This is a blog supported by students in Dr. Andre E Johnson's African and African American Studies classes at the University of Memphis. It is open to anyone wanting to comment.
The part of Mr. Tim Wise video that affected me the most was when he stated that African Americans have the “pressure” of worrying about if we use a preposition at the end of a sentence or say something incorrectly that it will be attributed to our race. He also stated that the anxiety may cause academic problems; this really hit home with me. Academically I don’t think it has had that big of an effect on my grade, but as far as talking with some of my peers and giving speeches it has cause some worry. (27:38) I thought it was just being shy, but I do realize that I am sometimes I am self conscious about this depending on my surrounding. Also the part about white men are 4x more likely to have drugs, but Black and Latino males are 3x more likely to be searched by policeman was something to think about.
I hate giving public speeches in class, or answering questions out loud at times. Why, because I worry about how I will sound to everyone. I don't want to sound like I am straight from the ghetto, or use ebonics when I am speaking. Because I know that I use slang when I am around family and friends and I know that this is not appropriate in a college setting. I find myself answering the question in my head, and repeating my response in my head over and over again....like I am practicing to myself, before I actually raise my hand and answer the question for real. Honestly, I am embarrassed when black people stand up in class and sound as if they have no home training, or like they can not read, or even speak English. Sememsters ago, in an Oral Communications class, a black classmate gave some of the worst speeches ever! Cursing, talking about drugs, hoodlife.....I found myself hanging my head, then looking around the room at everyone, black, white, other. It seemed as if every black person in the room was shaking their heads in pity. And every white person's face was red. I just kept thinking to myself,"is this how white people think every black person talks and acts?" So I knew for my speech that I had to kill it. I practed for days until I remembered it by heart. I refused embarrass myself like my former classmate.
I agree with Tim Wise when he said that a person of color could not travel the country like him,and say the things that he was saying. It's sad really, but everything he saud in this video was true. This was a great video to watch and very entertaining. I notciced as the video showed the audience, that a lot of the audience was white. I wondered what they thought about what Wise was saying. And, if they would actually try to clean up their own "debt," if they had any. Black and latino men in nice cars are stopped more than white men in nice cars. No duh! Who actually sees a Black or latino man in a nice car, with 26inch rims and thinks that they aren't doing something illegal? Especially when they get out of the car dressed as a thug. I know that the police officers think they are drug dealers whether they are in nice cars or hoopties. They get pulled over just because the are black. DWB-driving while black! I laughed when Tim Wise said that when a black person is pulled over, that a white man is driving pass with 100 pounds of weed in the trunk. The morale of the story is,if you are white and drive a nice car, you will never be suspected of being a drug dealer. LOL! "You'd have to be crazy to run away from slavery!" This mad me laugh as well. Some people are still in this mindset that nothing is wrong with the differences made between black and white people.
Every point that Tim Wise made was true and he was right in many of his statements, especially about African American men. I thought that it was very interesting that he felt the need to speak on these issues and openly talk about them. He delivered a speech that is about sad truths and circumstances that I personally do not believe are changing. My husband used to drive a Grand Marquis, which is the stereotypical car of a drug dealer. Ironically, it is also the car that elderly white men drive also. WHen he drove his grand marquis, he was pulled over a lot by the police, sometimes for no reason at all. However, when he informed the officers that he was in the army, the conversation became thank you and talk about deployments and the actual issue of being pulled over and the reason for it is pushed to the side. Then, when his car needed to be repaired, he drove mine while I was in school to get to work until that time. He was NEVER pulled over when he drove my car, a ford focus, even when he sped pass a cop not wearing his seatbelt, unaware that the cop was in the abandoned lot. For all the cop knew, he could have just robbed a store or had just taken the vehicle. But since he didn't fit the description of the average juvenile, he got a free pass. It the typical case of judging a book by the cover. However, can you blame the cops, after they have had so many drug busts and arrests from cars fitting the description of his own and drug dealers matching the color of his own? Are they simple wrong, or just following procedure? I personall think its both.
