Why is there still racism and sterotypes of African-Americans?
90173
the term african american is one problem.  why use a prefix?  trying to divide us into little groups instead of just all being americans is stupid. Besides, what ties do you have to africa besides ancestors from 600 years ago.  Enough already. the only ignorance is those who cant take a joke, are hurt by words, who are so insecure about their own race they cant live with the fact someone else may have a problem with you.  So what?  - stereo-type?  can you blame anyone for them? open your eyes and you wouldnt and shouldnt wonder why...
1109981
The politicians like to keep it stirred up to win votes from the ignorant. Because it was such an important thing in the past and so many politicians cannot seem to find anything forward-thinking to run on, they keep racism stirred up so they can have something to "solve" for you.\n\nWhen all Americans can tell them to take a hike and ignore the rhetoric, we'll be waaaay ahead.
1169130
When you aren't really white as you put it, you are more insecure and want to highlight your whiteness by downplaying anyone "less" white than you.  That goes for a lot of cultures that are not northern european yet still not african.  They try to distance themselves from black.  After all, who wants the plight of the African-American.  Also, "Traditional" implies less wordly, less educated, so you'd tend to be more racist.  Racism and ignorance are correlated.
1107563
True, I agree.  Blacks like to have special treatment and are always screaming 'discrimination' even though it does not exist.  When is the last time you heard an Asian, Caucasian, or Hispanic screaming 'discimination'?  It does not happen.  The majority of blacks are looking for a free ride and try to get this free ride through sympathy.  This is the only way they know how to operate.  If blacks want to be respected in this country, they need to earn their own respect (clean up their neighborhoods, teach their children good morals, etc).  Other races do not respect the black race as they are always complaining about some B/S discimination or spouting off about some other B/S instead of putting their heads down and earning themselves a good living and to teach their own community members the same.
633218
Agreed. It seems like it's the "minorities" that sometimes keep the racism alive. I don't have a problem at all if someone is a different color or whatever, but it does bother me if they use it as a crutch. What really annoys me is when some people are so proud of being "black" that they emphasis the fact with the whole, "Mmm, girlfriend. I dunno wud up wit chew sistah..." kind of stupid accent. I mean, if they want to be treated like equals, they need to start acting like equals. Morgan Freeman was asked how we can end racism, and he replied, "Stop talking about it." meaning, stop talking about us vs them, or white vs black, anything like that.\n\nIt also kind of annoys me when some people get offended about getting called "black". I remember seeing a survey once in Time where they asked people some question and then had the answer by race. They had "African American" down, and then they just had "white". It just struck me as oddly ironic.\n\nBut yeah, mainly what bothers me is when people make themselves look ignorant when they start getting all ghetto or whatever.\n\nTo quote a friend of mine, "I don't have anything against people with different colored skin than mine, I just hate black people."
1100187
Ah, the age old question of discrimination.\n\nNow I know that you didn't think that you would be able to post such a question on Yahoo Answers and get a sincerely honest answer, did you?\n\nFor those of you who don't know or walk around with blinders on, racism still exists. A friend of mine and I were recently talking about racism. The irony of this is the fact that he is white, gay, republican and a reformed racist. (At my insistance, well at least that's what he tells me.) He had a very hard time being my friend because he was raised to believe that all black people were, well you know the n-word and all the negative connotations therein. He admitted it, yes he was raised that way by his father. The same man who abused and hurt him taught him to hate people of color. They moved way out into a rural area just to get away from minorities. Sad, but true. \n\nWell anyway, he told me that racism hasn't gone anywhere. (I kind of already knew that.) He said that it has just become no longer politically correct or socially acceptable to behave in a racist fashion in public. He told me that people still use the "N-word" when no one is around, and that the things that "the man" does to keep the black man down have become more sophisticated. This is true. Why is it that African American infants have the highest infant mortality rate in a modernized country? 9.3 infant deaths per 1,000 births. \n\nThe answer to why people discriminate against African Americans and Puerto Ricans is simple. Someone has to be at the bottom, in order for there to be a top. Eventually, money will be the factor that separates us. It will be the rich and the poor. But in the meantime it will be color, because as I have stated time and time again, people of color will never assimilate into the mainstream culture.
819385
I think that people tend to be less racist than they were in hate past but it still exist in smaller areas where there is not a diversity in race.Most people today do not see race as an issue while some don't believe in interracial relationships and others hate people of other races it is something that I don't think will ever completely go away but has improved over the past 20 years.
