August 3, 2009
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Re: Race Relations in America
During my lifetime racial attitudes and relations have certainly changed. I grew up in the south and when I began to teach, public schools were still well segregated. I had the first Black student in our area to attend a white HS in my classes (He was a very bright kid whose mother was a teacher and who wanted him to get the best possible public school education. For a year or so we could brag that 100% of our Negro graduates graduated from Princeton with high honors)
After he graduated from HS we were asked by the Superintendent's office to collect his schoolbooks so that they could be fumigated before they were reissued. I told or principal that I would comply - in the presence of a couple of newspaper reporters to insure it was done right. We never heard about this request again.
When the schools desegregated and bussing began a few years later, there was a fundimental change in the attitude of parents toward the schools - parental support dropped way off - probably because of the loss of neighborhood schools. Racial attitudes of the students gradually improved, however, as proximity showed the kids that the "others" weren't so bad after all. This was slow, and real acceptance took a long time; it seems to have been more of a social class thing, with members of the higher social classes (upper-middle, semi-upper and upper) accepting each other first. I think integration of the lower-middle and working classes is still rather spotty - probably due to job competition.
In the segregated South, sometimes the only mark of self respect a lower class White could muster was his feeling that he was superior to his Black neighbors, and when he thought they would have a chance to outdo him, his prejudice hardened. Just as many Blacks remain frustrated by the slow pace of integration, some Whites have hardened their resistance into real class and race hatred - hence the "White Power" - Neo-Nazi and other gangs that have broadened their prejudice to include almost any other ethnic group in America that isn't just like them.
I think race relations got an enormous positive boost with the election of Obama, but I am saddened by such groups as the "Birther" movement - which is clearly a manifestation of prejudice.
Comments (7)
great post.
Thanks for letting us in on a piece of history.
The question is, of course: Where has history taken us?
Is the US now moving more toward living up to the "City on a hill" dream of MLK and our Founding Fathers?
Have we really moved closer to color-blind equality? Personally, I like to think so - but then something like a middle-aged lady imploring her congressman to "Give us our country back" and others shouting down attempts to explain a complicated but necessary change in part of their lifestyle - one that can;t help but benefit them; and I get discouraged.
Did my generation work so hard just to see their hard-fought gains crumble under a deluge of yahoo idiocy?
@tychecat -
I'm trying to understand if we're in a deluge of yahoo idiocy because of the nature of human society or because of something about the 'modern' society. So far the cause seems to be the former, the the particular flavor of idiocy has to do with our time; this of course is one person's world-view based on the gist of scattered facts and not on any coherent line of reasoning or in-depth study. Obviously you know a great deal about the history of human society, so I look forward to reading more of your posts and learn more about your world-view regarding the question you've posed.
Not sure if I understand what you mean by "one that can't help but benefit them."
ps: I'm slowly working my way toward the authors you've suggested, Braudel or McNeill. I'm hesitant about plunging into these books without building a foundation (because I don't have one); otherwise most of it will go right over my head.
Hi Grace (?), Good to hear from you again.
As I see it, the current flap in American "down home" politics and the disruption of congressmen's meetings by loud protesters is mainly the result of some clever drumming up of protesters by people/commercial organizations that may lose a great deal id
Health care is reformed. The US ranks 37th in the overall health of its citizens but pays far more for health care than any other country.
This is probably the result of the favored status congress and the government has accorded health care providers and insurance companies. Back in the '90s when we last tried to reform health care, the entrenched interests erupted with all sorts of clever ads and pressure on congress than left us with the declining status quo - even made it a little worse.
To be sure everyone in the US will not necessarily be better off with reform - for example those who do not have health insurance and who now turn up at emergency rooms for treatment (which the rest of us pay for) would mostly be forced to get insurance. I don't have much sympathy for them if they can afford it but just think they are immune to ill health.
The benefit for most of us would be lower costs and more flexible care - we would have more say over what we want and get.
Incidentally, as I've written, my wife and I have had the benefits of private HMOs and Government medicare for all our lives - Believe me, socialized medicare is better.
If you're just getting started in social history and want a very readable but pretty detailed summary of world history try Will & Arial Durant's multi-volumn work
@tychecat - Hi Dick! Thanks for the recommendation! As for the healthcare situation, i feel that i'm like many other americans: want the single-payer system but don't expect it to happen with this round of reform or subsequent rounds, especially b/c as an ordinary citizen I don't know how to influence the outcome. -Grace
I think the best way to influence healthcare is to let your congressman and senators know your opinion and offer them support if they agree with you. You can e-mail all your congresspersons easily.
If you support the idea of a single-payer system, such as medicare, join one of the lobbying groups like move-on, it won't cost you anything.
Here's how to contact your senators or representative (or any US elected official): contact your govt. official