Redline - District Of Minnesota: Fill & Download for Free

Informally and socially, yes. Heck, there was a small amount of discrimination and even informal segregation of Asians against whites back then, such as bi racial Bruce Lee having fallout from teaching martial arts to non Chinese about 1964. Or white man walking in the park in Diamond Bar, California — the police (not Asian generally) will often hassle you, blacks more so. Monterey Park (LA) is not that different even today as we write/read. Could a white guy live in SF Chinatown back then? I have no idea, but sort of doubt it.About Asians, legally, not too much by 1960’s, and only indirectly or by immigration restrictions pre 1965. By this point, it became clear that Asians, particularly North East Asians, were pretty able, not a threat excepting those living under communism (as were white Soviets), and quite a few servicemen were marrying them, settling down to families without big troubles. Even in Mississippi, segregated schools had long since disappeared for Asians (about 1945 I think, posted below), and all of the non southern states allowed Asian/other marriages.It also depended upon your status. Some, like the aging Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee likely had no problems at all, being well connected to society and focusing upon the Chinese community anyway.Some restrictive covenants in the South, and to a degree elsewhere, were paraded in front of the prospective buyer by sleazy real estate people, though such had lost all legal right by the Supreme Court in 1948 or so. Not sure of the laws in all southern states, but in Texas Chinese could marry whites (but not in California as recently as 1946 or so, and this meant Wah Chang - Wikipedia who did Bambi, Pinocchio, and many Star Trek props could marry his beloved Glenn in her native Texas). Massachusetts first prohibited mixed white/other marriages in 1783, the same year they outlawed slavery, one of the first of the latter and the first state law against such unions in the union (US).Also, even today “As at September 9, 2019, eight states required couples to declare their racial background when applying for a marriage license, without which they cannot marry. The states are Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Virginia, New Hampshire and Alabama. As of September 9, 2019, the Virginia law was being challenged in court.” So you have to list yourself as non white, and maybe some states still have something of the one drop rule. I doubt it, and likely only a quarter or more background is necessary to state in the worst case, and one could lie in certain circumstances of appearance I suppose, and finally most certainly if it does not make a difference to your potential spouse the issue is irrelevant. Anti-miscegenation laws in the United States - WikipediaIt was never as bad as the general Black situation during the 20th Century, though at times a person could marry a Black but not an Asian, as recalled in some Pacific Coast states, the WWII internments and 1930 Watsonville riot aside. By 1960, most had drained away outside of the real estate business.In places informal discrimination is part of the US today for Asians, and every other group (including Whites, again, in places), as is the case the world over. In some countries (Ghana, I think), it was illegal for a white person to own property as of about 25 years ago. I, as a caucasian, found it difficult to find a rental in Taiwan, despite having a translator, due to the unsavory reputation of that group in said country, and of course the cultural issues.Washington State, California, and Oregon were easily some of the highest organized segregationists and discriminators against Asians, even more that in the South in places just after WWII. The Mountain States were also fairly strong sometimes, but nothing on average as much as that.In the informal segregation and discrimination, housing looms large. The housing agents, landlords, banks were a large part of this, and some may have even been part of extreme groups, well beyond the Chamber of Commerce that is.In Oregon, the last legal vestiges apparently were the the Public Accommodation Law in public facilities in 1953. The anti Black Oregon State Constitution was only repealed in 1925 List of Oregon ballot measures - Wikipedia “Repeal of Free Negro and Mulatto Section of the Constitution” by a 62.52% majority. This was an intentional oversight, though null by the 1865Black Exclusion Laws in Oregon “Incorporated into the Bill of Rights, the clause prohibited blacks from being in the state, owning property, and making contracts. Oregon thus became the only free state admitted to the Union with an exclusion clause in its constitution.”“The clause was never enforced, although several attempts were made in the legislature to pass an enforcement law. The 1865 legislature rejected a proposal for a county-by-county census of blacks that would have authorized the county sheriffs to deport blacks. A Senate committee killed the last attempt at legislative enforcement in 1866. The clause was rendered moot by the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, although it was not repealed by voters until 1926. Other racist language in the state constitution was removed in 2002.”The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1872 or so, but finally passed in Oregon in 1959, as a symbolic change of face.Oregon Remove Constitutional References to Race, Measure 14 (2002) - Ballotpedia by a 71.14% majority. That is a state measure, not US amendment, by the way.So, it was better to some degree, most certainly by the 1960’s Asians were comparably very well off.The Racist History of Portland, the Whitest City in America——————————————————————————————Just found this about Washington State: Alien Land Laws and White SupremacyAlien land laws - Wikipedia and it was officially repealed only circa 1962 in Washington State, apparently. “1923 - The 1921 law is expanded to prevent the U.S.-born children of immigrants from holding land in trust for their parents.””Fujii v. California (1952) — The Supreme Court ruled that California's 1920 Alien Land Law, and others like it, violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. “Again, want to move to a white neighborhood? There were Restrictive covenants in many neighborhoods. Covenant (law) - Wikipedia along racial lines were not enforceable by the early 1960’s and flat out illegal in 1968 (Fair Housing Act). Especially in the South, these were used to scare people away, and if the hint was not taken one would take it off the market (and put it back on the market soon as you leave).I think in some states, it was made illegal to put in such items in the court house deed, and certainly was for everyone in the US post 1968. It was likely still going on well past 1968, when the Vice President Agnew called a Japanese American reporter a “fat Jap”, wink, wink, nod, nod, as unmentioned restrictive covenants are still going on, though rarely against Asians and more often for political and possibly religious divides.Even if you find a place willing to sell to an Asian, better have cash as Redlining - Wikipedia was common. And the neighbors would come down on the seller hard, often the entire section of state in sneaky ways. This had fallen away by the 1960’s, especially with mixed marriages where a former or current service man married while stationed in Asia, but was a consideration.(The bit on running freeways through their neighborhoods also happened brutally to lower class white neighborhoods as well, though it greatly tended to be Italian, Eastern European, and such. Studs Terkel writes about this in the book Division Street. Adam Ruins Everything tends to be a bit too left wing for me, though hits the mark often and also included sources.)Wheel chair bound President FDR in the above video’s game, with the 1930’s New Deal banking situation, position was understandable. The Democrat Party then were a small, yet often wealthy minority of liberals (for equality), numerous conservative, racist Southern Democrats (much against equality), and a plurality of large urban city dwellers (almost as much against equality).—————————-For the most part, Asians had considerably more money than Blacks and Indians, and otherwise could have escaped to the suburbs. Not sure when it happened and where, but this changed in most places by 1960’s. Japanese tended to be the wealthiest, but WWII interfered with about a third of these living in the West Coast as they tended to lose almost everything if not that. In Seattle, one online article mentioned that the Japanese were still living in the Black and Indian areas, as well as the Chinese, all going to the same schools into the 1960’s.An exception to the money issue were Cadillacs. That car company had its luxury division pancaking in sales during the early Great Depression. A division manager who was about ready to lose his job thought he had nothing to lose at a board meeting.So he suggested selling the cars to Blacks, some of whom were using Whites to front for them in both the purchase and the service parts, just so they could have the pleasure of owning them. Otherwise, direct sales would not happen. The meeting finished with an agreement, as otherwise the entire division might die. It was a great success, and to this day the line is popular in that sector.The Man Who Saved The Cadillac‘Despite this official discrimination, Dreystadt had noted that an astonishing number of customers at the service departments consisted of members of the nation's tiny African-American elite:’I have no idea about Asians, though, in regards to cars. Sessue Hayakawa - Wikipedia liked big cars and fancy houses, but that was Hollywood and he was a leading star (a romantic idol, incredibly, which fueled racist backlash). My guess is no, as most Japanese in the west coast