The inequalities that exist in education are so prevelant in today's society that it makes me think of David Pickler and the merger between Memphis City and Shelby County school districts. It is 2011 and race still plays a prevalent role in Memphis and in the education of our children. Not only is the merger a race issue, but it is a class issue of the haves and have nots. Blacks have been conditioned to think that "If it ain't white, it ain't right" when it comes to educaion. And with Memphis City schools being majority black and children that come from impoverished households they will fight tooth and nail to keep THOSE people out of their school system. Tim Wise needs to come to Memphis to speak, maybe hearing it from a white man will open their ears.
Tim is a very good lecturer. Being in Human Resources, I have had visuals first hand on some instances of profiling. The one thing that I have would love to have to go to another step is having Presidential candidates to speak on the issues within issues. If you are going to provide or speak on health care, unfair housing, taxation, education and special programs; speak on those it would adversely affect.
What an outstanding lecture! His candor is refreshing and welcome. He opens the lecture with the honest statement that privilege allows him to be able to share with this audience, privilege because of the color of his skin. So many times people will think things, but they will never speak them. Maybe if there were more people willing to confront issues there could be eradication of major issues in the world. He makes a very important statement when he says, " Those who are White don't have the luxury of knowing Black and Brown truth" this could not be more profound to me. I will never really understand the adversity against Black people and Tim Wise emphasized the inability of the White person to understand.
I do like how he states that he "fits" the mold that allows him to talk on campuses and other places. It is hard to get school boards who decide what speakers can and cannot come to the university to allow certain races to come or certain people to come and talk about racial issues. But he fits what the board will easily allow to come speak. When they read his bio he is someone they don't think twice about. I hate that in 2006 we faced the most racial discrimination on housing than we practically ever have. At my last job I worked at an apartment complex where fair housing rules and requirements were highly acredited. We were unable to turn down anyone the opportunity to even look at the apartment because if we did it could be looked at as discrimination. It went against fair housing codes and we could get terminated on the spot for that. I think fair housing is excellent restrictions to follow in order to create a better opportunity for housing for everyone. Sometimes fair housing would send in people of different racial backgrounds to pretend as if they were looking for an apartment in order to see how we responded to each person. It's crazy to me to realize that the most racial discrimination for housing was 2006- especially with so many codes and laws against it.
At some point most American citizens have abused the drug law. This really caught my attention, because all I could think about at this point is the phrase, "everybody has skeletons in their closets". Michell Alexander was a brave woman by defending the African American race on drug war. We are all imperfect humans and at some point we've all made a dumb decision in our life time. I've often thought about the ghetto or poor communities when I've heard of a drug bust going bad or someone being arrested for standing on the corner selling drugs. Michelle Alexander has made it very clear that that marjuana, a drug that is less harmful than alcohl and tobacco is a crime that is committed by middle class whites as is by poor African Americans. She also stated true facts about how once you becomes a felony you give up your freedom. I also have witness firshand my brother going through some of the scenerious that Michlle spoke about. My brother in his young life made a dumb decision and decided he wanted fast cash, so he got involved with the wrong click, got involved with selling marjuana not the hard drugs and got caught. He spent two years in prison and was released back into society. I must say, he's done a great job by not looking back and living a straight life. For the first year the family had to assist him with living arrangements, funds to pay his probation officer and transportation. Because he's now a felony he can no longer work for a bonding company which means he was out of work until someone decided to give him a chance. I just didn't understand why it was so hard for him get back on his feet. You would have thought he killed someone. It's hard once you're labeled a felony, but still so many young people are giving up their freedom that our ancesters work so hard to gain for the African American race. They give up freedom when they make dumb decisions thats considered a felony and get caught. Once in the prison system you're back to being chained, told what to do and how to do it, even to the point, what time you have to go to bed. It's like you're own by the state.
This was a very informative and insightful lecture. Tim Wise really made me think about the perception of African Americans from white viewpoint. I honestly think that he understand the African American viewpoints that trouble many of us that we rarely speak on or act out against.
