quote:

Originally posted by EbonyRose:

White folks couldn't care less about the damage caused to our communities through their legislative acts that keep us in debt, under educated, without adequate housing, lacking in healthcare, in jail or on drugs. And the knowledge that they participate in and perpetuate "White Supremacy" is not going to make them give it up! No white person is going to walk into a bank and say, "Give me the higher Black people's rate .. because what you guys are doing to them is unfair and I don't want to be treated any differently just because I happen to be white!!"

quote:

I am seeing this more and more with this whole, "Cosby shouldn't have said what he said to a White audience" argument … which, in my mind is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. So the hell what? Do we think he's putting ideas into their head that weren't/aren't already there in the first place?

quote:

I am seeing this more and more with this whole, "Cosby shouldn't have said what he said to a White audience" argument … which, in my mind is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. So the hell what? Do we think he's putting ideas into their head that weren't/aren't already there in the first place?

quote:

Originally posted by EbonyRose:
Are there no Black household situations like the ones he talked about? If so, and he lied, I can see there being something to be upset about. But we do have youngsters who can't read or write to their grade level, but whose parent(s) care more about whether the kid is looking good in a brand new pair of Nikes than whether or not s/he does their homework. There are children in our village born onto a cradle-to-jail (or grave) superhighway due to unattentive parenting, and young people being turned down for jobs because they don't not how to properly speak.

quote:

Originally posted by Oshun Auset:
This is a discussion board. Things DONE on the local and community level are DONE and discussed at that level. A.K.A. this board is about knowledge. Our people DO NOT in mass understand how incidious white supremacy is, or how it functions(IMO the whole idea of dismissing focus on it, and it's mechanisms is proof of this). What you have mentioned is discussion worthy, at your local organizational level(could have sworn I stress that!)... because that is where the work is being done. For me, to discuss the local soup kitchen, charity drive, educational seminar, ethno-aggregation non-profit, or neighborhood planning committee, I or anyone else is actively involved in, on an national/international discussion board is silly, because that is stuff we must do on the local/communitee level and it's structure and the procedures needed to implement vary from state to state, city to city, and county to county.

quote:

Originally posted by HonestBrother:
Then why, for example, isn't Cosby in the churches telling the pastors to teach folks something other than bs? Why isn't he telling them to use the money they make off the community to enrich the community instead of themselves?

Telling folks to value "education" is utterly meaningless when you don't provide them with the institutional resources to do so.

It makes no sense to tell someone who is "injured" something like, "Wow man, you're messed up. You really need help!"

quote:

Originally posted by EbonyRose:

quote:

Originally posted by Oshun Auset:
This is a discussion board. Things DONE on the local and community level are DONE and discussed at that level. A.K.A. this board is about knowledge. Our people DO NOT in mass understand how incidious white supremacy is, or how it functions(IMO the whole idea of dismissing focus on it, and it's mechanisms is proof of this). What you have mentioned is discussion worthy, at your local organizational level(could have sworn I stress that!)... because that is where the work is being done. For me, to discuss the local soup kitchen, charity drive, educational seminar, ethno-aggregation non-profit, or neighborhood planning committee, I or anyone else is actively involved in, on an national/international discussion board is silly, because that is stuff we must do on the local/communitee level and it's structure and the procedures needed to implement vary from state to state, city to city, and county to county.

This, right here, OA, is exactly and precisely my point!!

The majority of your post here has been about Cosby ... yet you find discussion about your active involvement in your community as silly and unworthy of discussion.

You reluctance to talk about the work you do, keeps information which would probably be beneficial to other people in other places locked inside yourself. While you're all in favor of sharing your opinion regarding Cosby's "imbalance", you do not share with others how, when, and where they could go to offer their time and assistance in the communities they live in, how to bring such groups together and what do you do that helps another person in need.

I would find it a hundred times more interesting to hear about the success of your charity drive .. who was benefitted? What worked? What didn't? I contribute to my local soup kitchen, but don't volunteer at it. What do you find such organizations are in need of? What do people usually give too much of? Is my contribution really helping ... or am I giving the right stuff?

You may think it's silly for me to want to know .. but, I would like to know if anything you're doing that has been a success could be instituted in my own community. However, if you don't/won't share it, how can I know if it possibly exists?

The resources that the organizations you are affiliated with ... any that are nationally-based can be a godsend to another community that is struggling to get their programs off the ground. Whatever your "connection" is to the Jena 6 project is ... is it really only something somebody in Dallas can do? Or could somebody in Michigan assist your efforts by lending their voice, their signature, their concern too?

Instead of telling me (again) that White Supremacy is alive and well, how about telling me who the Cuban 5 are. Can they use anybody else's help except yours? Some of us may be willing and able to help them too!

But, you think it's stupid it pass along stories of success and enlighten people of the ways in which you find things that help another person out and make them better and your community stronger. Why is it silly to give the rest of us ideas that may help us become as successfully active as you are ... but, perfectly rational to give us your views on the shortcomings of somebody who you consider not on our level to begin with?

I don't understand.

quote:

Originally posted by EbonyRose:
Why are we still talking about what Cosby is or isn't doing?

Can we not move past this point?

Please.

quote:

Originally posted by EbonyRose:

In essence, we use the system to get what we want. We take the assets of our knowledge, our power, and our money to manipulate the best outcome for our own betterment.

quote:

Originally posted by Nmaginate:

I'm interested in your thoughts, MBM, about how we're going to market and thereby convince America to do something as if there is some kind of good will and conscience to appeal to. That would be exactly what ER is saying isn't there - i.e. White people don't care. I believe there is all kinds of evidence to support that conclusion.

quote:

Originally posted by Oshun Auset:

quote:

Originally posted by EbonyRose:
And I wish, for the life of me, that I could figure out why we spend so much time and energy focusing on trying to make them.

I have only one question...

Who is doing this?

quote:

Originally posted by negrospiritual:
EbRo,

help me understand where you are coming from. What specific behaviors do you view as "spending time and energy focusing on trying to make white people care"?

I must confess, I don't understand why political discussion or analysis, which is necessary for a community to know itself and its status, would be labeled as "focusing on dee whiteman"...*shrug*

quote:

Originally posted by HonestBrother:

quote:

Originally posted by EbonyRose:
Why are we still talking about what Cosby is or isn't doing?

Can we not move past this point?

Please.

I will if you will ...

quote:

White People Don't Care... And I wish, for the life of me, that I could figure out why we spend so much time and energy focusing on trying to make them

quote:

Originally posted by MBM:

Unfortunately, with 68% of black women supporting Hillary - something crazy like this is going on!

quote:

Originally posted by MBM:
To be clear, white supremacy is what dragged us from Africa, enslaved us, raped and tortured us, and continues its legacy of exploitation and oppression here in 2007. Half of black folks and almost 70% of black women are expressing political support for a representative of that very same institution (white supremacy) as opposed to supporting one of their own. I just don't get that.

quote:

Originally posted by EbonyRose:

quote:

Originally posted by negrospiritual:
EbRo,

help me understand where you are coming from. What specific behaviors do you view as "spending time and energy focusing on trying to make white people care"?

I must confess, I don't understand why political discussion or analysis, which is necessary for a community to know itself and its status, would be labeled as "focusing on dee whiteman"...*shrug*

NS ... I am not saying that we don't need to discuss where we're and how and why we got here. Not at all.

I'm saying we don't need to talk about it ad nauseum ... pretty much as the way this conversation and the "Cosby" factor has happened in this discussion alone.

We all know what is wrong with and in our communities. We know how they got that way, why they stay that way, and that the prospect of change is not going to come as long as we keep the status quo.

What we are not discussing is what works!! We are not discussing the avenues that we can take to successful resolutions. We are not discussing those of us who are in real trouble ... and, in fact, it seems more important that we talk more about not letting others be permitted to talk about them well.

Well, we need to discuss the high school drop out rate as much and with as much focus as we talk about those who we feel talk disparagingly about it! We may not want others to talk about us in that manner ... but the problem is, we're not talking about ourselves in that manner either! We need to discuss the reasons why so many of our young brothers and sisters are in prison. True enough, they are there because of unjust laws and sentencing ... but they are also there because there were in a position to be sucked up by the system. And why is that? We as a community need to give them something else to do and somewhere else to be, so that when the net of injustice sweeps, less of our youngster are in it's way!

It's not so much what we do talk about ... as what we don't that is the problem. Our conversation needs to be re-directed. When it comes to what is really important, facts, figures and statistics do not rank as high as the actual individuals who those facts, figures and statistics represent.

All I'm saying is a different dialog is in order.

quote:

Originally posted by EbonyRose:

quote:

Originally posted by HonestBrother:

quote:

Originally posted by EbonyRose:
Why are we still talking about what Cosby is or isn't doing?

Can we not move past this point?

Please.

I will if you will ...

Okay ... the first one who mentions "he who shall remain nameless" loses!

quote:

Originally posted by EbonyRose:

quote:

Originally posted by MBM:
To be clear, white supremacy is what dragged us from Africa, enslaved us, raped and tortured us, and continues its legacy of exploitation and oppression here in 2007. Half of black folks and almost 70% of black women are expressing political support for a representative of that very same institution (white supremacy) as opposed to supporting one of their own. I just don't get that.

I think you are trying to apply logic where none exists.

You'll give yourself a headache if you continue along this path!

It simply doesn't make sense ... but, it is the way it is! Accepting this should give you a better perspective of the rationale you are dealing with .. such as it is.