were farmers, not prone to spending even if having the money, as farmers in general normally are.Hawaiian Japanese were similar, being workers on their way up. One wealthy Japanese guy got leprosy and, IIRC, could no longer drive the expensive car he had shipped to Molokai Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement and National Historical Park - Wikipedia. A famous specialist doctor’s son, as recalled.He eventually lost his ability to control the car, and had a fellow detainee friend drive it while he gave directions, though there was only about a mile or two of roads on the isolated peninsula, hemmed in by tall mountains. Segregation in Hawaii was mutually wanted and generally not discriminatory, in the sense of only the poorest environments were available.In fact, that was a problem with Takeo Yoshikawa - Wikipedia or another spy of Pearl Harbor. One of them was interviewed years later, taking him back to Hawaii. Eventually recognized, Walter Cronkite recounted how they had to get him out in the next Japan Airlines flight as he was drunk and the other carriers would not take him. Anyway, in 1941, the spy mentioned simply found that the Japanese community had a meeting place which overlooked Pearl Harbor by coincidence, which he used to good effect.They were very mobile in Pearl and could pretty much live where ever, which was limited like all races since most of the islands were owned by very few people, usually missionary families who had often intermarried with non white Hawaiian royalty, and later Orientals so almost all of them are now mixed (A National Geographic article on Oahu had a picture of the clans meeting, and only one family was still 100% caucasian.) Even the famous Robinson family finally had one of the brothers marry a Japanese .These people did not sell and still own most of Oahu, all of Niihau island (Robinson family exclusively for 140 years now), etc. The huge Big Island Parker Ranch was owned by a very white looking guy, though they had married a royal way back at the founding. The ranch hands were Paniolo | Hawaiian cowboy, mixed Mexican and Hawaiian as recalled.San Francisco Chinatown was mostly owned by the Japanese pre Pearl Harbor. This switched completely post relocation, bought out on very favorable buying rates.——————————————-Washington State apparently never set a law (the original question details), though though it was attempted a couple of times in the 1930’s. Unofficial segregation there was the rule until the 1960’s in most bigger cities, enforced by dictated order AFAIK.Not sure how late the color bar was used in the South. I recall reading that by the 1960’s Chinese and especially Japanese were able to use ‘white’ facilities. In the South it was up to the local government and school district. Most or many from the earliest time apparently did allow Chinese to use white schools, but some did not.All accounts seen have that the situation steadily became better, until they became sort of honorary whites. Oddly, similar happened in South Africa, especially when one of the few fellow outcast nations was Taiwan, so Chinese had complete rights there, including the legal right of living where ever they wanted, with buying or renting successfully that is.When public drinking fountains were segregated with Whites Only and Blacks Only signs, where did the Asians, Latin@s, Native Americans, etc. drink? • r/AskHistoriansPreviously many Chinese were prevented from attending white schools. This seems to have led to a potential problem later after the refusal of a certain Miss who wanted to attend a Georgian school and was denied the chance. She later grew up to be arguably one of the most powerful women ever, Soong Mei-ling - Wikipedia. (Fact check please. She was in the area at that time going to school, as was her father some 25 years or so previously.)1927 Historic Gong Lum v. Rice Mississippi School Segregation CaseKeep in mind that Rosewood, that school district, was in the delta region, a highly stratified area with overwhelmingly Black majorities (although many areas were able to get rid of the KKK and lynchings, due to the land owners often being northerners.) The Lum family ended up moving from Mississippi, according to this fine article in the New Yorker: The Supreme Court Case That Enshrined White Supremacy in LawA book on it is Water Tossing BouldersWater Tossing Boulders also points out that in Mississippi a case a few years earlier, of a white family’s children being denied to attend public school as whites because, get this, their great aunts were rumored to have married non whites. Their great grandmother was also rumored to be black. This was dis-proven from census and other information.However, the state supreme court stood fast, with mere hearsay being used. The Mississippi governor (later a senator for 12 years) at the time was the proud KKK member Theodore G. Bilbo - Wikipedia. He later had a 1938 bill in congress to force all 13 million blacks to Africa, and in 1944 to force out the First Lady Mrs. Roosevelt to be their queen there. Dying of cancer, Congress finally refused to allow to seat him in a third term, a rare move, after he said he would always be a Klan member. Anyway, he might have influenced the courts, and certainly influenced the school boards, emboldening them to do whatever. You can’t make this stuff up.That book Water Tossing Boulders was fascinating, as it described the ins and outs of actual segregation of Asian students inside the school district, which was rather rare and apparently only in the deep South. I have heard it did in San Francisco. What Pacific Coast states did, maybe even in Hawaii, is redline districts which were heavily Asian/non white and do it that way — which effectively happens today regarding blacks mainly. In Monterey Park and Diamond Bar and Daly City (all Californian), Asians pay a lot to buy into the area, a reverse of the 1960’s when there probably was more pressure in the other direction outside a major city.Living Together, Learning Apart, which states that San Francisco has, by choice, 60% of the same race or ethnic group today (2014) in about a third of their public schools, about half of that being Asian. It is much more so still in the south, often 100% one group (usually black and public schools, as almost entirely white schools are usually private, and do not get federal non profit status if not allowing some mixing).The same is true for most cities in the US, Chicago especially, unless busing is used, which does not work apparently, anyway.Chicagoland Schools: For Blacks, the Most Segregated in the CountryOne of the things that some folks learned during the strike, as I learned during a trip through the Capitol Fax comments , is the extremely low percentage of white students in Chicago Public Schools. It's not terribly unusual for big-city schools, but nine percent did come as a surprise to many, even people who follow politics and civic issues closely. Today the New York Times (via Corey Robin ) has a piece on a new report about segregation in public schools around the country . Some of it should sound familiar: Segregation of Latino students is most pronounced in California, New York and Texas. The most segregated cities for blacks include Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Philadelphia and Washington. “Extreme segregation is becoming more common,” said Gary Orfield, an author of the report who is co-director of the Civil Rights Project. Going deeper into the report puts "most segregated" in more context. For instance, their data on the percentage of black students in minority schools, broken down by metro area. The highest percentage of black students in 50-100 percent minority schools is Los Angeles, at 94.1; Chicago ranks sixth. If you narrow that to 90-100 percent, Chicago is number one, at 71.8—meaning that 70 percent of all black students in the Chicago area attend schools that are over 90 percent minority. Narrowing it further to 99-100 percent, 48.5 percent of black students in Chicagoland—half, essentially—attend schools with basically full minority enrollment. That's a level of extreme segregation ahead of even Detroit-Livonia-Warren, at 47.9 percent. New York-Newark-Edison is third, but at a mere 31.4 percent. Only Los Angeles also tops 30 percent. Chicago-area schools also top the "dissimilarity" index for black and white students: "a handful of areas experienced extreme school segregation (dissimilarity index score of higher than .70)," a score that indicates 70 percent of that population would have to move in order to achieve even racial distribution. Chicago is at .79 for black-white dissimilarity, the highest, and it's also the highest for black-Asian, black-Latino, and Asian-Latino, and fourth-highest in white-Latino. By geographic segregation, Chicagoland schools are essentially the most segregated in the country. One of the key points the authors make in the study is that, while public-school enrollment overall has become more diverse, mostly due to Latino immigration (and the baby boom that followed), that hasn't been the case on the school level. 