581059
What I'm about to say isn't necessarily fact. It is my opinion or rather my speculation. I don't have a correct answer. \n\nIf you think about it, being a minority has a lot to do with it. In a social environment, if were all equals, than why does the name "black people" exist? Aren't we all people? Why do we need to distinguish each other physically, other than to tell one person from the next?\n\nGo back to the time of slavery and into the sixties when Martin Luthor King, Jr. was making history. Those with african heritage have been opressed in the passed and to a certain extent now. Culturally, socially, there have been stereo types put upon those with african decent and for them, it's hard to shake that reputation. If you're constantly exposed to, "you're black, you must listen to hip-hop, rap, r&b, you must be an athlete or gangster", how would you fair? A lot of modern day youth have a huge problem because of this. \n\nSuccessful African americans or African what ever country, are successful and/or rich for the very same reasons others are; They earned it or they inherited it. But because of the media and because of labels put upon them, their battle to the good life may be more difficult than groups that have not had such struggles in the past or are portrayed in a hopeless manner.\n\nThis ofcourse, pertains mostly to those who are in places outside of Africa but not exclusively, of course. Within Africa, every individual country has severe problems. Ranging from agricultural, religious, economical, and the list goes on.\n\nMy friend is Arabic. He's from Morocco. His wife and his siblings are all well educated. Yet, because of the economy there, and the lack of jobs, they can do nothing with their training. When they left their country, things began to improve for them. \n\nI remember a movie called, "Any Given Sunday", starring Jamie Fox and Al Pacino. In one scene, Willie Beaman (Fox), was doing a sports program interview in which he's talking about black people and their struggles for success. He says some thing along the lines of, "We're raised to not to work together. To look out for our selves". It wasn't exactly like this but that's basically what he said. It's true, however. Especially in western culture. A black man or woman is raised to be an individual, selfish to their own needs without concern for any one else. That's not to say that everyone is like that among African American roots or otherwise but certainly in a the media's portrayal of it.\n\nI've always thought, the media is the greatest psychological influence in the world. It has enormous power.\n\nThat's a little insight into my personal thoughts. By no means do I have the monopoly on the truth. I don't. I'm speculating. I haven't done any research. These are my own observations.
398523
Yes, I must say that hearing African-Americans, or Black People (whichever they prefer to be called) complain of racism, has grown quite tiresome - like to the point where it's embarassingly laughable.  \n\nBeing of bi-racial ancestry (which includes an ethnic minority), myself, I have experienced all sorts of racism, but none has been so bitingly memorable as that I have experienced from A.Americans, or Black People.  \n\nIt is a little known fact that there are a lot of A.Americans/Black People who are doing their fair share to perpetuate all sorts of negative stereotypes, racism, hatred, and ignorance amongst THEMSELVES.  I find that completely deplorable. It's rather frightening, really, because a race that hates itself will, in all probability, eventually destroy itself.  There should be more strength and unity among this specific race of people, if for no other reason than the preservation of historical, traditional, cultural, developmental, educational, occupational, and spiritual values, instead of generating fodder for embarassing crime statistics.  \n\nThere are places in the United States, where crime in ethnically populated, or "urban" areas, is so out of control that the local law enforcement and/or government has little to no interest in taking any steps toward protecting those citizens or making any effort to reduce criminal activity in areas such as this because the residents of such neighborhoods are only menacing, terrorizing, stalking, molesting, assaulting, raping, robbing, and killing EACH OTHER.  \n\nI believe the self-destructive behavior, and INTRA-RACIAL HATRED of A.Americans/Black People is probably at the root of this problem in our society today...  \n\nSo yes, I DO feel that "the race card" (to use the parlance of our times) HAS been abused by A.Americans/Black People, because I know that as people, they cannot seriously expect anyone to respect their views, values, and ideas until they can begin to demonstrate solidarity amongst themselves.  It's unfortunate to say that, but I think it's true.
506286
People can be brainwashed to become racist.  Their ignorance clouds their thoughts and they take it out on other groups. Some people use sterotypes to generalize about other races.  It is a shame.  \n\nAmerica is a melting pot and sometimes conflicts between groups arise.