The part of Mr. Tim Wise video that affected me the most was when he stated that African Americans have the “pressure” of worrying about if we use a preposition at the end of a sentence or say something incorrectly that it will be attributed to our race. He also stated that the anxiety may cause academic problems; this really hit home with me. Academically I don’t think it has had that big of an effect on my grade, but as far as talking with some of my peers and giving speeches it has cause some worry. (27:38) I thought it was just being shy, but I do realize that I am sometimes I am self conscious about this depending on my surrounding. Also the part about white men are 4x more likely to have drugs, but Black and Latino males are 3x more likely to be searched by policeman was something to think about.
ReplyDeleteI hate giving public speeches in class, or answering questions out loud at times. Why, because I worry about how I will sound to everyone. I don't want to sound like I am straight from the ghetto, or use ebonics when I am speaking. Because I know that I use slang when I am around family and friends and I know that this is not appropriate in a college setting. I find myself answering the question in my head, and repeating my response in my head over and over again....like I am practicing to myself, before I actually raise my hand and answer the question for real.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I am embarrassed when black people stand up in class and sound as if they have no home training, or like they can not read, or even speak English. Sememsters ago, in an Oral Communications class, a black classmate gave some of the worst speeches ever! Cursing, talking about drugs, hoodlife.....I found myself hanging my head, then looking around the room at everyone, black, white, other. It seemed as if every black person in the room was shaking their heads in pity. And every white person's face was red. I just kept thinking to myself,"is this how white people think every black person talks and acts?"
So I knew for my speech that I had to kill it. I practed for days until I remembered it by heart. I refused embarrass myself like my former classmate.
I agree with Tim Wise when he said that a person of color could not travel the country like him,and say the things that he was saying. It's sad really, but everything he saud in this video was true. This was a great video to watch and very entertaining.
ReplyDeleteI notciced as the video showed the audience, that a lot of the audience was white. I wondered what they thought about what Wise was saying. And, if they would actually try to clean up their own "debt," if they had any.
Black and latino men in nice cars are stopped more than white men in nice cars. No duh! Who actually sees a Black or latino man in a nice car, with 26inch rims and thinks that they aren't doing something illegal? Especially when they get out of the car dressed as a thug. I know that the police officers think they are drug dealers whether they are in nice cars or hoopties. They get pulled over just because the are black. DWB-driving while black!
I laughed when Tim Wise said that when a black person is pulled over, that a white man is driving pass with 100 pounds of weed in the trunk. The morale of the story is,if you are white and drive a nice car, you will never be suspected of being a drug dealer. LOL!
"You'd have to be crazy to run away from slavery!" This mad me laugh as well. Some people are still in this mindset that nothing is wrong with the differences made between black and white people.
Every point that Tim Wise made was true and he was right in many of his statements, especially about African American men. I thought that it was very interesting that he felt the need to speak on these issues and openly talk about them. He delivered a speech that is about sad truths and circumstances that I personally do not believe are changing. My husband used to drive a Grand Marquis, which is the stereotypical car of a drug dealer. Ironically, it is also the car that elderly white men drive also. WHen he drove his grand marquis, he was pulled over a lot by the police, sometimes for no reason at all. However, when he informed the officers that he was in the army, the conversation became thank you and talk about deployments and the actual issue of being pulled over and the reason for it is pushed to the side. Then, when his car needed to be repaired, he drove mine while I was in school to get to work until that time. He was NEVER pulled over when he drove my car, a ford focus, even when he sped pass a cop not wearing his seatbelt, unaware that the cop was in the abandoned lot. For all the cop knew, he could have just robbed a store or had just taken the vehicle. But since he didn't fit the description of the average juvenile, he got a free pass. It the typical case of judging a book by the cover. However, can you blame the cops, after they have had so many drug busts and arrests from cars fitting the description of his own and drug dealers matching the color of his own? Are they simple wrong, or just following procedure? I personall think its both.
