7 Things I Can Do That My Black Son Can’t Calvin HennickOctober 27, 2014 The writer with his son. Photo courtesy of Calvin Hennick. In the days after the Michael Brown shooting, I wrote an essay titled “I Hope My Son Stays White,” detailing my fears about what might happen to my biracial three-year-old son if he grows up to have dark skin. The upshot: America, to its shame, is still a place where black males are feared, and I don’t want that fear to turn itself on my son in a way that leads to his arrest or death. I published the piece on Ebony.com, and the reactions from black readers ranged from “sad but true” to allegations that I myself was engaging in the very racism and colorism that I was decrying. But buried among these was a comment from a white reader who accused me of “sucking up to black folk” and then went on to list the supposed advantages of being black in America. (Apparently, according to this reader, my son will have an unearned fast track to a career as an air traffic controller. Um, okay?) I can’t help but think that, if the essay had been published in an outlet with a larger white readership, many more commenters would have chimed in to deny the continued existence of racism. In my experience, white people (and straight people, and male people, and Christian people — all groups of which I’m a member) tend to dismiss the notion that we’re privileged. It’s an uncomfortable thing to acknowledge that you’re the recipient of unfair benefits, especially when those benefits are often nearly invisible to those who receive them. But when you’re a parent, those privileges stop being invisible. It’s the reason why male congressmen with daughters are more likely to support women’s issues. It’s the reason why Ohio Sen. Rob Portman suddenly declared his support for same-sex marriage after his son came out as gay. And it’s the reason why, everywhere I look, I see hassles that my son will have to face that I don’t. Here’s a partial list of things I can take for granted, but which will likely be problematic for my son: 1. I Can Walk Through a Store Without Being Followed To take one high-profile instance, Macy’s and the city of New Yorkrecently settled with actor Robert Brown, who was handcuffed, humiliated, and accused of committing credit card fraud after buying an expensive watch at the store. I never have to worry about this happening to me. 2. I Can Succeed Without It Being Attributed to My Race When my wife, who is black, received her acceptance letter from Boston College, a peer told her she must have gotten in due to affirmative action, effectively ruining the experience of receiving the letter. When I succeed, people assume I’ve earned it. 3. I Learned About My Ancestors’ History in School I can tell you all about Louis XIV, Socrates, and the Magna Carta, but I always wondered when we would finally learn about African history (beyond Pharaohs and pyramids). The subject never came up. 4. I Can Lose My Temper in Traffic Once, an acquaintance who got into a confrontation while driving told me how scared she was of the other driver, describing him as a “big black guy.” When I get heated, no one attributes it to my race. 5. I Can Loiter in Wealthy Neighborhoods No one has ever called the cops on me to report a “suspicious person.” My wife can’t say the same. 6. I Can Complain About Racism When I point out that black people are incarcerated at alarming rates, or largely forced to send their children to underperforming schools, or face systemic discrimination when searching for jobs and housing, no one accuses me of “playing the race card.” 7. I Can Count on Being Met on My Own Terms If I’m being treated poorly, I don’t stop and think about whether it’s due to my race. But unless we somehow make a giant leap forward, my son will always have to wonder. Recently, I became a father for the second time. My daughter, only three months old, will grow up to face many of the same challenges as my son, on top of the extra ones that come with being a woman: the struggle for equal pay, the catcalling, the constant threat of sexual assault. I don’t want to give my children a complex about all of this, but I can’t wish these problems away, either. I can’t eliminate all the unfair hurdles that exist in the world. I can only do my best to raise kids who are able to jump over them.
More horseshit, from the king of it. Nothing but an article from a man who is trying to absolve himself of his responsibility of being a good parent and teaching his kid to be a respectful, noble person rather than letting media be his parents so he grows up to be a thug. Dress decently, behave respectfully to authority and maybe you won't get stomped on by the police. But maybe you still will. There are bad police officers out there just as there are racial bullies who profile. If I had a black son, I'll bet he could walk the Baltimore Harbor district just fine, where I'd get my ass kicked if I made a peep. He could go to a Chris Rock show without being heckled. I couldn't - and Rock is my favorite comedian. Does that mean it's black privilege? As for history classes, there are history classes in Black history, African history etc. Do they teach them in grade school? No. Why? Because our country was founded by europeans, and the vast majority of the country's students still hail from that culture. You don't see the Asians all up in arms because we don't talk about Asian history. Well, that settles it. I'm convinced! Never heard someone referred to as "a big white guy"! Probably because you have never truly loitered. Go put a pair of ripped jeans and a denim shirt. Then stand under a light post smoking a cigarette at 11PM in some rich neighborhood. The cops will be there soon. Act like a loud uncultured jerk outside an upscale store and see what happens after long. No, because you're playing the narrative the liberals want you to, so they won't call you racist. But they'll call other blacks who believe that blacks have a responsibility to better themselves Uncle Tom's or racists. Look at what Charles Barkley is going through. Or Bill Cosby. He won't have to wonder if you don't enable him to believe he is different because he is black. If you let him grow up and constantly remind him how it's ok to fail, it's not his fault - it's because he's black! Or if you tell him that when he doesn't get made team captain, or doesn't get his job, it's because he's black, then you perpetuate the very cycle you claim you are against. You, dpgarland, and the original author of this article are both fucking nitwits.
Well said, that article was easy to rip apart piece by piece, but i just dont have the patience to deal with dbgarlands bs anymore, youre a better man than me i guess.
LOL That's the 2nd time in two days someone has said that to him. If we're not careful it's gonna go straight to his head.
Enlarge(Credit: ClarksvilleNow) Military officials this week removed a jarring display portraying the lynching of an African-American family on the lawn of an on-base home at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The display, apparently part of the home’s Halloween decorations, depicts two adults and one child hanging from a tree. A photo provided by ClarksvilleNow shows that one adult bore an illegible sign, while the child had a knife in its back. Another child appeared to try to help one of the adults. Brendalyn Carpenter, a spokeswoman for the Army base, said authorities removed the display after being alerted to an “offensive” Halloween decoration. “Displays of an offensive nature are not reflective of Army values and the family-friendly environment provided for employees and residents of the Fort Campbell community,” Carpenter said. She added that the resident of the home apologized for the display. The display refocuses attention on racism within the U.S. military, a problem that the Defense Department has redoubled efforts to address in recent years. As Reuters reported in 2012, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and skinheads have urged supporters to enlist in the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, arguing that joining the military will instill the skills and know-how required for what they consider an imminent race war. Luke Brinker
So some racist depicts a lynching, and gets shunned by 99.99% of white people and this has what to do with white priviledge?