I’m finding the discussions in this round of the meme to be particularly intriguing, because in every single conference session I’ve done on class, people in the audience (both white and people of color) stand up to argue that if we open the door to talking about class, whites will have an excuse to simply stop talking about race....
In contrast, the conversations on which I’ve eavesdropped this week are rich, frank, and complicated. Sample them here at Racialicious, The Apostate, What Tami Said, Postbourgie, Prometheus 6 and The Luscious Librarian
Are there other conversations about class and race out there this multi-faceted?
Still haven't gotten to the good stuff. You want to know why The Cosby Crusade is such a miserable failure? Class issues. I've explained this before, but only in the comments. Let's bring it into the open.
Cosby's advice doesn't touch that which those he is yelling at are most concerned about. Let me give you a metaphorical filter to explain why you should never mention Cosby's crusade to me again.
A rich man, a middle class man and a poor man are offered a free Christmas meal for their entire family. Each accepts, and here are their thoughts on the matter.
Poor man: Will there be enough? (because a free meal is a significant lightening of the load for his family)
Middle class man: Will we like it? (because his basic access to food is secure)
Rich man: Will it be well presented? (because he can't even remember being worried about liking it, much less having enough)
The Cosby Crusade is demanding that people who are worried about basic survival must present themselves well. The Cosby Crusade is not out to address a single issue of concern to those he's flexing on. It's not so much hostile or cruel as ignorant and useless.
Personal responsibility, free will and all, your position in society largely determines the challenges you face and the material you have at hand to deal with them.
Class issues. Oh, what a tangled mess we leave...
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Newsvine
Furl
Google
Yahoo
I'm Sorry, But...
Raising your children properly is not a matter of class. Rather, teaching your children to be polite, obey laws, and knowng that actions have consequences, is class neutral. That doesn't mean I agree with Cosby's mode, but some things just are "right" regardless of class.
Raising your children
Raising your children properly is not a matter of class. Rather, teaching your children to be polite, obey laws, and knowng that actions have consequences, is class neutral. That doesn't mean I agree with Cosby's mode, but some things just are "right" regardless of class.
You're assuming that people who don't have money have time to spend with their children imparting values. You're assuming they can not only impart these values (which they might or might not have as parents) but also send their kids to good schools in good neighborhoods with caring staff. You're assuming these kids, who are bitter about their disadvantages (as kids tend to be), will not fall in with the wrong crowd and who cares what their parents say.
You're also forgetting that a lot of "acting out" that kids do (thus getting categorized as ill-mannered or bratty or criminal or irresponsible) is a result of the resentment they feel over being disadvantaged -- so their poverty/class directly affects their behavior.
I wouldn't -- and didn't -- want to obey the laws of a country in which I felt disenfranchised, ignored, exploited and shafted. You know?
The lower your class is, the fewer options you've got. It shows in every aspect of your life.
Raising your children
Wanting to isn't. Being equipped to is...when both parents have to work to pay the bills, who is there to teach the kids?
Class issues.
Wanting to isn't. Being
Word.
*AHEM*
Sure I "assume" that because that's what my parents did. That's what family I have, now, who are not in the best of circumstances, are doing.
Excuse me, but when I "acted out," I got dealt with, QUICKLY. I knew the consequences of "acting out" and acted accordingly.
Here is what I was raised on:
I know these values were passed down from my great grandfather, who was a share cropper.
No, I won't, and can't, accept that excuse.
None of which changes the
None of which changes the fact that broke folks put survival ahead of appearances. When people are looking to eat and you tell them they have to dress well first they're not going to be happy with you.
I'm Lost
Now I'm lost
Yes, survival is put ahead of appearances, but knowing how to behave isn't appearances, it's good home training.
knowing how to behave isn't
If you can seriously write that, I can't explain.
I know these values were
Black people were not perfect then and they are not perfect now. Your great grandfather may have but at the same time somebody else's was not, for whatever reason. This idiot romanticism is just that: idiotic.
If nothing else, it's idiotic because of the idea that none of the negatives and disadvantages Blacks have faced are supposed to have any consequence on any Black person anywhere under any circumstances, for any reason because all Black people, and all Black families, are somehow supposed to be built alike - superhuman. Nothing is supposed to affect us.
So, yes. Let's talk about consequences and who has a problem dealing with them - i.e. the manifestation of consequences.