40 years ago white students made up 80 percent of public-school students; they're now a bare majority. And yet: [L]evels of school segregation are deepening for black and Latino students, according to two segregation indices that rely upon the racial composition of schools. According to these indicators, the average black and Latino student has experienced rising concentration in 50-100% and 90-100% minority schools, declining exposure to white students, and persistent disproportiohttps://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/september-2012/chicagoland-schools-for-blacks-the-most-segregated-in-the-country/Yet this is voluntary. (Many southern states even allow you to go to school in a district your parents own property in, so people by a few square inches as a loophole, or something like that.) My point is that in 1960’s, the effect would have been stronger for Asians. Why do many Asians prefer to stay together, often in the same ethnic group? Intermarriage might be one issue, as it becomes much less raised in one of those enclaves, still is an issue today. For example, Japanese Americans on average are marrying outside the race, I have read and heard.By 1931 or so, even in the deepest Delta this slowly slipped away, first with separate schools for Asians and then by 1945 integration everywhere as recalled (for Asians in Mississippi). But there may have been holdouts by 1960, especially informally.Keep in mind that Mississippi only in 1995, the state symbolically ratified the Thirteenth Amendment, which had abolished slavery in 1865. Though ratified 25 years ago, the state never officially notified the U.S. archivist, which kept the ratification unofficial until 2013, when Ken Sullivan contacted the office of Secretary of State of Mississippi, Delbert Hosemann, who agreed to file the paperwork and make it official. Mmm, 2013 to abolish slavery, at least technically (only 75% of states need to agree to make it an amendment, so the issue is symbolic).The first time since the Reconstruction that Republicans controlled the legislature and governorship some 140 years before was pm 2012. the year before. Or that neighboring Alabama until 1966 FACT CHECK: Did a State Democratic Party Logo Once Feature the Slogan 'White Supremacy'?”‘In 1835, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, “The prejudice of race appears to be stronger in the states that have abolished slavery than in those where it still exists; and nowhere is it so intolerant as in those states where servitude has never been known.” Which is very true back then, and to some degree even now. Towns are very segregated still in the north as well as the south, though technically by way of money.Still, the most outrageous acts were about the South, primarily regarding Black people: “In 1930, the city of Birmingham made it illegal for a black person and a white person to play dominoes or checkers together. In 1932, Atlanta prohibited amateur baseball clubs of different races from playing within two blocks of each other. In 1935, Oklahoma required the separation of races when fishing or boating.”Mountain states were better by that time for Asians, though many not for Blacks. http://stereocandies.blogspot.com/2013/12/nichelle-nichols-dark-side Beyond Uhura, pg 74–76 -of-moon-1974.html (not true — it was in the 1950’s according to her biography, ). Nichols, Uhura on Star Trek, had a night club sponsor — a white who made his fortune in the Alaskan mines — amazed as well, as absolutely no one would let her have a hotel or motel room in a Mormon state, only based upon her ethnic background.Finally an Italian couple agreed. “She’s colored.” ‘Well, what color is she?’ “American and negro” ‘If she doesn’t mind Italians, she is welcome.’ “It would be well into the sixties before integration came to Salt Lake City.” Black people and Mormon priesthood - Wikipedia (prohibited until 1978) .Las Vegas casinos were also barred to Blacks Is there racism in Las Vegas?, but again apparently not Asians much by that point. A Japanese American Wendy Yoshimura - Wikipedia in the SLA was hiding from the FBI with Patty Hearst in North Eastern Pennyslvania and received numerous racist taunts in 1973 in the rural area, so it still happened. Wingshooters author claims 1960 racism growing up as a biracial Asian child in rural Wisconsin, apparently due to the Vietnam War.Back to Madame Chang:What a 71-Year-Old Article by Madame Chiang Kai-Shek Tells Us About China TodayInteresting that she died only 14 years ago in 2003 at New York City, aged 103 years old.Also keep in mind also that modest numbers Filipinos have been in the South for a long time, initially at least since the 1700’s and seem to have been accepted more than either Indians or Blacks, some possibly in the ARW at country founding and many serving in the forces of the US army during the War of 1812, albeit in an area of US with as much French (Napoleonic Code & Parishes) as Anglo influence, thus more tolerant generally to Asians in particular:Manila Village - Wikipedia=========================Although the first Filipino arrived in California in the 16th Century**, “the first documentation of a Filipino residing in California did not occur until 1781, when Antonio Miranda Rodriguez was counted in the census as a "chino". Demographics of Filipino Americans - Wikipedia**1587, in Morro Bay, California, by San Luis Obispo.Filipinos were first-to America - INQUIRER.net USA“Nuestra Senora de Esperanza, comandered by Pedro de Unamuno - Wikipedia”, this being 33 years before the Mayflower and about the same time as the failed Roanoke Colony - Wikipedia . He was just a crewman, I guess, and the English might have visited what is now America in the times of the chartered boat with the last 1497 voyage with John Cabot - Wikipedia (which apparently disappeared, the second one reaching Newfoundland).Still, and interesting detail of how far back it went. Discrimination was not so pronounced until later, of course. My grandfather was a front man for a group of Filipino businessmen in East Los Angeles. By law they had to keep their wives in Baja, unless they were Mexican which then they could move up to Los Angeles. Funny thing was that when they came, Philippines was a colony of the US.———————————————————————-When living near Tacoma in the 1970’s, neighbors of ours were Filipino. He went to Guam from the islands for a few weeks labor contract circa 1952, almost immediately got drafted to Korea, and spent about 8 years in the US Army. Ike’s son reviewed his group in a successful LAWS shot, so he got a medal. Not sure when he got citizenship, but his son became a city councilor of Marysville, the first Asian if recalled correctly.But this was out a ways from the suburbs, near a small Indian reservation, and I think they moved in about 1965. There were only 10 homes on that stretch back then.It was fantastic, on a then quiet road with Mt. Rainier in the background and huge trees (now logged). There should not have ever been restrictions then or any other time, probably, so far from town.———————————————————in WWII, the Japanese were forcibly prevented from moving back to the counties they left 3 years earlier. Truman even got involved, but firmly on the Japanese American’s side to his credit:https://www.quora.com/Did-Harry-Truman-hate-the-Japanese/answer/Thomas-B-Walsh/comment/84803024By 1960, Asian (and Hispanic) servicemen especially found they could talk their way past salesmen trying to restrict the markets, so many moved to the LA suburbs or at least the San Fernando Valley - Wikipedia. I do not think it was so easy in Portland or Seattle, but do your own research on that one.———————————————————Linda Lee Cadwell - Wikipedia married Bruce Lee - Wikipedia in 1964 in Seattle, and her family/friends were very much against the idea considering the prejudice and discrimination still widely in existence around Washington for her and any children. Seems it was easier for servicemen and their Asian wives, though. So she has indicated.‘Fear tactics non-withstanding, the repeal movement captured its long awaited victory against the racist alien land laws in 1966. Asian immigrants making their way to Washington State in the new wave of immigration ushered in by the 1965 Immigration Act would no longer have to jump through hoops to own homes or buy land.’ Or at least it could not so obvious.This was the Washington state’s last gasp of official racism. Plus the federally guaranteed rights and laws about the same time spelled the end of all but the most cloaked racial discrimination, especially around the military bases. Anti base discrimination was another matter.Yes, the state had its share of worst case idiots, done about the same time as the White River banditry in the 1920’s:‘Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project ‘He subsequently sent a letter on July 20, 1923 to Admiral S.S. Robinson on the U.S.S. California requesting that the Admiral grant all regional Navy Klansmen leave to attend a Seattle Klan meeting on July 25.3’Ouch! But that was long in the past by that point for any such overt show.https://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/editorials/article224571325.html‘After the Great Depression, lenders, developers and other power brokers systematically denied people of color and immigrants the benefits of homeownership. A News Tribune story last summer used old redline maps … “No part or parcel of land ... shall be rented or leased to or used or occupied, in whole or in part, by any person of the African or Asiatic descent, nor by any person not of the white or Caucasian race, other than domestic servants domiciled with an owner or tenant and living in their home.”’Red area is for non whites, `Fourth Grade. Note the no color area, which I am not sure what it meant, maybe outside city limits. In the 1980’s: ‘Their real estate agent slipped the covenants to them with an “oh, by the way,”’ which have no legality, but apparently the words were still sometimes used by those who wished to preserve the status quo. Above url source.In Tacoma, this was overwhelmingly against Asians and (American) Indians, particularly the former I think; but interestingly the Puyallup people - Wikipedia Reservation makes almost all of the land to the east of this map, and most of the people living there today are white. Port of Tacoma - Wikipedia only joined the city in 1918, and the Indians were compensated in 1989 with 162 million USD and ‘other benefits’ for the 112 acres taken. Almost all the land is now in white hands, though a fair amount is not.

