Have we made ANY progress in race relations in the last 60 years?

Have we made ANY progress in race relations in the last 60 years?

I believe that most anyone can pick-and-choose examples on either side of this question to support their case. There are plenty of individual examples on either side. That's not helpful.

In an overall sense, in regards to race relations, where do we stand in 2016 compared to where we stood in 1956?

There are so many nuances to this question, but there is one glaring difference between then and now... a black President would have been simply unthinkable in 1956. Today, it's reality, and *most* people seem fine with it, to the point of it not really being an issue. I mean, even Ben Carson has decent popularity until his inner whack-jobness started peeking through, but I believe his downfall was more him and his really bizarre thoughts, not his race.

What think you?

Note: I'm purposely leaving it as a simple "yes/no" question in the poll.

radcen said:

Have we made ANY progress in race relations in the last 60 years?

I believe that most anyone can pick-and-choose examples on either side of this question to support their case. There are plenty of individual examples on either side. That's not helpful.

In an overall sense, in regards to race relations, where do we stand in 2016 compared to where we stood in 1956?

There are so many nuances to this question, but there is one glaring difference between then and now... a black President would have been simply unthinkable in 1956. Today, it's reality, and *most* people seem fine with it, to the point of it not really being an issue. I mean, even Ben Carson has decent popularity until his inner whack-jobness started peeking through, but I believe his downfall was more him and his really bizarre thoughts, not his race.

What think you?

Note: I'm purposely leaving it as a simple "yes/no" question in the poll.

Click to expand...

It's like you said, the fact the president is black proves the US is much better off than in 1956. Sure, things could be much better, but if you compare the problems some black people complain about today :

Black problems today

List Of Demands, University Of Missouri :

V. We demand that by the academic year 2017*2018, the University of Missouri increases the

percentage of black faculty and staff campus*wide to 10%.

Click to expand...

Black problems 1965

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selma_to_Montgomery_marches

We can safely say things are much better today.

Cisero said:

It's like you said, the fact the president is black proves the US is much better off than in 1956. Sure, things could be much better, but if you compare the problems some black people complain about today :

<snipped for brevity>

We can safely say things are much better today.

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Right. I do not mean to imply that things are perfect now, or that racial issues no longer exist, or that we should stand pat. There are improvements still to be made, absolutely. But, I'm hearing a lot of rhetoric (here and in the so-called 'real world') that suggests nothing has gotten better. I have also noticed that many people who act this way tend to be younger and may not have the life experience or perspective to know.

I voted No but an explanation is needed. We're not seeing lynchings anymore but I still think there's a problem in how blacks and whites see each other and I think that's because we're trying too hard to fix a problem and that's causing resentment.

I voted yes because the 1964 Civil Rights Act was a huge step forward.

But this nation does still have a long ways to go.

I hope and believe that eventually the USA will get there but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

radcen said:

Have we made ANY progress in race relations in the last 60 years?

I believe that most anyone can pick-and-choose examples on either side of this question to support their case. There are plenty of individual examples on either side. That's not helpful.

In an overall sense, in regards to race relations, where do we stand in 2016 compared to where we stood in 1956?

There are so many nuances to this question, but there is one glaring difference between then and now... a black President would have been simply unthinkable in 1956. Today, it's reality, and *most* people seem fine with it, to the point of it not really being an issue. I mean, even Ben Carson has decent popularity until his inner whack-jobness started peeking through, but I believe his downfall was more him and his really bizarre thoughts, not his race.

What think you?

Note: I'm purposely leaving it as a simple "yes/no" question in the poll.

Click to expand...

Of course things have gotten better. We have a black POTUS. That alone shows that we've come a long way. Not near as many people are racist as they once were. The KKK and White Supremacy advocates are pretty much generally frowned upon by at LEAST 80% of the population. A far cry different than it was in 1956. I think that the biggest thing that we have to worry about now a days is making sure that minorities are treated fairly in our justice system and to start frowning upon the race baiters that are quite frankly making things backslide into the "worse" zone again. People like Al Sharpton, David Duke, Janet Murguia, etc etc should be shunned from all public speaking venues. Unfortunately since they're apparently charismatic enough to have enough followers we may see it get worse again before it gets better again.

Frankly I can't wait until all races have been bread out and we're all one color (brown). Can't have racism then. Though I'm sure some other form of bigotry will replace it.

radcen said:

Have we made ANY progress in race relations in the last 60 years?

I believe that most anyone can pick-and-choose examples on either side of this question to support their case. There are plenty of individual examples on either side. That's not helpful.

