Again, I'd argue that's more of a class problem than a racial one. Gang relations, drug abuse and anti-social behaviour are directly related to lower socio-economic status, of which black Americans make up a disproportionate amount, which is in turn related to school performance and discipline. Now, this is due to discrimination that happened in the past, 50+ years ago that gave the ancesestors of whites ability to accrue wealth. However, when we look at Asian immigrants who migrated to America in the 60s and slightly earlier, we see that the opportunity to accrue wealth has been similar, but that the test scores and academic performance and class mobility among these individuals is markedly different to those of black Americans. So then is it really a systematic oppression of minorities that keeps them down? Or a deep-seated culture of anti-intellectualism, gangs and drug abuse within certain minority groups? This is what needs to be addressed.
I suppose though I do not have a great experience of what it is like in America and am not qualified to talk in depth about it. Although clear social problems exists in minority groups, particular with indigenous Australians, we are a much more integrated society with a much shorter history. Basically everyone alive here is either first, second or third generation of immigrants. We also didn't have the problem of slavery, although we have had terrible racial injustices in our past, particularly against indigenous populations. Things like alumni preferences, admission based on donations, admissions based on 'daddy' calling the board etc. aren't a thing in Australia. There are several programmes in place to encourage equality but (barring the programme for individuals of indigenous descent) these are based on class disadvantage, circumstance and disability- not race.
Full disclosure, although my complexion is relatively pale, I barely qualify as 'white' given my Turkish/Arabic/Persian descent. I wouldn't self identify as white and my ancestors experienced a life of war, poverty and subjugation, yet suddenly I'm meant to be responsible for the slave trade in America? I'm not pretending to understand the struggle that African Americans experience, nor denying that there is racism perpetuated against black individuals. What I am arguing againsts is the idea that it's the result of a concerted 'white' effort to subjugate black individuals codified in law that is the source of these prejudices. These problems are the result of deep seated cultural issues that need to be addressed, not that 'the white man' is persecuting you.
I've had very similar conversations with gay individuals who insist that the reason they're not succeeding is because the straight world is working against them. Yes, life may be tougher as us as gay individuals, but it's not some mass conspiracy to subjugate homosexuals codified into law. That would be religion...
Successful restaurateur Eddie Huang has this retort where he tells people to please stop using asians vs blacks.
1) Asians were never enslaved ... besides internment camps. Let's just get that out of the way, unpack that on your own time, you don't need me for that.
2) Asians have history. Many of us can trace our families back to China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Sanrio, etc. and we're connected. SLAVERY BROKE THE BRIDGE TO HISTORY. Imagine living without knowing your history, your language, your culture, and YOUR FAMILY. Through SLAVERY, blacks were torn from their families, their homes, their countries, and forced to create new ones. Even when they did start new ones in America, they were still torn apart, re-sold, and forced back down to zero.
Either way, points about asian americans don't have anything to do with the topic at hand. Two different experiences.
Something else that needs to be cleared up. People who actually think people of color can't succeed because of racism or that the topic of privilege is actually making the statement "people of color can't succeed because of racism" don't actually understand what privilege means in this context and are attacking strawmen.
It's never been "black people can't succeed" but rather "they have to deal with extra layers of bullshit that lower their average success rate. Please recognize that this is a thing that exists and as fellow humans beings presumably interested in equality and fairness, help them get rid of the bullshit" The idea that anyone can "make it", and yet certain groups statistically "make it" at different rates than others. Clearly there are additional factors influencing the distribution. Which is the definition of white privilege, that just means that society is set up so that white people will have an easier time getting ahead than minorities, not that minorities can't.
So then is it really a systematic oppression of minorities that keeps them down? Or a deep-seated culture of anti-intellectualism, gangs and drug abuse within certain minority groups? .
Is this the "black people are their own worst enemy argument"? In seriousness, the subtext of these tedious arguments is that either black people are lazy, or black people are stupid. If everyone has an equal chance to succeed if they put in the work, either black people don't work hard enough or they do work hard enough and they simply aren't good enough - or you don't believe those things and your argument is simply completely incoherent on its face in its inability to explain those disparities. There is no doubt that skin color correlates strongly with likely outcome in life. There are studies on this subject, many of them. How can you explain it without structural discrimination?
For instance on a related, very shocking discrimination note, there was a case where this black neighborhood was awarded a few million because the city had built their water system strategically around their neighborhood. That was 2008.
I guess they're doing it to themselves, why would they want luxuries like running water?
And by the way just so we're clear, minorities are not the only population discriminated against, the system is HEAVILY stacked against poor people in general, women are discriminated against. The problem is not exclusively class, however.
Would you not agree that there has been a systemic subjugation, by a society set up by white people, of the black community? The empirical data doesn't lie.
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