If you have paid any attention to American politics for the past seven years, then I am sure you have heard of an African American activism movement called Black Lives Matters. The movement has resulted in the unification of blacks and other persons of color in America following various police brutality incidents that are believed to have been racially motivated. There is no denying the fact that the Black Lives Matter movement has had a lasting impact on the black community in the past seven years. However, I believe that Black Lives Matter has also proved detrimental to the Black community in certain ways. Taking a closer look at the history and accomplishments of the movement will shed light on some issues. I ask any readers to keep an open mind and an objective perspective while reading this.Brief HistoryBlack Lives Matter (BLM) represents the newest incarnation of black activism in the political arena of the United States. Like many other movements in today’s society, Black Lives Matter began primarily on social media as #BlackLivesMatter on twitter following the shooting of Trayvon Martin, as well as the acquittal of his murderer George Zimmerman in the year 2013. Three “radical” black organizers named Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi created the BLM movement with intentions of it being a platform for activists to connect and coordinate effort to eradicate systemic racism and white supremacy. In addition to this, the movement also aimed to incorporate representation from demographics other than Black heterosexual, cisgender men. As a result, the movement centers the leadership of women, queer, and trans people in addition to their straight counterparts. Since its inception, the BLM movement has been involved in a number of protests and advocacy movements starting with the shooting of Trayvon Martin up until the most recent murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The movement has garnered much support from celebrities and entertainers such as Lebron James, Snoop Dogg, and Jamie Foxx. Another notable supporter of the movement is the Democratic Party and many of its representatives and supporters. However, this support is only displayed when it is convenient and beneficial to the democratic party in opposition to the Republican Party (Trump).Today, the BLM movement has over 40 chapters across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom respectively. The movement has amassed significant funding since its creation in 2013. For example, the BLM movement received a cumulative contribution of $100 million from numerous liberal foundations throughout the western hemisphere in 2016. In the same year, BLM also received a $33 million dollar donation from Democratic Party supporter George Soros, which is noteworthy when considering the BLM’s political support of the Democratic Party. It is estimated that approximately 15 to 26 million people participate in BLM protests as of 2020.The Red PillWhen I first heard about the Black Lives Matters movement, I was completely on board with the movement’s goals and ambitions. I still believe that racism is an issue not only in this country, but everywhere in the world. However, after observing recent developments in the media following the most recent police killings and riots, I am forced to question my initial beliefs, as well as the true purpose of the movement. That being said, I have a few areas I want to focus on regarding my critiques.I. Majoring on the MinorsAfter reviewing the movement’s push for equality on issues such police violence and systemic racism (or classism), one question comes to mind. If the BLM puts so much effort into protesting certain issues, what has the movement really done to actually support the black community? This question may be harder to answer than you think. Other than tearing down statues and protesting in the streets of America, the movement itself hasn’t really changed anything in the black community, nor has it produced any positive results. In fact, from what I see it has accomplished nothing aside from creating white guilt and gaining false promises from politicians attempting to save face. Despite receiving millions of dollars over the past few years, the movement has donated little to no money directly to the black community. After searching the internet, I have yet to find any example of the BLM movement donating directly to the black community in any way. Yet, I have come across many resources telling me how I can donate to the black community, which is very…interesting. In 2017 the U.S. census bureau estimated the average income of black families at $49,549. The income of all families was $73,891. From 2015-2019, the Black Lives Matter movement has received around $135 million dollars from corporate donors such as the Ford Foundation, NoVo Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. In addition to this, private donors have also donated as significant amount in order to supplement these contributions. Some of these donors include George Soros, Rob Mckay, Tom Steyer, and Paul Egerman. Although I can’t seem to find any expense reports from this time range, I am having an equally difficult time finding any record of the Black Lives Matter organization donating to any component of the black community.II. The Black Cash CowOver the years, the Black Lives Matter movement has received notoriety from numerous celebrities and politicians. Celebrities such as John Cena, The Weekend, and Ellen DeGeneres have offered significant support over the years. Following the most recent killings during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, it seems that every celebrity is rushing to post their support on social media. Normally, seeing all of this support would make me happy. But, part of me feels like the increased support is entirely disingenuous. Let’s get one thing straight; celebrities are entertainers who make money not only because of their individual talents, but also from their brand. Supporting the BLM movement can introduce a new audience to the celebrity’s work, thus resulting in more profit. If you have any doubt about this claim, consider the case of Mark Wahlberg. You may know Mr. Wahlberg as a moderately-talented actor and business owner who has appeared in movies such as Transformers: The Last Knight, Lone Survivor, and Shooter. What you may not know is that Mark Wahlberg was the perpetrator of multiple racist hate crimes during the 1980s. Crimes that include throwing rocks at black kids while yelling racial slurs and taking out the eyes of a Vietnamese man. Despite this, Marky Mark made the mistake of tweeting his support of the BLM movement in May of 2020. Why would he do this? He did it with the intention of taking attention off of his previous activities and to make himself seem like he’s “down for the struggle”. Luckily, his dishonest efforts didn’t work, but this is a prime example of exploiting the movement for personal gain. There are many different celebrities who have literally said nothing regarding police violence or the BLM movement in general, until it became beneficial to their brand.It doesn’t end there unfortunately; the movement has seen extensive political exploitation also. It is no secret that the democratic party uses the struggle of black America for their own agenda. In fact, this exploitation dates back to 1968 during the presidential race. At the time, African Americans made up 13% of the country’s population. Although we only represent a small percentage of the country’s population, our collective vote is usually the deciding factor in the presidential race. This is why the democratic party took up the mantle of civil rights in the late 1960s; to gain the loyalty of black people while simultaneously acquiring the black vote. Consider this; the democratic party was founded by Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, both of whom were known to be slave owners. Another little-known fact is that the democratic party actually defended slavery initially. Given the history of the democratic party, why would they suddenly decide to advocate on the side of African Americans? They did it because it was beneficial to their end goal of political supremacy. It is also noteworthy that the Republican Party was not only founded as an anti-slavery movement, but it also had a branch called the Negro Republican Party in 1867.In today’s political spectrum, it is no longer limited to democrat’s vs republicans. It is has now morphed into liberals vs conservatives. Much like their democratic brethren, white liberals use race problems in order strike at the heart of conservatism and to gain or maintain political power. As Malcolm X said in his last speech, two days before his death: *“The white liberals, who have been posing as our friends, have failed us. The white liberal is the worst enemy to America and the worst enemy to the black man. White liberals are those who have perfected the art of selling themselves to the black man as our ‘friend’ to get our sympathy, our allegiance and our minds. The white liberal attempts to use us politically against white conservatives, so that anything the black man does is never for his own good, never for his advancement, never for his own progress, he’s only a pawn in the hands of the white liberal.” *If you listen to his words, it sounds identical to today’s political realm, especially following the death of Mr. FloydI am only highlighting these facts in order to encourage black readers to review your alliances and determine who is really in our corner or not. In today’s world, the democratic party has yet to cease its exploitation of our people. A perfect, rather obvious example, of what Malcolm X was talking about came from Joe Biden. While on the breakfast club with Charlemagne, he asked to answer more questions for the host after the end of their radio session. Biden responded to the question by saying this: “You've got more questions? Well