In an overall sense, in regards to race relations, where do we stand in 2016 compared to where we stood in 1956?

There are so many nuances to this question, but there is one glaring difference between then and now... a black President would have been simply unthinkable in 1956. Today, it's reality, and *most* people seem fine with it, to the point of it not really being an issue. I mean, even Ben Carson has decent popularity until his inner whack-jobness started peeking through, but I believe his downfall was more him and his really bizarre thoughts, not his race.

What think you?

Note: I'm purposely leaving it as a simple "yes/no" question in the poll.

Click to expand...

Race relations are easily better than they have ever been in the history of the US and certainly in my life time. This is glaringly obvious.

The issues are the nutters, extremists and media .. not actual race relations.

the nutters and the people (of ALL races) that do have a problem with race are in a panic, they know racism is shrinking more than ever and their views are found more repulsive than ever and they are lashing out

Yes. We've made progress in the last 60 years.
But as long as there is diversity there shall be prejudice.

Massive progress, but there's still work to do.

Anyone who votes "no" is full of it.

Look on the bright side, I can whistle at a white woman and the worst that could happen is be branded a misogynist.

I don't consider intentionally harming whites while giving special privilege to minorities to be progress. And we're now at the point that we can't even be honest about real problems like lack of Hispanic immigrant assimilation or black crime. I wouldn't call denial of reality progress either.

radcen said:

What think you?

Click to expand...

Objectively, yes.

But the excesses of race pimps like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, plus absurd demands by radicals for "reparations" and the like, seem to have motivated individuals to express increasingly racist-seeming things.

Further, those same excesses have created a situation where it is increasingly likely that if you suggest a racial component to anything, X number of people will chime in and accuse of "playing the race card".

That has further involved into what I call "playing the 'race card' card", which is when someone intending to make a statement they know is borderline (or completely) bigoted, will announce in advance that people will just call them a bigot for saying it. They have pre-emptively accused any critics of playing the race card, simultaneously excusing themselves from introspection and inviting other like-minded borderline individuals to say their own nonsense.

Any fundamentalism is bad. The rise of Islamic fundamentalism and terror has added a new element: the comfy attribution of the evil terrorist acts of a few to an entire population of 1,500,000,000-2,000,000,000..... .....something those making the attribution would never do to their own kind. (For example: Dylan roof didn't represent white people, nor Christians. He was a lone wolf. But a muslim terrorist...well..that's the fault of muslims in general. )




Basically, we're backsliding. And it's the fault of over-compensators on both sides.

Centrehalf said:

I voted No but an explanation is needed. We're not seeing lynchings anymore but I still think there's a problem in how blacks and whites see each other and I think that's because we're trying too hard to fix a problem and that's causing resentment.

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This is a key point here. No one wants to listen to each other. The conversation always leads off with "let me tell you what is wrong with you" and nothing constructive comes out of it because neither side will admit any fault.

Kal'Stang said:

Of course things have gotten better. We have a black POTUS. That alone shows that we've come a long way. Not near as many people are racist as they once were. The KKK and White Supremacy advocates are pretty much generally frowned upon by at LEAST 80% of the population. A far cry different than it was in 1956. I think that the biggest thing that we have to worry about now a days is making sure that minorities are treated fairly in our justice system and to start frowning upon the race baiters that are quite frankly making things backslide into the "worse" zone again. People like Al Sharpton, David Duke, Janet Murguia, etc etc should be shunned from all public speaking venues. Unfortunately since they're apparently charismatic enough to have enough followers we may see it get worse again before it gets better again.

Frankly I can't wait until all races have been bread out and we're all one color (brown). Can't have racism then. Though I'm sure some other form of bigotry will replace it.

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Also, don't let media outlets off the hook as well. I personally believe that they have done far more damage than any of those individuals.

Van Basten said:

Massive progress, but there's still work to do.

Anyone who votes "no" is full of it.

Look on the bright side, I can whistle at a white woman and the worst that could happen is be branded a misogynist.

Click to expand...

Some of us white women still appreciate a good wolf whistle.

rcart76 said:

Also, don't let media outlets off the hook as well. I personally believe that they have done far more damage than any of those individuals.

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Yeah, missed them. Sorry about that. You're absolutely correct that they may very well have done more damage than any of those individuals. They do give these guys a platform after all plus their own propaganda machine being used to make money.

Kal'Stang said:

Yeah, missed them. Sorry about that. You're absolutely correct that they may very well have done more damage than any of those individuals. They do give these guys a platform after all plus their own propaganda machine being used to make money.

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SPOT ON !!!!! :bravo: