"The answer is NOT "not-seeing" color. We as a society, to show progress we need to LOVE one another REGARDLESS of color. Not denying the fact that it exists because that is disrespectful to OUR ancestors. You're from an Italian background on one side of your family, that has to be acknowledged. What your family had to go through to make it to America is something you should be PROUD of and not something that should be hidden. The beauty of America is that we can love and appreciate one another despite, our difference in ethnic backgrounds not through ignoring it. there are many races and nationalities and that's the beauty, we should be EMBRACING our differences NOT denying that they exist. That is fundamentally wrong. I'm not down with the whole "Color blindness" its disrespectful to MY parents, I'm a first generation American. My parents came here in the 80s, to this day I've never really had a conversation about racism with them because they grew up in Africa, they only saw racism on TV. But we didn't become black in the 80s, my grand mothers were black, my great grandmothers were black, them and their struggle is a part of who I am. Their sacrifices is a part of who I am and what I am able to do today, I will never deny that, and I will not let anyone fail to acknowledge that. No one should. It took WAAAAY to much to get here for our ancestors, black and white, and that is the beauty of this country. We should embrace their struggle and be proud of their sacrifice. No one should be considered racist for being proud of what they are race wise or nationality wise or their ethnic background. We are the walking talking dreams of our ancestors. ALL of us, and we have to own that, be it good or bad.
But race IS a problem. And regardless of someones ethnic background they should be able to acknowledge that without the threat of being labeled as a racist, that's NOT progress. That's simply more of the same. There are issues in this country that ARE black problems. Inner city violence is primarily a BLACK problem, it affects the country because it is occurring here, but its gonna take the GOOD black people to get it together, and once the whites that are in power see that we want to fix it, they will hopefully be willing to help. The issue cities like Detroit, Chicago, St Louis, Baltimore, and Cleveland have are results of neglect for these cities and their residents, there are terrible schools, so how can one get out of poverty with the poorest of schools? These environmental issues, and in most cases results of environmental racism. And there's studies of sociology that better illustrate that. The issue people like myself have is, EVERYONE has to be accountable, the dude on the corner selling drugs is BAD for the community, but him going to jail is NOT going to be a long-term solution, it might get him off the street for a year or 2, but another brotha will be in his place in a weeks time. The city council men that sits on a board and DOESNT fix these social issues in his district has to be held accountable as well, the mayor, governor, state rep and senator. The solution is to figure out an alternative to this brotha selling drugs for money, does he have skills? how can we cultivate those skills and make him productive to his community. To the gang member, why does he feel the need to be in a gang? Maybe his family structure is broken, we need to find the solution to that, we need to tap into the genius of these young brothas cause I can tell you know, EVERYONE in jail aint bad and EVERYONE bad aint in jail. But we want to just scratch the surface of issue and demonize people, and as a society its WRONG. When you're car doesn't start you don't just take it to the junk yard, no you call a mechanic and figure out whats goin on and what you will need to fix it. But when it comes to people we just want to institutionalize them, and that is wrong. You can lock up EVERY criminal in the inner city RIGHT now, they'll be safe for 3 or 4 years, then the same issues that forced others into lives of crime will produce ANOTHER group of individuals. Investing in the community is the ONLY way to fix problems" -Nunneh Nimley