I tell you what, if you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't black.” If this doesn’t display the control and intimidation the democratic party uses over blacks, then I don’t know what else needs to be said. What gives him the authority to tell anyone of their black or not? Joe has revealed himself to be the worst kind of racist, one who pretends to be your friend. He clearly feels entitled to the black vote, and he may very well get it. Although I’m not a Trump supporter, I’d rather deal with him than a president who threatens and insults his supporters and could possibly be suffering from dementia. Voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil.III. Talking To a Brick WallAnother problem I see with the Black Lives Matter Movement is a lack understanding for opposing points of view. It truly worries me that most supporters of the BLM movement are often times hostile and/or violent towards those who possess opposing points of view. I’ve even seen white supporters, who have absolutely no right to say anything, calling a black person an Uncle Tom. It is true that many white supremacy organizations possess the same mindset towards their non-racist counterparts. However, just because they stoop low doesn’t mean they need to match their level of shortsighted ignorance. On our end, instead of actually considering an opposing point of view in a respectful manner, we are quick to label a person an “Uncle Tom,” even though half of us don’t even know where the slur actually emanates from (Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe). In reality, referring to our own people using this slur is exactly the kind of discrimination our leaders fought to eliminate during the civil rights era. To wrongly refer to someone else as an Uncle Tom when they have an opposing point displays a detrimental inability to have intelligent discourse surrounding delicate topics such as race or political allegiances, the latter of which was displayed by Joe Biden. This entire Black Live Matter movement is entirely predicated on this way of thinking. Any black person criticizing the movement, or its intentions is automatically labelled to be a self-hating, white-washed, or Uncle Tom. How can you advocate on behalf of blacks, yet you alienate anyone who speaks out? If a family member has a different opinion than yours, you wouldn’t disown and shame them, would you? If the movement is truly for the greater good of all African Americans, then it shouldn’t alienate any brother or sister who is courageous enough to speak out. Consider this; Trump alienates and insults people who have different opinions all of the time. Isn’t labeling someone “white-washed”, or “Uncle Tom” the same thing? Personally, I refuse to allow another person, whether they be black or white, to validate my identity or blackness. Although I have my issues, I’m not self-hating and I’m definitely not whitewashed. In fact, I’ve probably experienced more racism in a week than many of these Black Lives Matter advocates have in their entire lives , yet you don’t see me conforming to shortsighted, inconsistent goals. This discrimination and hypocrisy needs to stop.However, it is important to note that true Uncle Toms do exist. These individuals come in the form of certain internet and media personalities, who I won’t name. These people use their platforms to voice criticism about certain things in the black community. Although some of these criticisms do have merit, the way they are presented to the audience comes off as disrespectful. I have come across more than a few black conservatives who are very rude in their opinions on blacks issues. I have no problem with black conservatives who voice their opposition to certain black movements. In fact, I myself have several criticisms also. My problem lies with black conservatives who seek to put down their own people, instead of attempting to educate them. These select few black conservatives are true Uncle Tom’s. The two black conservatives I enjoy listening to, are the HodgeTwins. Even though they bring a comedic approach to their political commentary, I feel as though they care enough voice their opinions, without hostile intent. Although I may not agree with all of their points, but I am definitely willing to listen and consider.IV. In Sheep’s ClothingNow I would like to shed some light on these so called ‘peaceful’ protests. Although I haven’t personally attended any of these protests, I have spoken to people who have participated in some of them. Based on what I’ve initially heard, the protests started off violent and chaotic and have only gotten worse over time. In Minnesota, over 250 business were burned and looted in response to the killing of George Floyd. Although I understand where the anger emanated from, I cannot condone the destruction the personal property of business owners who had nothing to do with the death of Mr. Floyd; some of whom were also black. The criteria for selecting which establishments to burn down genuinely confuses me. What sense does it make to burn down a dentist’s office and a daycare center? How is looting and destroying a Target going to honor the death of Mr. Floyd, or end police brutality? If you’re going to loot and destroy something, why not target those who are responsible? It makes no sense to destroy private businesses who are just trying to stay afloat in the midst of this pandemic. We’re so focused on being angry and making a statement, that we fail to see that we’re making the situation worse. It is important to consider the current economic state of the United States. Due to the pandemic, we will most likely enter a recession that may last a few years into the future. Destroying and burning down these businesses is only putting us deeper into the hole of economic disparity. Also, most of the people committing these aren’t even activists or members of the BLM movement. The looters of the Target in Minneapolis clearly don’t even remotely care about the motivation behind the riots. I literally watched two men carrying a flat-screen TV out of the front of a Target on the news. Ask yourself this; how is stealing a 40’’ flat screen furthering the cause? The answer is it’s not. They just see an opportunity to destroy and pillage property.Let’s also consider the deadly violence that has occurred in other parts of the country in recent weeks. One specific case that stands out to me comes from Atlanta, Georgia. On July 4th, 8-year-old Secoriea Taylor was travelling with her mother near the site of Rayshard Brooks’ death. After being approached by a mob of aggressive BLM protesters, little Secoriea was fatally wounded by gunfire as she and her m other tried to flee the mob. It is important to note that young Secoriea and her mother we’re both Black Americans. How ironic is it that a Black Lives Matter protest actually claimed the life of this little girl? If black live truly mattered to the movement, then they’d surely be showing more support for the family by raising awareness for this horrific incident. But, unfortunately most won’t even hear about or acknowledge this incident because it doesn’t serve the BLM victimization agenda. Bottom line is this young girl was an unfortunate casualty of a false war. Her death actually motivated me write this essay, and I have no plans on forgetting.Another notable example occurred in the same near the location of the shooting. On June 13th, the Wendy’s where Rayshard visited was burned down. In fact, the crime could even be seen occurring on live video. What’s notable about this specific case, is that the fact that woman seen igniting the fire on camera was white. Most of these crimes aren’t even being committed by colored people. Rather, they are being committed by overzealous, privileged white liberals, who don’t really care about black lives and are only using the Black Lives Matter movement as an excuse to cause anarchy. Most of these white BLM supporters probably haven’t experienced an ounce of racism in their entire lives. Yet, they feel the need to burn down government and personal property on our behalf. It is utterly ridiculous that we still allow these people to represent a cause that supposedly exists to improve the quality of black lives, but actually achieves the opposite.In the days of the civil rights era, African Americans protested passionately because they felt that they had been truly cheated and weren’t even considered to be citizens in some instances. The streets were filled with mostly blacks, some whites, and other minorities as they bravely fought for basic rights. Although the protests in those days got violent at times, they were always fought by genuine people. These riots aren’t even the slightest bit comparable to the old days. Another example of these fake SJWs comes from Portland, Oregon. When Officer Jakhary Jackson spoke to the media about the of the violent nature BLM protests in the city, he didn’t hesitate to expose the true instigators of most of these incidents. According to Officer Jakhary, most of the hostile protesters who approached them with verbal and physical assault were often white. In fact, black protesters were usually the only protesters willing to actually speak to the black officers concerning difficult topics, such as George Floyd’s killing, instead of resorting to violence and civil unrest. Respectful discussion on topics like this is what most of the true civil right leaders would’ve wanted. I am certain that the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis would be disappointed to see opportunists, anarchists, and thieves using the mantle of black social justice for their own personal gain or gratification. Malcolm X once said, *“The white liberal is the worst enemy to America, and the worst enemy to the black man.” *These words become more and more evident as I observe these supposed protests. All of