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In reply to the discussion: Chris Rock: It's not black people who have progressed. It's white people. [View all]Matrosov
(1,098 posts)His example of Ike and Tina Turner is excellent. Did she do anything to deserve the abuse? No, and consequently there was nothing for her to do to improve her relationship with Ike. Likewise, did African-Americans do anything to deserve being dragged from Africa here, often not even surviving the journey, to be sold and kept as slaves? Have African-Americans done anything to deserve the deep racism that still exists in 2014, which forces many of them to live in poverty and allows people like Darren Wilson to get away with murdering black youths? NO!
So what have African-Americans done that ended slavery and gave them voting rights, and what could they do to end the racism that still plagues this country today? Nothing, for they are the victims, and race relations are not some two-way street where everybody needs to make an effort. Slavery ended only because enough of us whites decided it was inappropriate. African-Americans can vote only because us whites decided it was appropriate.
True equality can exist only once we whites finally open our eyes to all the racism that still exists and put an end to it. That is our responsibility.