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And for those who think that we should forget hundreds of years of slavery and oppresion all because Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation need to understand something about our history.
Sure African-Americans were given their freedom back then...but not until the civil rights movement of the 60's were they even afforded the opportunity to move about freely in this country....and even then it wasn't safe to do so...and still really isn't to this day.
So it's not like it's actually been over 140 years since any of this shit mattered.
In fact racism is still a prevalent issue. And the need for diligence on everyone's part to stamp it out is far more important than you probably realize.
For instance in the early 1990's the Dallas housing authority was still segregating people based upon color. No that's not the 1890's that's, that's the 1990's.
A local lawyer actually had to go in and sue them to get this straightened out...and this was a government agency doing the segregating.
Poor black citizens were being sent to the "slums" in south and east Dallas, while poor white citizens were given housing in the fancier parts of north Dallas. Their kids were able to go to nicer schools, while black children were having to settle for the more troubled schools in the rougher parts of town.
That's just one small case and there are so many more.
Chris Rock made an excellent point during his concert
I'm paraphrasing here:
"there is not a single white guy in this audience who would trade places with me...and I'm rich"
He went on to say that there was probably a one legged white busboy who would say..."No thanks...I'm gonna ride this white thing out and see where it might take me."
And you know what...I'm man enough to say he's fucking right.
I don't think I could have the guts to swap skin color with him even for his wealth...not because I don't want to be black...but for the simple fact that irregardless of wealth he still has trouble getting a cab to pick him up in New York City, he still catches a weary look from middle class white women in the suburbs his life while alot easier now due to that wealth could have been a hell of a lot harder if he just didn't have the talent to obtain that wealth.
And I doubt anyone else here would have the guts to do it too.
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