the violence that has occurred due to these protests is a direct contradiction to a portion to their website’s mission statement. “We embody and practice justice, liberation, and peace in our engagements with one another.”V. Ignoring the Real IssuesIn the Black Lives Matter mission statement, the organization claims to exist for the purpose of achieving justice and equality for black men and women in the United States, as well as putting an end to anti-black racism. Although these goals are definitely sound nice when you say them out loud, they only address the tip of the iceberg. As I read the mission statement on the Black Lives Matter website, I was able to identify four problems that the entire movement fails to acknowledge, and until these problems are addressed by the movement, I will withhold my support. I want to highlight the main problems that I believe are actually harming the black community.1. Victim MentalityThe first problem the BLM organization fails to address is the constant victimization of Black Americans. Even after the civil rights era, we have been conditioned to believe that we are nothing more than victims of the white man’s evil agenda. While I am certain that racism does exist in this country, continuing to assign blame to the whites for all of our current problems subverts responsibility and accountability. A “politically correct” African American embraces the black-power construct, in tandem with the concept the black victim narrative. This belief is not only the most destructive force in the black community, but arguably the cause of the other issues highlighted in this section. On a personal level, believing you are nothing more than a victim can be debilitating and destructive to a person’s self-esteem. The same phenomenon is true for most of the black population in America. The Black Lives Matters organization succeeds in perpetuating the victimization blacks in America. By constantly pushing incidents of anti-black racism and police violence into the psyches of Blacks, they are indirectly encouraging hopelessness and powerlessness as well as an inferiority complex. From there, this mindset is taught to our youth, thus continuing the cycle. What needs to be realized is that the true path to prosperity begins with ambition and self-confidence. The only way for our people to be truly emancipated in this country, starts with our mindset. The narrative that the Black Lives Matter organization promotes is ironically, the very thing that is holding us back. I am not insinuating that racism can’t potentially hold a person back; it most certain can. What I am suggesting, is that forcing people to focus solely on systemic racism can potentially stunt a person’s ambition and intellectual growth. While it is important to acknowledge that racism does exist in the workplace and government, it is equally important not to use it as an excuse for mediocrity.2. Black on Black CrimeBefore we can address the issue of racist violence against Black Americans, we first need to address the equally concerning issue of black on black crime. According to the CDC, the leading cause of death among black men aged 1-19 years old at homicide at 35.3%. According to a 2007 *Black Victims of Violent Crime *study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 77.7% of violent victimization suffered by black Americans are committed by other black Americans. Although this study is significantly outdated, I feel that the data contained within it are still relevant in today’s world. For a present-day example of this, consider certain areas in the city of Chicago. The Austin and South Shore communities were identified as one of the most dangerous community areas in the city as of 2018. It is also important to remember that Austin hosts a 79.1% black population while South Shore boasts a 93.92% black population. In 2013, Austin and South Shore accounted for nearly 20% of the cities total homicide rate. Although, these two communities only represent a small portion of America’s black communities, the problem of black on black crime is nationwide. The few who acknowledge black on black crime as an issue are quick to write it off as simply a consequence of poverty, when it the issue is deeper than that. Black on black homicide and other crimes have been glorified in today’s culture and art, mainly in the form of music. What most don’t realize, is that this appropriation of violence is the beginning of the cycle of negative influence that plagues our youth. We also see an abundance of theft and drug use in our communities in addition to violence. There are some that will rebuttal by highlighting the fact that most crime is interracial. Obviously, this is only true because most races in America live in close proximity to one another. Criminals will mainly victimize those who are closest too them, rather than venturing into other communities. On that note, African Americans have a 93% interracial homicide rate. This percentage is concerning when considering how disproportionate it is in comparison to our representation in the population, which is a little over 13%. To summarize, while making up a small portion of the population, and mostly living in close proximity to each other, 93% of the homicides in black communities are interracial, as opposed to only 7% being committed by other races. Many supporters of the BLM movement simply pass of the phenomenon of black on black crime as a myth. This belief is false narrative that needs to be debunked. You have a higher chance of being robbed while walking in certain black communities, than being pulled over and stopped by the police. Before we can even hope to address violence against our race by others, we need to hold each other accountable first.3. Implosion of the Nuclear FamilyFor those who aren’t familiar with the concept of the nuclear family, I will happily explain. The term “nuclear family,” refers to a group of people who are tied together by parenthood and partnerships. These groups usually consists of two parents and their socially recognized children. The nuclear family has been the traditional family structure for generations across not only the United States, but the entire world. However, in recent years the concept of the nuclear family has come under significant fire in American society. Organizations such as the LGBTQ and Black Lives Matter movement views the concept of the nuclear family as a ‘Western Prescribed’ ideal, which of course implies that it is negative. In reality, the nuclear family is present in countries all around the world, including many nations in Africa. Considering their view on the family structure, it is easy to come to the conclusion that the Black Lives Matter organization views the nuclear family as a threat to their agenda, as opposed to their false desire to *“supporting each other as extended families and “villages” that collectively care for one another.”My main focus is how the ‘nuclear family’ effects the black community so, I will refrain from discussing other races or demographics. In reality, the elimination of the traditional family structure is detrimental to the black community. For example, in the days of slavery, slave masters would often destroy and separate black families through various methods in order to prevent the slaves from uniting and becoming a true threat. The same is true during the civil rights era, when mass incarceration was at its peak among black men. During this time, African families conformed to the same “nuclear family” structure that we see in western society as well. Destroying the family structure not only furthers other far-left agendas, but it also begins the cycle of black violence and poverty that plagues our small communities. Statistics show that black children who don’t grow up in a traditional family structure are more likely to experience poverty or develop behavioral problems than those who grow up in a traditional household. So, the idea of supporting children through ‘villages’ (whatever that means) is impossible when the cycle is causing debilitating poverty that make it impossible for such an idea to work. How can a black person support a movement that seeks to perpetuate one of the black community’s most prominent issues? Other movements such as the Actively seek to free black men who truly were wrongly imprisoned and reunite them with their families. I am firm in my belief that a stable and strong traditional household is essential to the growth and development of children, regardless of their ethnicity.4. Black PovertyDespite representing only 13% of the populations, Black Americans hold the highest poverty rate in the country at 22%. In 2017, the U.S. census bureau estimated the average income of black families at $49,549, while the national income was $73,891. Why is this the case? Some may hold the belief that systematic racism is the cause of this issue, and I do not entirely disagree. Practices such as redlining have made it extremely difficult for some blacks to acquire safe housing in the United States. However, I believe it is problematic to focus entirely on ‘systematic racism’ while completely ignoring other contributing practices. Consumerism is one of the main issues plaguing the black community in today economy. Instead of investing in property or businesses, we’ll wait for hours in an excessively long line to spend almost $300 on a pair of Jordan shoes. The consumerist mindset has been ingrained into our mentality as black people. In fact, I myself am still trying to free myself of this poisonous mindset. This is the main reason I have a problem with the reparations argument. What good what reparations checks serve long term, if we still maintain the same economic mindset? Consider this proverb; If give a starving man fish, he’ll eventually devour it and become hungry once more. But if you teach him to fish, he’ll