ReplyDeleteThe inequalities that exist in education are so prevelant in today's society that it makes me think of David Pickler and the merger between Memphis City and Shelby County school districts. It is 2011 and race still plays a prevalent role in Memphis and in the education of our children. Not only is the merger a race issue, but it is a class issue of the haves and have nots. Blacks have been conditioned to think that "If it ain't white, it ain't right" when it comes to educaion. And with Memphis City schools being majority black and children that come from impoverished households they will fight tooth and nail to keep THOSE people out of their school system. Tim Wise needs to come to Memphis to speak, maybe hearing it from a white man will open their ears.
ReplyDeleteTim is a very good lecturer. Being in Human Resources, I have had visuals first hand on some instances of profiling. The one thing that I have would love to have to go to another step is having Presidential candidates to speak on the issues within issues. If you are going to provide or speak on health care, unfair housing, taxation, education and special programs; speak on those it would adversely affect.
ReplyDeleteWhat an outstanding lecture! His candor is refreshing and welcome. He opens the lecture with the honest statement that privilege allows him to be able to share with this audience, privilege because of the color of his skin. So many times people will think things, but they will never speak them. Maybe if there were more people willing to confront issues there could be eradication of major issues in the world. He makes a very important statement when he says, " Those who are White don't have the luxury of knowing Black and Brown truth" this could not be more profound to me. I will never really understand the adversity against Black people and Tim Wise emphasized the inability of the White person to understand.
ReplyDeleteI do like how he states that he "fits" the mold that allows him to talk on campuses and other places. It is hard to get school boards who decide what speakers can and cannot come to the university to allow certain races to come or certain people to come and talk about racial issues. But he fits what the board will easily allow to come speak. When they read his bio he is someone they don't think twice about. I hate that in 2006 we faced the most racial discrimination on housing than we practically ever have. At my last job I worked at an apartment complex where fair housing rules and requirements were highly acredited. We were unable to turn down anyone the opportunity to even look at the apartment because if we did it could be looked at as discrimination. It went against fair housing codes and we could get terminated on the spot for that. I think fair housing is excellent restrictions to follow in order to create a better opportunity for housing for everyone. Sometimes fair housing would send in people of different racial backgrounds to pretend as if they were looking for an apartment in order to see how we responded to each person. It's crazy to me to realize that the most racial discrimination for housing was 2006- especially with so many codes and laws against it.
ReplyDeleteAt some point most American citizens have abused the drug law. This really caught my attention, because all I could think about at this point is the phrase, "everybody has skeletons in their closets". Michell Alexander was a brave woman by defending the African American race on drug war. We are all imperfect humans and at some point we've all made a dumb decision in our life time. I've often thought about the ghetto or poor communities when I've heard of a drug bust going bad or someone being arrested for standing on the corner selling drugs. Michelle Alexander has made it very clear that that marjuana, a drug that is less harmful than alcohl and tobacco is a crime that is committed by middle class whites as is by poor African Americans. She also stated true facts about how once you becomes a felony you give up your freedom. I also have witness firshand my brother going through some of the scenerious that Michlle spoke about. My brother in his young life made a dumb decision and decided he wanted fast cash, so he got involved with the wrong click, got involved with selling marjuana not the hard drugs and got caught. He spent two years in prison and was released back into society. I must say, he's done a great job by not looking back and living a straight life. For the first year the family had to assist him with living arrangements, funds to pay his probation officer and transportation. Because he's now a felony he can no longer work for a bonding company which means he was out of work until someone decided to give him a chance. I just didn't understand why it was so hard for him get back on his feet. You would have thought he killed someone. It's hard once you're labeled a felony, but still so many young people are giving up their freedom that our ancesters work so hard to gain for the African American race. They give up freedom when they make dumb decisions thats considered a felony and get caught. Once in the prison system you're back to being chained, told what to do and how to do it, even to the point, what time you have to go to bed. It's like you're own by the state.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very informative and insightful lecture. Tim Wise really made me think about the perception of African Americans from white viewpoint. I honestly think that he understand the African American viewpoints that trouble many of us that we rarely speak on or act out against.
ReplyDelete