Contemporary Connections: BELOVED

My first source is Gulf News, Gulf News (United Arab Emirates) January 17, 2017

A Wish for a less absolutist world by Linda Heard

Linda writes this newspaper article when politics were dominated with Donald Trump and his tweets. We seemed to have lost the listening to other people's viewpoints and politely disagreeing with them. It could possibly have to do with social media, people tend to get very bent out of shape either defending our President or criticizing him. Indeed he does seem to generate some very hot feelings especially if you are not white or female. I do not believe every Muslim is a terrorist, nor do I believe Mexicans will rape women. What good is it going to do to argue with someone on facebook about my beliefs? Will it help humanity? No, it will not. Will it change Mr. Trump's mind on human race? No, it will not.

My second source is from The Journal of Gender, Race & Justice, Spring 2017
The Color of Post-Ethnicity: the Civic Ideology and the Persistence of Anti-Black Racism
Sami C. Nighaoui

Anti-Black Racism is simply the ignorant thought that African-Americans need to integrate into "white culture" to become an "American Citizen". In the 1950's there was a thought that Blacks could never be as successful as Whites because they aren't smart enough and are too compliant. Basically, an inferior race. The Civil Rights movement was promising at first with the 60's and 70's but the optimism was short lived. Black social mobility over the next 40 years was slowed down. By 2013, the unemployment rate among African Americans was about twice as high as that among White Americans. All the riots in the 60's and 70's accomplished was the ability of politics to change a social and cultural reality that African Americans were skeptical of. The black radicalism in the 80's and 90's was offset by the downward spiral of the previous economic gains and the popularity of the multicultural movement. We thought we saw progress when Barrack Obama was elected the first time but he endured some of the cruelest treatment. He was accused of not being a U.S citizen, he wasn't black enough, etc..The article stated that African Americans are criticized for being proud of their race with the Black Lives Matter being racially challenged by Blue Lives Matter or more recently, All Lives Matter. Putting it simply, yes all lives matter but right now Black Lives Matter. I have heard in 25-50 years the white race will be gone, I say Good Riddens. We share the same dna, in fact, 99.9% of the same dna. We are all humans and should learn to treat each other as such.