be set for life. The same principle applies to money. That’s why successful entrepreneurs continue to build wealth overtime. The never stop investing into different business ventures. Don’t be fooled, companies such as Nike pretend to be sympathetic to anti-black racism simply because we represent their biggest source of revenue. If we want to truly improve our economic status as a community we need to invest in things like businesses, stock, real estate, precious metals, and other things that hold value.Another problem facing the community is the stigmatization of higher education. In black culture, gang culture is glamorized in music and film, while education is looked down upon and perceived as ‘lame’. It is no secret that inner city schools’ districts, which happen to be heavily inhabited by blacks, are victims of funding cuts, which affect the quality of education in many schools. Government funding of inner-city school districts is something that the average person can’t control. However, our ambition concerning educational achievement is something that we absolutely can control. Although this isn’t always the case, acquiring a good education has a better chance of achieving economic prosperity. Blaming school systems as an excuse for educational struggles needs to stop.Finally, I want to discuss the topic of government assistance. Black Americans represent 39.8% of the nation’s welfare recipients. Some may argue that there are more whites on welfare than blacks. Those people are not wrong. However, even though there are more white people on welfare in this country, the proportion of Blacks on welfare are much higher. On another note, any statistic concerning white people will automatically be higher than black statistics, due to the fact that whites are represent almost 80% of the population. Focusing on things like reparations and other forms of government assistance simply discourages blacks from acquiring wealth on their own. Consider this; what good would reparations do in our community if consumerist tendencies still hold real estate in our minds? Government assistance should only be used when all other options are exhausted, and not as a sole source of income.The Black Lives Matter movement fails to acknowledge the poverty problem anywhere in their mission statement and have done nothing to contribute to eliminating the problem. Instead, the perpetuating destructive beliefs, whether it’s by supporting Nike’s Kaepernick exploitation campaign, or by advocating for reparations that are never going to happen.VI. MarxismIn recent months, many different republican politicians have taken to social media in order to label the Black Lives Matter movement as a ‘Marxist’ movement. Before we analyze this, it is important to understand what Marxism truly is. Marxism was developed by 19th century philosopher Karl Marx as the basis for the theory of communism and socialism. It is described as the revolutionary overthrow of capitalism by the proletariat and eventually a classless communist society. Essentially, what this boils down to is the desire for all property to be publicly owned, and each person is only paid based on their abilities and needs. Patrisse Cullor, who is one of the three founders of the movement, spoke during an interview in 2015. In this interview, she had this to say:"We do have an ideological frame. Myself and Alicia, in particular, are trained organizers; we are trained Marxists. We are super versed on, sort of, ideological theories. And I think what we really try to do is build a movement that could be utilized by many, many Black folks."In my opinion, Miss Cullor doesn’t seem like the type of person to misuse words such as Marxism. The Black Lives Matter list of beliefs contains controversial content that is consistent with Marxist doctrine. Let’s revisit the BLM stance on family:“We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable.”This statement could lead any person who is even remotely familiar with the concept of communism that the movement does in fact share some Marxist beliefs. If Cullors claims to be a “trained Marxist,” then I have no reason not to believe her. However, just because a few of the movement’s leaders claim to be communists, doesn’t exactly mean everyone in the movement shares the same beliefs.VII. Conclusion and Final ThoughtsMy purpose in writing this isn’t simply bash the Black Lives Matter movement; but to invoke consideration and objective thinking within your minds. I am neither a leftist nor democrat. My ideologies aren’t based on any political affiliations, but rather facts, common sense, and life experience. The fact is this; Black Lives Matter is an organization that has been infiltrated and commandeered by opportunists from across the nation. Although I agree with some of its viewpoints, it also hold certain interests and agendas that aren’t remotely beneficial to the black community. It now seeks to keep blacks focused on the one issue, instead of considering the big picture. It is no longer our movement, if it ever was in the first place. ANTIFA radicals, democrats, and other groups have once again, exploited the plights of the black community for their own gain. I hold no contempt towards protesters who are actually protesting peacefully, as it is your natural right to express yourself. My problem lies with those who seek to cause mayhem when we as country are at our lowest point during the pandemic. I can personally attest to the fact that racism certainly exists in the United States of America. Racist cops are very real and do cause harm. However, just like all whites people aren’t racist, all cops aren’t racists either. De-funding the police not only ignores the issue, but it puts our community in further turmoil. Instead, we need to advocate for better police training and psychological screening in order to weed out the truly racist cops. De-funding the entire police force will put cops who actually care about protecting citizens out of a job, leaving only the racist ones. A neighborhood without police presence, is a war zone. And leaving us without or second amendment rights, leaves us unarmed on the battlefield.If we as black people continue to focus only on racism, without considering other problems also, we’ll never get anywhere as a race. I call on any black person who is willing to listen, to rise up and take true action. Let’s start our own black movement. One that addresses the issues of poverty, single parenthood, crime, and education in our communities. We need to take our success into our own hands, instead of blaming the American Government. The government is far from perfect and will remain so, no matter how much we protest. We need hold ourselves accountable. Boycott anarchists and opportunists like ANTIFA, NIKE, Colin Kaepernick, Joe Biden, Jussie Smollett, and Rachel Dolezal and replace them with black Americans who are willing to take an introspective look and change our community once and for all. Let’s build schools like Lebron James, form families like the Obamas, be wealthy and self-sufficient entrepreneurs like Billionaire Robert F. Smith, and fight against crime like Black Panther (hard to find any real-life examples). Accountability is the first step to success in any area of the globe. Before fighting a war, an army must be self-disciplined. I am far from perfect, but I am doing my best to follow my own advice. We may not be physically enslaved, but our minds are still chained up. It won’t be easy, but nothing worth doing in life ever is. You may even lose friends and family along the way. So, ask yourself; what are you willing to do for true freedom?Bibliography“Austin Crime Map: City of Chicago: Data Portal.” *Chicago*, http://data.cityofchicago.org/Public-Safety/Austin-Crime-Map/h96f-r3cs (http://data.cityofchicago.org/Public-Safety/Austin-Crime-Map/h96f-r3cs) (http://data.cityofchicago.org/Public-Safety/Austin-Crime-Map/h96f-r3cs (http://data.cityofchicago.org/Public-Safety/Austin-Crime-Map/h96f-r3cs)).*Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation*, Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation)).Chasmar, Jessica. “Black Portland Cop Slams White BLM Protesters Using 'Same Tactics That Were Used against My People'.”*The Washington Times*, The Washington Times, 17 July 2020, Black Portland cop slams White BLM protesters using ‘same tactics that were used against my people’ (Black Portland cop slams White BLM protesters using ‘same tactics that were used against my people’ (Black Portland cop slams White BLM protesters using ‘same tactics that were used against my people’)).*Chicago Police Department*, Chicago Police Department (Chicago Police Department (Chicago Police Department)).Editor, Letters to the. “We Should Have Listened.” *Mountain Democrat*, 24 June 2020, We should have listened (We should have listened (We should have listened)).*Finally, The Truth About Welfare - How Many Blacks Vs. 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How Many Whites)).Harrell, Erika. *Black Victims of Violent Crime*.Lewis, Isobel. “The Full List of Mark Wahlberg's Racist Hate Crimes.” *The Independent*, Independent Digital News and Media, 10 June 2020, The full list of Mark Wahlberg's racist hate crimes (The full list of Mark Wahlberg's racist hate crimes (The full list of Mark Wahlberg's racist hate crimes).“Marxism.” *Merriam-Webster*, Merriam-Webster, Definition of MARXISM (Definition of MARXISM (Definition of MARXISM)).“Minnesota.” *The New York Times*, The New York Times, Minnesota (Minnesota (Minnesota)).NBC Chicago. “Chicago Murders and Shootings Up, Overall Crime Down Halfway Through 2020, Police Say.” *NBC Chicago*, NBC Chicago, 1 July 2020, Chicago Murders and Shootings Up, Overall Crime Down Halfway Through 2020, Police Say (Chicago Murders and Shootings Up, Overall Crime Down Halfway Through 2020, Police Say (Chicago Murders and Shootings Up, Overall Crime Down Halfway Through 2020, Police Say)).