Senate "Race" Relations (was "U.S. Society and Black Men")

Honestly, I think that's more than just accurate, Blackmyron.

Frankly, and I didn't realize this until about middle school or high school, but some black people who have been mistreated will wonder what race someone is to see how empathetic that friend may be. This often a trauma response to being mistreated/abused in a racial manner. I can relate because I would evaluate and associate with cis or trans women on the basis of how much they were attracted to women. Else, I wouldn't fully trust them. That was my own trauma response. Because of course race is a social construction, but it's one of the worst social constructions there is, since it gave some people an excuse to Lynch and abuse other people. There was no excuse to begin with. It's similar to how the poor Native Americans had to deal with smallpox and other things they didn't sign up for when Europeans came over the ocean. I'm pretty sure that some white folks (a tiny minority percentage-wise) were unhappy with how the majority of their families hurt the Native Americans. But too few were willing to defend them. A similar situation occurred with black folks. Yet more recently, there have been white people who have been willing to defend African Americans, LGBTQ+ folks, and the few native Americans who weren't decimated. So, I think things are getting better in that regard. After all, this JCF website is an example that some privileged people are willing to discuss and defend the oppressed. I count that as another step toward progress.

 

American Legion post apologizes to Nisei veterans, acknowledges role in Hood River’s ‘ugly history’ - oregonlive.com

 

US renames five sites in which were originally named using a racial slur for Native American women.

Something positive for this Friday the 13th.

 

https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2022/december/depression-Black-women.html

I have a soft spot for black women, not gonna lie. Some of it has to do with my upbringing and some of it has to die with how Crenshaw described intersectionality and her motivations behind creating and exploring the framework.

So this study, to me, makes complete sense. I know so many black women in my life that either hide their sadness or it exhibits itself in ways that are not commonly considered. This is dope that someone even launched this study and the conclusions could help alter medical professionals’ approach to treating depression and anxiety in black women.

 

I got a question about press treatment of mixed people. I am angry.

 

Ask your question.

 

Florida blocks high school African American studies class - ABC News (go.com)

How is this possible? How is this constitutional? This is disgusting.

I just attended Curriculum Night at my son's high school 24 hours ago. I'm proud to live in a state and county where African American History and LGBTQ+ Literature are both taught in High School. They are electives so you'd have to take regular US/World/Govt and African American History. And of course English and the LGBTQ+ English class. But my son already takes two English courses since he takes Creative Writing.

 

It's doubtful it will hold up in court, but it's all performative right now - DeSantis pandering to his base. But, ultimately, yeah - conservatives would love to ban African-American Studies in the US permanently.
And, no, for some mysterious reason, DeSantis and his ilk don't seem troubled at all by "Latin American Studies" programs at state universities, especially those focusing on Cuba. I wonder why that is?

 

When trying to pave the way for Republican primaries no move can be too crass or too cynical.

 

I don't understand. I don't know how you could look your neighbors or trainers at the gym, or co-workers or just any African American in the eye knowing you voted for this scum.

 

@Runjedirun Because Republicans particularly Republicans in red states like Florida have no shame. It's one of their superpowers. What's most scary is perhaps many actually believe this. DeSantis doesn't but he knows he needs to keep throwing more meat to the GOP primary voter as Trump is still the overwhelming favorite to win the 2024 GOP primary as whatever momentum he had after the midterms is now stalled. But the average GOP primary voter does so again he needs to keep throwing them stuff like this. As an educator who teaches high school social studies, this honestly honks me off then many of the other stunts he has pulled since it's it hits so close to home as obviously it's something I am passionate about. African American studies has been around for a long time and it's not "indoctrinated" anyone unless you want people presented with historical events that they often get pushed aside in a regular US History class. That is why we have classes like this to better inform but the GOP doesn't want that obviously. And look @blackmyron is 100% correct that it won't survive in court even with the MAGA SC but that is not the point as DeSantis will be hoping to be long gone out of Tallahassee by the time this is actually ruled on. Truly is no bottom with them. None.

 

LGBTQ+ lit and english class? What?....Huh? Why?

I have so many questions. Can you tell us more about this?

 

I probably wouldn't take an LGBTQ+ literature class because that is not deeply relevant to me, nor does it address the major cultural touchstones or issues that I find most poignant. Similarly, though, I don't know that modern English literature resonated that deeply with me either. Why was I forced to take one?

If the major goal is to teach children how to read, analyze, and create literature, one should be able to do that regardless of the writer's specific concerns. There are wonderful writers of colors I love like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. Earnest Protestants I respect like John Donne. Old bards from warrior cultures whose world is less comprehensible to me like Beowulf's authors or Homer. And contemporary people whose prose can get baroque even as they explore things that are more relatable, like Cormac McCarthy or Graham Greene.

Your mileage may vary on these. You might have a completely different list. But as long as you can learn the underlying skills why are you passing judgment on what others want to read? Especially when it can already be difficult to get children engaged in this in the first place. How outraged do you have to be about something to disallow it as an elective?

 

LGBTQ+ literature is an elective course for high school students who wish to read literature by LGBTQ+ authors. Much like I took Russian literature in college because I like to read and wanted to explore the genre.

 

Bolded for emphasis.
DeSantis is banning the AP African-American Studies citing his anti-CRT "STOP WOKE" law (it's not CRT, not even close, but what does that matter?) - which is also an elective course.
It's not about stopping people from being "forced" to learn - it's about removing options they don't like to reinforce what they want to be taught. There's no "whatabout" or "bothsides" here.

 

Eh. I was asking for understanding because, on its face, it seems unnecessary. However, if someone wants to learn about it and the school has the resources, I’m not opposed.

the term “LGBTQ+ literature” just screams more “liberal arts college” and not “public school elective course”.

 

Here's a point that's both tangential and entirely on-point. I went to a school with a really great palate of options, but we didn't have Russian literature. I wish we did. Jello introduced me to Crime & Punishment, and it's easily been one of my favorite novels ever since.

It's funny because I never would have imagined that a Russian living at the end of the 19th century would have so much to say that I would find engaging as a Black man living at the end of the 20th. But that's just the thing. We never know what we don't know. Our imaginations fail us all the time. There's a real beauty in being surprised.

 

I just want you to know that "liberal arts" has literally nothing to do with American liberal politics.

 

I know. It’s crazy how I never said it did, right?



Good one though.

 

Let's provide completely unnecessary information!

The classical liberal arts are seven in number. The trivium: grammar, logic, rhetoric; the quadrivium: arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy. In the modern day, the liberal arts are grouped in four areas: natural sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities.

 

"LGBTQ literature sounds like liberal arts" isn't supposed to mean exactly what it says on the tin

 

The thing that’s weird is that many public school systems embrace or aspire to a liberal arts model, so for you to set them up in opposition to one another was very odd.

“To serve Impossible Burgers screams more ‘meat-free diet’ and not ‘vegetarianism.’”