I just want to clear up one very big misconception. The United Negro College Fund does not give scholarships exclusively to black students. In fact many of its member colleges and universities are actively seeking non-blacks.
Good point, amarinth, but I don’t think that’s really getting to my point. I don’t TRY not to see that someone’s black. It’s just something I don’t notice. As with my high school friend, I knew she had dark, curly hair, I knew she had a good tan, but I didn’t put two and two together, cause that didn’t really matter. Just like you can see I have blonde hair, green eyes, and pale skin, but I don’t expect you to know I’m 1/4 Irish, 1/4 Norweigan, at least some part Dutch (from my name), and whatever else I am (my dad’s family is a secret). As I said before, I don’t expect anyone to give up their culture or lineage, but it’s ridiculous to expect people to denote where your from by looking at you. Only minorities expect this, though some minorities hate it. It’s worst for the hispanics, I believe. If you’re in Texas you have to be Mexican. In Miami, you’re Cuban, etc…
I don’t ask to be colorblind. I just don’t think ethnicity should be such a huge part of how we see each other. That’s all I was saying.
And to Biggirl, I’ll reiterate, I was giving an example. Perhaps I chose a bad one - but it’s still a fact that many groups in this country only benefit one ethnic group. If we ever even THOUGHT about making a fund or scholarship foundation that would only (or even MOSTLY) benefit whites, we would be sued and you KNOW that’s true. That was my point - let’s not get into semantics.
Mandielise, thanks for the goofy reasoning based on unjustified resentment. To point out the obvious, there are loads of scholarships and other programs that benefit specific ethnic and religious groups. Some benefit Mormons, for example, and almost all Mormons are white. Some benefit Catholics - most Catholics are white. Some benefit Lutherans, and almost all Lutherans are white. There are scholarships for people with specific last names, and scholarships that benefit people with specific ethnic heritages. No one will criticize you if you want to establish a scholarship fund for Cajuns or Creoles.
You also said that nobody helped your Dad. Does this misconception owe to youthful naivete or some more pernicious form of thickheadedness? As a practical matter, no one advances to a high position in any organization without allies, mentors, and support from those above and below in the work hierarchy. Of course your Dad had help. This help wasn’t based on his being white, although being white certainly didn’t hurt in Louisiana. It’s not the least bit likely that a black candidate with the same qualifications would have recieved the same degree of cooperation and encouragement.
Again to point out the obvious, black people in Louisiana didn’t get full citizenship rights and equal treatment before the law til the mid 1960’s, thanks to the Civil Rights Act of '64 and the Voting Rights of '65. Whites in Louisiana put up a substantial amount of resistance to the changes brought by the Civil Rights laws, some would say this resistance continues today - segregated private academies, segregated private clubs, support for openly racist politicians like David Duke etc.
It’s not surprising that race still occupies people’s minds. In historical terms, the new order has only been in force for the blink of an eye.
You gave a bad example, how about giving some good examples? You’re arguement against reverse racism hinges on all these supposed benefits given to blacks and not whites, yet you have not shown any “help” given exclusively to blacks. You mention UNCF and showed your ignorance, I was just trying to alleviate some of it
And to help some more in that direction:
So, even if you find private[sup]*[/sup] scholarships that are for blacks, this is by no means an exclusively black thing.
[sup]*[/sup]Private citizens can give money to whoever they want and often do. You want to set up a scholarship for left handed Latvians with a lisp, there is nothing to stop you. Show were all this public monies exclusively for blacks are coming from and then maybe your point will have some sort of validity. Until then-- you are talking out of a region that is dark and moist and should never be allowed to speak again.