“Negro Republican Party.” *Wikipedia*, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 July 2020, Negro Republican Party - Wikipedia (Negro Republican Party - Wikipedia (Negro Republican Party - Wikipedia)).“Poverty Rate by Race/Ethnicity.” *KFF*, 4 Dec. 2019, Poverty Rate by Race/Ethnicity (Poverty Rate by Race/Ethnicity (Poverty Rate by Race/Ethnicity)).Richardson, Valerie. “Subscribe to This Topic via RSS or ATOM Topic - George Soros.” *The Washington Times*, The Washington Times, George Soros - Bio, News, Photos - Washington Times (George Soros - Bio, News, Photos - Washington Times (George Soros - Bio, News, Photos - Washington Times)).*South Shore, Chicago, IL Demographics - AreaVibes*. 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Those who put those thought in your head are liars, seeking to defend a system of oppression. Here is the truth of the matter: she wants to transform a corrupt system into a system based on equality and justice. If racism is the American way of life, then I suppose it fair to say she wants to dismantle it.Here is what I found when I tried to understand why the far right, which has been taught by a racist President, to hate Omar, uses only one word she actually said, which is “dismantle” and then tack onto it a host of words she did not use.Here is what I wrote when I checked out a dozen headlines about what she was dismantling:I just read a dozen articles, all by far right publications, that present the following:Omar is calling for “dismantling:”“our way of life”“the core of of the United States”“our political and economic system.”“ America’s system”“ the US”“the US economy”“America”She of course used none of those terms since the only word in all those perversions of her actual words came after the one correct term “dismantle” was closed off my quote marks.Here is what she actually said: she called for “dismantling the Minneapolis police” so that a public safety agency could be rebuilt that serves the community. And she called later for “the system of oppression.”Those who equate oppression to the US political and economy system, America, or the core of the US, or “our way of life” are saying something far worse than Omar…they are saying we ARE a racist nation, corrupt and rotten to to the core, and this horrible person wants to change that.Her actual words were: ““We can’t stop at criminal justice reform or policing reform,” she said during an outdoor press conference. “We are not merely fighting to tear down the systems of oppression in the criminal justice system. We are fighting to tear down systems of oppression that exist in housing, in education, in health care, in employment, [and] in the air we breathe.”It is indisputable that there is discrimation in housing, education, healthcare, employment, and in the kind of toxic environments that poor blacks endure.TAP : The American Prospect summarizes: “More than 50 years after passage of the Fair Housing Act, black-white segregation remains strikingly high and imposes unfair burdens on black people even when they have the same income or education levels as whites. Indeed, housing segregation, which government officials engineered as a tool of white supremacy, poses one of the largest threats to racial equality in America today.Typically, higher levels of education and income translate into access to high-opportunity neighborhoods and the possibility of accumulating greater wealth. In the case of African Americans, however, residential segregation impedes access to middle-class neighborhoods with strong schools and strongly appreciating home values.In fact, black-white residential segregation helps explain two astonishing facts: Middle-class blacks live in neighborhoods with higher poverty rates than low-income whites; and African American households headed by an individual with a bachelor's degree have less wealth, on average, than white households headed by an individual who lacks a high school degree.”In education, most blacks attend schools with much lower funding and, as reported by the New York Times: “Racial segregation in public education has been illegal for 65 years in the United States. Yet American public schools remain largely separate and unequal — with profound consequences for students, especially students of color.Today’s teachers and students should know that the Supreme Court declared racial segregation in schools to be unconstitutional in the landmark 1954 ruling Brown v. Board of Education. Perhaps less well known is the extent to which American schools are still segregated. According to a recent Times article, “More than half of the nation’s schoolchildren are in racially concentrated districts, where over 75 percent of students are either white or nonwhite.” In addition, school districts are often segregated by income. The nexus of racial and economic segregation has intensified educational gaps between rich and poor students, and between white students and students of color.”As for healthcare, the fact is that lack of access to healthcare for many African Americans, in a addition to their disproportionate poverty, means, according to Health Affairs: “When race and education are combined, the disparity is even more striking. In 2008 white US men and women with 16 years or more of schooling had life expectancies far greater than black Americans with fewer than 12 years of education—14.2 years more for white men than black men, and 10.3 years more for white women than black women. These gaps have widened over time and have led to at least two “Americas……We found that on average, blacks and Hispanics with sixteen or more years of education lived 7.5 years and 13.6 years longer, respectively, than whites with less than twelve years of education. This is a clear demonstration of the profound influence that education and its correlates have on length of life. Yet disparities within racial and ethnic groups persist even at the highest level of education. The same highly educated black men and women who live longer than less educated whites still live about 4.2 years less than comparably educated whites”Differences In Life Expectancy Due To Race And Educational Differences Are Widening, And Many May Not Catch Up“Disease-causing air pollution remains high in pockets of America -- particularly those where many low-income and African-American people live, a disparity highlighted in research presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in New York.The nation's air on the whole has become cleaner in the past 70 years, but those benefits are seen primarily in whiter, higher-income areas,” ScienceDaily: Your source for the latest research news“(The) pattern of racial segregation isn’t random. These neighborhoods have been defined by a dark history of redlining (the systemic denial of benefits, like loans, to individuals, usually along racial lines) and decades of housing discrimination and unequal resource allocation.” Blacks are pushed into more polluted environments.This discrimination is not ancient history:“Wells Fargo to pay $175 million in race discrimination probe ...www.reuters.com › article › us-wells-lending-settlement July 12, 2012Bank of America fined $335m for minority discrimination - BBC ...www.bbc.com › news › business-16296146 Dec 21, 2011”Fifty years after the federal Fair Housing Act banned racial discrimination in lending, African Americans and Latinos continue to be routinely denied conventional mortgage loans at rates far higher than their white counterparts.This modern-day redlining persisted in 61 metro areas even when controlling for applicants' income, loan amount and neighborhood, according to millions of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act records analyzed by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting.The yearlong analysis, based on 31 million records, relied on techniques used by leading academics, the Federal Reserve and Department of Justice to identify lending disparities.It found a pattern of troubling denials for people of color across the country, including in major metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia, Rockford, Ill., St. Louis and San Antonio. African Americans faced the most resistance in Southern cities - Mobile, Alabama; Greenville, North Carolina; and Gainesville, Florida - and Latinos in Iowa City, Iowa.” Chicagotribune/Feb 2018Criminal justice is also rotten with systemic racism:“Black male offenders continued to receive longer sentences than similarly situated White male offenders. Black male offenders received sentences on average 19.1 percent longer than similarly situated White male offenders during the Post-Report period (fiscal years 2012-2016), as they had for the prior four periods studied.”Demographic Differences in SentencingEverything Omar said is true…….she wants us to “dismantle the system of oppression”in the police (blacks are killed 2.8 times more than whites (per capita) and are in are unarmed in 50% more cases than whites who are killed; she wants us to dismantle an economic system that relegates blacks to inferior neighborhoods and schools, and thought this, to inferior healthcare, leading to shorter lives. And to top it off, they are forced to live, by bank criminality and impoverishment, in the most polluted and unhealthy neighborhoods.I find it hard to think that an decent, informed person would disagree with her, and it is clear that ending these systems of oppression will make America much better, even great.I welcome dialogue with reliable sources to back up claims with evidence, as I have done. Hating Omar, which Trump has promoted, has led to twisting her words into thoughts she has never uttered or entertained. She wants to rescue America from the cancer of systemic racism…..and who doesn’t except the neo-nazis, the white suprematcists, and the race haters?