615632
Yes, African-Americans can be racist. \nHowever, it is my firm belief that white people are the superior domination of this planet.(this is not meant to be racist)This means there are more white people than any other nationality in the world, Japan/China is second. \nThere are many other races and all of them are capable of racism even the dominating "species" can be racist. \nIt is unfortunate that racism exists. But it does and once taught, it stays with us and gets passed down.\nRacism has been around since the dawn of man, NO ONE is immune to it. \nWe have all experienced racism once or twice(if not more) in our life. \nI am only one person out of the trillions of people who live on this planet. \nI DO NOT discrimate anyone, and I do not tolerate racism. \nI am only one person, but anyone who try to put thier racism on me will be PUT IN THIER PLACE!!!\nWe are all beautiful, no matter what color we are. We are all unique and special. NO one has the right to judge/discrimate anybody. \nI don't want to be like the others who maybe racist. I choose to be different and love mankind as a whole, NOT based on color. \nPS...Whatever your nationality is being african-american, caucasion, etc. we should cherish our heritage and be proud of who we are and were we came from!! \nGod Bless America and all the other nations of this Earth!!\nHope this helped answer your question.
1176382
The racism I see happening most often is reverse racism. This is very much the media's doing and parents teaching their children hatred. There is never mention of the white people that fought and died to end slavery in this country. There weren't just families that lost loved ones on the battle ground but people that were part of the underground railroad and people that spoke out and risked everything in doing so. Through the years I have seen black people express hatred for whites because of slavery and their own ancestry. I am not saying there isn't more to fuel the fire...I am saying  slavery is the first thing mentioned.  Because of the sacrifice many made to end it there should be some sort of honor for them from the black community...but there is not. The end of slavery is celebrated as if not one white man died for it or gave a limb. Some blacks hate all whites as if all were the descendants of slavers instead of liberators. Whole family lines were wiped out in a war to abolish slavery and keep a country united. Why the hatred now? Where is the balance? Where is the truth? Why does the media want to fan the flames of bitterness. Why can't there be reconciliation now?
271315
I'm white and I've actually been told that I couldn't have any problems by more than one race. The only thing I can say, is that good and bad comes in all of God's colors as well as narrow minds. God gave us choice and sometimes people chose to believe what is easist to belive in order to release themselves of all responsibilty to a current situation or life situation. The other thing is that you are actually perpetuating the cycle by making a blanket statement. I do not have to be black to know in my heart, that not all black people think this way even though I did experenced exactly what you're talking about.
800264
i have realized this, just like if we had white history month we would be racist, or white entertainment television. it's obviously a double standard. i also think it's funny that a lof of back people call themselves african americans when they were born and raised here, have never been to africa and neither have their parents. i dont walk around saying i am german american. there are sooo many double standards it's un-real.
596771
How do you define "still alive and very huge?"  Yes, there is still a lot of prejudice around, but compared to just 50 years ago, it is NOT huge.  Instead, I'd say that there is a strong, yet hidden undercurrent of prejudice in some communities.\n\nThis too will change.  It takes more than 50 years for a culture to change that much.  With each new generation, we get further away from the "whites only" signs of the 50's.  \n\nBut I do feel there are two reasons prejudice will always be with us in one form or another.\n\nFeeling superior.\nThis was said to me (by someone who never could hold down a job or make ends meet) when I asked if he could afford the rent where he was moving.\n"What do you think? I'm not like those muchachos from the other side of the tracks who doesn't even TRY to pay their bills!"\ntranslation; I may be a loser but I'm not as a big of a loser as THOSE people!\n\nShortcut\nI takes a while to know who is honest & who isn't, who is a hard worker & who isn't, etc.\nPrejudice allows people to think they can look at someone & have a short cut to knowing those important things. \n\n\nI suspect a lot of the prejudice blacks face today isn't racism in the strict sense. It's not prejudice against the race, as much as the culture. In other words, "it's OK to be black as long as you walk, talk & act white." It's still prejudice. \n\nExample: A black with a strong black dilect will be treated very differently from one who talks "white."\n(I'm not talking about bad grammer, just different phonetics.)\n\nI think of Jeff Foxworthy's joke "People hear this accent & want to automatically deduct 20 IQ points." How many IQ points do you think get deducted from someone with a black dialect?
329430
Because no matter what country, what race, or what situation, there will always be racists. Please remember that most Americans are not racist. I think the problem is that all of us who accept people for whomever they are don't walk up and tell you how much we accept it, because it doesn't occur to us that it would stand out as a problem to someone else. The racists are very vocal and will try to make you feel bad. I'm sorry you get treated this way.
581723
Because there are still people living in the past and refuse to really think for themselves.  The educational system wasnt able to teach such people so racism will continue.  Just dont let it affect your life and the way you think or carry yourself.  And yes we all should have the same opportunity at success but its up to you to claim it regardless of the racism this time and age.