Dennis Plante Responds: As long as we (as a society) continue to allow the majority of MINORITIES to live in very finite sections of our city, we will continue to experience this type of discriminatory culture. For it is only through one-on-one experiences that we are given the opportunity to realize that a person's skin color has very little to do with their character.
Andrea says: As long as we continue to use the term "minority" which connotes a less than status, to refer to people of color. Then we continue the power imbalance that is being discussed here. I read this list and at the same time I'm not sure whether I should laugh or cry. The notion that Racism is the same as prejudice is quite frankly silly to me. Every person on the planet is prejudice towards something. Some people don't like carrots and peas = prejudice. Doesn't make them bad people, they just don't carrots and peas. Some people don't like me(I can't imagine who they may be, but I know their out there)=prejudice. There are some people however who have the power and control to make their prejudices the order of the day, i.e. the owner of a restaurant who doesn't like carrots and peas, can make sure they are not served in his/her restaurant=power. The politician/academic/CEO who doesn't like People of Color, can make sure that those people are always on unequal ground, i.e.high incarceration rates, sub-standard housing, poor education, the list goes on and on=power. Some on this list have argued that Race is a social construct that does not exist. While that may be true there is no denying that people make decisions based on it (Race) everyday. And the people in power to make those decisions do so to maintain a status quo that is often detrimental to people who look like me (African American). So you can call it what you want but the effects are the same, and in my experience there have not been very many Black people in this city with the power and authority to affect anybody's FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT, EDUCATIONAL CHOICES, LIVING SITUATIONS OR ABILITY TO SUSTAIN THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES, therefore it is frankly impossible to call Blacks in Minneapolis Racist. Granted there are many People of Color who are prejudiced, frankly I have learned to accept that there may be people out there who don't like me, but as long as they have no effect on my ability to sustain myself , I'm okay with that. I do take exception however with those who don't like me and have the power and authority to create situations that make it nearly impossible for me and the communities that I represent to get ahead.=racism. Back to the word Minority for a minute, someone posted on this list that the Minneapolis Public School System is 73% People of Color. They didn't use that word however , they said Minority. When I was in school 73% of 100 is the Majority not the Minority. Minority is a political term, used mostly in political situations to refer to groups that have the least number of votes thereby making them less powerful. I refuse to use the term minority when referring to myself or my community. Also the way the term is used by lumping all people of color together and calling them minorities is another misnomer. Language is powerful. To coin a liquor industry phrase (use it responsibly). Andrea Jenkins Bryant REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
