Does COLOR Still Matter in a Post-Obama World?
You Betcha!
I can still hear the voice of this "homeless man" during my young college days in NYC uttering words along this line "whoever said color doesn't matter is crazy, color does matter"(of course his was more like color "do" matter) but the meaning was the same.
So, why does COLOR still matter?
It does because attitudes haven't truly changed... Indeed, Whites are still expected to discriminate... and Blacks are still expected to act like forever victims of discrimination... For instance, It is a fact that we have a very low expectatoin of Black males. I have written a previous artticle to that end on LorinsPost.com a year or so ago.
SOLUTIONS, anyone?
Well as an multi-industry professional, I think in terms of solutions. It seems that everyone out there is an expert on uttering problems and oblivious about solutions. I beg to differ, here is my proposed solution:
Attitude change on both sides... Easy to do... HECK NO!
The fact is, Whites are for the most part more opportunistic, and visionary when it comes to business and community development and establishment. They learned it, and it is to some extent almost genetically encoded from their days in Europe, where they had to survive a rough terrain, thousands of years after leaving the Motherland (Africa) where they left the people that would then be called Black people in relation to their own less pigmented appearance. However, skills can be learned. TACT, PATIENCE, etc...
On the other hand, Blacks have conserved more artistic and soulful talents which Whites had lost by the time they went through Europe's cold climate. Such talents are also to some extent genetically encoded. Blacks are also more creative and naturally able to do things, yet less persistent at pursuing things based on such talents. Yet, Whites can and have learned to emulate them as well. Black men have more "Swag", something that is apparent in their music and that is emulated by most other men all over the World.
YET, that means nothing, because MIGHT makes RIGHT!
So, why does color still matter? As long as most bad neighborhoods are inhabited by Blacks... most Black kids walk around sagging their pants... most Blacks and other minorities focus more on appearance than on education and wealth acquisition, they will always become the person working for the more resourceful person or the one trying to get a job at his/her company. The latter has more POWER/MIGHT, and the latter is still in control.
At a very young age, I had many White folks work for me. But I never saw them as White folks. As saw them as qualified people who won my heart. Many Whites have learned to do so as well. I have been hired by many Whites based on my merits even though a great percentage of them have yet to change their attitudes towards Blacks. On my end, I did not reverse discriminate against them and they never once treated me badly. In fact, they always went the extra mile to show respect and reverence. I have a challenge for both Blacks and Whites. CHANGE your ATTITUDES towards each other. EARN each other's RESPECT as opposed to reflecting on what we did wrong YESTERDAY or YESTERYEAR. Let's be DECENT, CIVILIZED and LOVE-CENTERED HUMAN BEINGS. I promise you that it'll change the way we act, deal, and carry on around each other!
This article was written by Pete Lorins, Editor in Chief of LorinsPost.com. And it is sponsored by www.RapidGigsPlus.com