The Race Relations/Diversity/Equality Thread

[LilBee91]

I guess I would fall into the category of a white person with only white friends, but I am pretty sure that's more of a side effect of only living places that are 90% white. Do you think that 40% of white people live in a place that is predominantly white?

[Syphon the Sun]

I guess I would fall into the category of a white person with only white friends, but I am pretty sure that's more of a side effect of only living places that are 90% white. Do you think that 40% of white people live in a place that is predominantly white?

There are many counties in my state where non-Hispanic whites make up 96-99 percent of the population. Not surprisingly, I know several people from rural communities who had never met someone non-white until college.

When I was in junior high, there was only one non-white student in the entire school and she had been adopted by a white family. When I moved to a different school district for high school, the only non-white students were a brother and sister, who had a white father and a pacific islander mother.

[neo-dragon]

I guess living just outside one of the most diverse cities in the world has given me a skewed perception of things.

Funny story: one of my closest friends is of Chinese descent, and a few months ago I attended her wedding. I estimate that the breakdown of attendees was about 85% Chinese, 14% White, and 1%... Me. During the reception my friend introduced me to people as her "token black friend". I added that I was actually just a random guy she saw on the street and she invited me in with the promise of a free meal for the sake of diversity.

[Dr. Mobius]

What the hell are "opposite races"? I suppose in an overly simplistic and somewhat racist color wheel sort of way that "white" and "black" could be considered opposites. But what about the others? What's the opposite of Asian? Or Indian?

This whole article and the question it presents are pretentious bullshit. It's not a contest to see who can have the most racially diverse social circle. The true challenge is - or at least should be - to be completely colorblind and judge each person based on thier own virtue, not race or gender or socioeconomic class or whatever other irrelevant criteria gets forced into these thoughts without even the best of us realizing what's going on.

[Gravity Defier]

I grew up in a largely Hispanic community and my closest friends were an Italian-American white girl and an...I'm not sure-white girl. Most of my friends are and have been white because I've never been Mexican enough for the Hispanics.

[neo-dragon]

What the hell are "opposite races"? I suppose in an overly simplistic and somewhat racist color wheel sort of way that "white" and "black" could be considered opposites. But what about the others? What's the opposite of Asian? Or Indian?

Yeah, I'm not exactly clear on the concept of opposite races either. Based on the article, one would think that white and black are the only ethnic groups in the world.

[Luet]

I live in a very homogeneously white area. The HS I went to had one non-white kid out of a class of 180. I think if it were not for my religion and the opportunities it gives me to meet and hang out with a much broader group of people than I otherwise would, I could easily fall into that group. But as it stands, I have many non-white friends (black, hispanic, asian, etc).

[Mich]

I had never heard of the phrase "anti-racist is a codeword for anti-white" until this weekend when this sign was apparently taken down. I think I was a bit happier until then.

I do dislike the official reason for the sign being taken down. Does that mean that it's legal for large, non-distracting signs to go up? I would have assumed leaving large signs on state-owned fences anywhere would constitute as littering and/or graffiti.

Oh god now I read the comments. NEVER READ THE COMMENTS, MICH.

[buckshot]

I 've been raised in a redneck hardcore white whacko comunity and it has scarred me. It's hard to change and un program oneself, I catch myself all the time in thought and action.

[neo-dragon]

I thought the sign was scary, then I read some of the comments. How are there still people like this in the 21st century??

[Mich]

I thought the sign was scary, then I read some of the comments. How are there still people like this in the 21st century??

On the reddit subreddit for Portland there's a long-running joke about how crazy the Oregon Live commentators are, but it really applies to any Oregon news source. I thought it was exaggerating until I actually went there.

[Boothby]

I thought the sign was scary, then I read some of the comments. How are there still people like this in the 21st century??

Because they receive encouragement and tacit support by one of the two main political parties in the US.

Or, put another way: because they're idiots, and they're egged on by other, bigger, more powerful idiots.

[TerresaWiggin]

I guess living just outside one of the most diverse cities in the world has given me a skewed perception of things.

Thats certainly the case for me. I mean, of my friends 1 is irish, 1 is mixed black and white, one is mixed hispanic and white, and one is Chinese. In fact in my choir, only 2 out of 15 people were 100% anything. (Taiwanese and Swiss in case you were wondering.)

[neo-dragon]

A Lot Of People Are Very Upset That An Indian-American Woman Won The Miss America Pageant

Oh, my American friends...

I know, I absolutely know, that these sentiments are not shared by most of you, but DAMN! I mean, really?

[Boothby]

Holy crap!

Don't look at me!

(and let's not forget that probably this same group of idiots were upset when Rue turned out to be black, in "Hunger Games")

[neo-dragon]

(and let's not forget that probably this same group of idiots were upset when Rue turned out to be black, in "Hunger Games")

Yeah. I remember that. I was both amused and saddened by it.

[Boothby]

And let's not forget Idris Elba in Thor:

http://comicsalliance.com/racists-thor- ... la-racism/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

People think that humans are ready to run nuclear power plants? Hell! We can't even keep from freaking out over skin color.

SMGDFH

[Boothby]

From that article:

Boycott-Thor.com put forth the following indictment of the publisher:

Marvel is headed by radical left-wingers who insert their ideologies and agendas into their comic books and movies.In February 2010, the TEA Party movement was viciously attacked in an issue of Captain America. Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Qesada publicly defended the issue.

Marvel creator and front man Stan “Lee” Lieber is a notorious left-winger and financier of left-wing political candidates.

At least that put a big smile on my face.

[neo-dragon]

You know, I really need to find something positive to post in this thread. It's just becoming depressing.

[elfprince13]

To be fair on the Thor issue, it struck me as a little bit odd to have such an ethnically diverse cast playing Norse gods. On the other hand....the people who considered it to be some vast left-wing conspiracy are absolutely psycho. I'm seriously wtf'ing at the Miss America thing though.

[neo-dragon]

Yeah, I can actually understand why people would be taken aback by a black Asgardian, considering that they are supposed to be the Norse gods. It would be weird to have a white guy play an Africa deity too. Some people blew it way out of proportion though.

[elfprince13]

Yeah, I can actually understand why people would be taken aback by a black Asgardian, considering that they are supposed to be the Norse gods.

Idris Elba and the Japanese guy who played Hogun both surprised me. But they played their roles well so I didn't really get too hung up on it.

It would be weird to have a white guy play an Africa deity too.

Or a Semitic one, but that seems to be old-hat these days.

[steph]

Adding a bit of lightheartedness to the thread:

Arsenio Reveals Mormons' Superpower

[steph]

I really loved this video:

A 4-Year-Old Girl Asked A Lesbian If She's A Boy. She Responded The Awesomest Way Possible.

[Gravity Defier]

Just going to drop this here:

http://jezebel.com/5900928/your-vagina- ... -too-brown" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The comments were hilarious but the fact that this product is real (as far as I know) is a s*****, s***** thing.

[elfprince13]

I......what?

[neo-dragon]

Well, no one wants to get trapped in a black hole.