. Race is an essential part of the black American identity. Everyone I've ever talked to about this would respond to your comments as an attempt to erase a part of their identity, one that they are ultimately proud of, albeit in a complex and often bittersweet way. You don't get to make that choice for them, you can just decide whether you respect them or not. If you want to learn about this with an open mind to the idea you're getting something very wrong, Ta-Nehisi Coates is one of the very best writers on this topic. I'd suggest starting here: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/05/health-care-and-social-justice/276281/ https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/05/health-... I'd strongly suggest one of his longer form essays or books as well, but that's a reasonable introduction to how the colorblind perspective remains harmful.