Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science (MS)²
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Anonymous
This is a fair point, at least with respect to Bannaker and HUMS (which, I confess, I hadn't heard of until this thread). Not sure it applies to KIPP, thouch - from what I understand, KIPP's program is specifically targeted at economically disadvantaged kids, with a longer school day, etc. In DC, the population of white school-aged kids who qualify as economically disadvantaged is very small, I think (although I don't know the precise numbers). I know that a program like that wouldn't be appealing for our family, regardless of the racial makeup of the students. We're a long way from middle school, but if my kids show an aptitude for/interest in math and science (which, if genetics have any say in it, is unlikely), we'd certainly consider HUMS. From the 10 minutes I spend looking at it, it seems like an excellent program, and it's convenient to our house. |
Anonymous
Nobody said it's about physical appearance, it's about the attitudes/perceptions/beliefs themselves - a kid from Jersey will take on whatever he's exposed to in Jersey, the kid in Italy will take on whatever he's exposed to in Italy. A kid growing up with things like gangsta rap touting crime, violence, misogyny, and materialism will gravitate to that behavior. And as a previous post pointed out, someone from Africa will have a very different set of attitude/perceptions/beliefs than an AA in DC because of a different upbringing and set of things they were exposed to. Meanwhile, the second part of it is how the rest of society reacts and responds. As pointed out, white skinheads for example are openly disdained and loudly condemned. But the same is not always the case elsewhere, for example with some negative behavior, it's given a pass with some handwaving of "you don't get it" or "that's just part of urban culture and has nothing to do with the rest" - white skinheads have nothing to do with the rest of the white population and whites "don't get" white skinheads either, but that certainly doesn't stop whites from openly disdaining and loudly condemning them. |
Anonymous
| 9:55 - I'm both the Africa post and the Italy post -- we are in agreement |
Anonymous
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We are the happy hour drunks...who said in unison this jezabel is lying. When whites justify friends as my "black friend or African-American friend" that's just our inside joke amongst our community.
I have to agree with a poster who called out the liar on this board. We all must agree that some of our schools are mirror images of some of our churches congregation. I remember when a white person tried to tell me that the "A" in AME didn't stand for African. Again, another clueless white person. Wait, someone referenced "high tone" and not "high yellow" or the political correct assumption of being bi-racial. Again, call out of a fake. |
Anonymous
You are correct. The few middle class families KIPP has are leaving in droves (self included); not because of the academic program, which is wonderful, but because of the administration and their attitudes towards middle class families. |
Anonymous
As I read it, the posters weren't about talking generically about "my black friend" or "my African-American friend" - it was specifically to distinguish between AA friends who grew up in Africa and came here as immigrants as distinguished from AA friends who were born and grew up here. And, from y experience, that difference in perspectives is spot on. Plus, I didn't see anyone here talking about AME or "high tone/high yellow". Pay attention before leaping to conclusions. Maybe, sober up from that happy hour adventure before posting? |
Anonymous
From the the original post: " I have an African friend, in this country for 6 years, who says she does not relate to American blacks nor to they relate to her." Note that there is no reference to "my black friend" or "My african-american friend" simply "I have an African friend." Is this more clueless than saying "I have a Canadian friend" or "I have a Korean friend?" How do you suggest referring to friends from other countries? Is there an approved way of saying it in your community that also applies to people outside your community? |
Anonymous
What planet are you living on....Racism is systemic and pervasive throughout the US. Look at any major institution; the government, the prison complex, US. schools, higher education, policies that benefit some and marginalize others. Please be a bit more mindful in stating your observations. |
Anonymous
What planet? Let's start right here - Look at the District of Columbia. Majority AA demographic for decades, and the government has been majority AA led, managed and staffed for decades. And since we have all these federal buildings in DC, the other thing that shows up and can be easily seen is that federal government diversity measures have made whites and specifically white males a minority in most government offices around DC. Yet apparently we are supposed to go along with you and just somehow still understand it's all white-run and racist despite the fact that it's not. I think you are stuck in the past. Again, I'm not saying that there aren't still isolated pockets of racism, what I'm saying is that maybe you should likewise be more mindful in your own observations and not paint everything and anything you don't like with the broad brush of racism. Pervasive and systemic? No, think again and look more closely. For example, government policies that might keep the average AA down to the benefit of megacorporates and billionaires are benefitting the 1% - and the 99% that's being kept down is not "racism", it in fact targets the vast majority of whites. In case you haven't noticed, the white middle class has been destroyed over the last several decades by "trickle down economics" and the rest of the conservative agenda. Policies, government and business practices that can be proven to be racist or discriminatory are illegal and are prosecutable. If a racist policy is shown to exist, there is no shortage of people who will immediately and aggressively stamp it out. As for the rest, like incarceration rates for AAs, look at the crime statistics - much higher for AAs - that's fact, not opinion. And, look at the many posts throughout this board where posters have spoken about things like AA students getting a beatdown from AA classmates for raising their hand in class - and similar cultural disincentives within the AA community to pursuing academic achievement. At this point there is a lot more change that needs to come from within than from without. |
Anonymous
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Well 1442, in my government office white men are definitely not the minority. They are lock, stock, and barrel playing in the realm of the good old boys. Haha.
