Rachel Dolezal lies about being black. Leads NAACP chapter. Teaches Africana class.

[Kailen]

Sier,

I'd like to first thank you for having the fortitude to present your beliefs and ideas. I commend you for this, and appreciate your willingness to indulge in a sensitive subject. I believe you are sincere in your response, and hope that I can mirror the same sincerity with my response.

The degree at which whites are privileged over blacks in this day and age is vastly different than it was 1-2 generations ago.

I agree with this idea to the degree that blacks, and other minorities no longer face the shotgun policy of reconstruction. I also agree that blacks, and other minorities no longer swing from trees, or as much direct physical assault. I do, however, believe thats where we diverge in perspective. Blacks and minorities no longer experience "RED LINING" in its traditional format, but in a new era the same mechanics re-invent themselves.

The modern form of red lining, is gentrification, and its in full swing within many metro areas. We also have the NEW JIM CROW prison industrial complex that targets and incarcerates minority youth (especially black and latino) at twice the rate than their white counterpart. Let's not forget the portrayal and social programming conducted by mainstream media. Blacks and Latinos are more likely to be demonized, made older and scarier than their white counterparts thus leading to a severe difference with sentencing within courts. You can see Obama's executive order as a modern example of how that idea played out. In short, brown folks where getting far harsher penalties than their white counter parts for carrying crack versus cocaine.

There are many other instances with many politicians pass bills and programs that are suppose to help, but the funding gets gutted. There are many other modern happenings and instances that create an hostile outside environment for upward mobility, let alone the self inflicted obstacles.

Also, please don't underestimate the generational effects of Jim Crow, COINTELPRO, War on Drugs, Mass Incarceration. There is something profoundly powerful when you destroy a family, and break up a home.

I live in Alabama....irony. But it's flatly unheard of to pass up an educated black man for a high ranking position in a professional field, as several companies want to meet a certain race based quota.

Yeah that quota thing is kind of a valuable tool, but it can be a weapon as well. On one side without that quota minority candidates wouldn't get an opportunity to compete for those jobs. Inversely, my angst against the quota idea is once its hit. Most companies are less likely to hire over that quota. This could shut out other qualified minority candidates.

Last, there was a study that I read from a credible institution that a white candidate with a criminal record has a 30% higher chance of getting a job than a black person with a clean record. I'll try and find it.

As a white man: I went to a public school. I flipped pizza's to pay my way through college for a total of 5 years. I turned a dead-end job into a supervisory role, and I am just now passing off living in a middle-class position.

Congrats, I as well as many blacks and minorities believe in hard work, and a can do spirit. I don't believe this is a foreign idea or value within minority communities. It's the ability to get an opportunity to showcase skill sets thats a problem. In many cases, people are simply getting passed up.

When I combine my efforts with the potential race-based quota hiring in my area, I think it would be *easier* to get through my professional life as a black man. There was absolutely nothing in my life which would have been inaccessible due to my skin color.

Perhaps things are different in large cities, I'm open to that fact. As literally 50% of my employees are black, I refuse to think that I've led a bunch of white individuals to privilege. When I look around my company, I see similar thought processes. Granted, we hire the best fit for the position, and are not trying to fill a certain race based quota.

Interesting perspective, but for clarity, what do you constitute as white privilege?

I will say something, again, which will probably met with some skepticism on this forum:
There are alot of elements of black culture which are counter productive. I believe Rap Music sets African Americans back 50 years. I find absolutely no educational merit or societal furtherance in "Making it rain", "**cking the police", or being caught "riding dirty", all the while flagrantly abusing the word "nigger" in jest, which carries a gruesome history. In fact, I'd even dare to make the statement that individuals who partake in such "Poetry" to be part of the problem.

There isn't any skepticism here, and I don't want to assume anything, but I would like to ask you what is black culture?