Black people do not need to change in any way to deserve equal justice. If you think we need to change perhaps...
- You may assume that black culture is inferior to white. You assume that black suffering is primarily due to black culture but not racism.
- You may want black people to emulate and learn from white people but think we have nothing to teach.
- You may seem to think reason itself in an inherently white endeavor. That s black person who creating science or philosophy is just "acting white."
- You may see blackness as flawed.
- You may be a white supremacist.
Black people do not need to change in any way to deserve equal justice.
Don't tell me you are just "being honest" or that you are being "un-pc." There is no inherit virtue in being honest if you are incorrect. Black people do not need to change in any way to deserve equal justice.
To think otherwise is to ask the impossible. No matter how hard I work, no matter how much I do to contribute to my community and live an authentic and productive life as a black woman, the actions of other black people who are not my family or friends who may not have been as fortunate as I have, or who may just be not very nice people (as they exist in all colors) can, in your view, justify unequal treatment for myself and the majority of black people who have lived productive lives.
Equal justice for black people cannot be contingent on black people changing or meeting some arbitrary standard set by white people. If it is, then we continue to live in a racist society.
Moreover, some of the change some white people seem to expect isn't objectively better or worse. I love being a black person and I love black culture. I love our voices and our music our ideas, oral tradition our bodies and our families. I do not want that erased in the name of equality. I don't want people to "look past" my race or gender. I want to be valued equally, treated equally and to matter equally as a black woman.
But you still want to talk about "black on black" crime? You still want to talk about single mothers? OK. Let's talk.
Children growing up with single mothers isn't the issue. Jobs and education matter much more. Here is an analysis of some of the stats.
"Better-educated, higher-income adults are much more likely to marry. That means their children benefit from the marriage, and the income, and the education of their parents."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/09/08/children-with-married-parents-are-better-off-but-marriage-isnt-the-reason-why/
I know so many wonderful "non-traditional" families and I can only hope my husband and I will be able to follow their examples in parenting. The issue is family income. Black men may put off marriage since they have a hard time finding decent paying jobs.
The few unions that still exist are very insular and if you don't know someone it is hard to break into a trade. Even when black people get degrees we are still paid less than white people with the same degree.
Black women are highly aware of the importance of education. Since we know we will be paid less we put in more time and energy to getting the best education we can. Black woman also vote at higher rates than any other group. Black women participate in the labor force at higher rates than any other group of women.
You never hear about the hard work black people do. The very term "working class" is often used only to describe white people. Black people work very hard and the hard work is rewarded far less, but you never hear about this.
Next take "black on black crime" -- A big factor in crime is the poor clearance rates for crimes with black victims. Police simply do not solve crimes nearly as often when the victim is black. So, given most crime in intra-racial, black criminals who target black people are less likely to be caught than criminals of any race that target white people.
Cops in black neighborhoods are highly ineffective. Targeting honest people for minor or non- existent crimes while failing to do enough to lock up violent criminals. This destroys trust in the community.
Many good black fathers are in jail for minor non-violent crimes, further destroying families.
Black people do not need to change in any way to deserve equal justice. We need equal justice.