In an OGC office of over 700 plus attorneys nationwide, only 42 are minority. That includes black, hispanic, Asian, and other. There are however quite a bit more of white women. so when the affirmative action reports are conducted, the white women are checked as a minority to bolster the numbers. |
Anonymous
Ah - attorneys. They are a world entirely unto their own. Consider the prerequisites to working somewhere like OGC - a law degree - and that there aren't many minorities going to law school in the first place. A quick check shows only around 3,000 out of 120,000+ applicants each year being AA. It's not a normal reflection of actual demographics. |
Anonymous
I think I distinctly stated that 42 was the total of all racial minorities. My statement was not limited to Blacks. Those numbers are dismal, but if want to keep believing that white men are left out of government remain in denial. As a matter of fact, our clients are usually white men heading their respective departments. The blacks you see in government are usually the low people on the totem pole and they are mostly women. The SES, 15, and 14s are not those Black women, but white men. |
Anonymous
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My office is mostly women and many minority, and white males are definitely in the minority. We have many AA and women appointees, SES, 15s and 14s so a situation like you might have in your office obviously does not extend.
I'm no attorney but I would think that for someone to get a job as an attorney in OGC, there would be some pretty stringent prerequisites and job requirements - I'm guessing, beyond an undergraduate degree, also US citizenship or permanent resident status, an accredited law degree and passing the bar? Most of the visitors to this board would not meet those requirements and would not qualify regardless of skin color, so how is that racism? And, what's the REST of the story? Do you not have a hiring freeze like many agencies do? Are there huge throngs of qualified minority and women attorneys pounding at the door to get a job at your office or are they few and far between, and finding better opportunities than government work? |
Anonymous
| To 2237. I would be interested in knowing which agency you work. I think many women and racial minorities may be interested in going to an agency where the possibility of attaining SES level is feasible, without be considered an outlier. |
Anonymous
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Who wouldn't want to get SES? These days, they don't hand out SES like candy, even to white males, and even despite the fact that many SES are retiring. These days, it seems EVERYONE is an outlier with minimal feasibility toward getting SES.
Here's what OPM says in their last report about the federal workforce demographic: "Findings for FY 2011 The Federal workforce is 17.8 percent Black, 8.1 percent Hispanic, 5.6 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, 1.7 percent Native American, 0.8 percent non-Hispanic/Multi-racial, and 66.0 percent White. Minorities as a whole constituted 34.1 percent of the Federal workforce. Men comprised 56.1 percent of all Federal permanent employees and women 43.9 percent." Compare those numbers to the most recent Census data, which shows AA population to be 12.6% as opposed to 17.8% in the federal workforce, and a white population of 72.4% as opposed to 66% in the federal workforce. Asians and Native Americans and Pacific Islanders are also higher percentages in federal workforce than in the general population. Hispanics are the only major group that is significantly lower as compared to being 16.3% of the population, and women are slightly lower at BLS statistic of 46.9% of the workforce. http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-02.pdf |