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Ras Adam: Race Mixing + Racism
Taken from a reasoning on Rastafari Speaks Message Board
The threads for this reasoning are linked here
By Ayanna
June 15, 2004
"There has been made a leap from saying people should be free to be with anyone who they want, to some consiparcy theory of a master plan to lighten the black race. I said it before and i'll say it again i have seen mixed race couples help break down prejudices in their own familes so i assume this happend elsewhere in the world therefore concluded it could be a way to help erode racism. did i say its a panacea to cure racism completely? of course i didn't, that's redicuolous. Again i'll say, I don't like racial bigotry or prejudice and will speak up against it whether it comes from the KKK grand dragon's mouth or louis farrakhan's mouth. The eugenics racial purity hitler style talk is sick coming from people of any color.
- Ras Adam Simeon, Race Mixing + Racism: June 15, 2004
I would like to remind you of your original post on a previous thread where this discussion began:
"Elder, this part strikes me as an anti-race mixing vibe. I think interacial relationships are a great tool to break down racism. I think it helps every generation if say, people had grandkids of a diff race and they loved them, it may open their eyes to how ignorant they were raised. I think every generation get a lil better at racism and that mixed families will help that. I went to a synogouge(sp) once and the rabbi was up there talking about how serious it was not marrying out of the race etc and it reminded me of some hitler racial purity vibes. People should be free to love who who they love, no matter race creed or class. my opinion. respectfully in one perfect love," ras adam
- Ras Adam Simeon, June 09, 2004
What some posters took issue with was this statement that you made here:
"I think interacial relationships are a great tool to break down racism. I think it helps every generation if say, people had grandkids of a diff race and they loved them, it may open their eyes to how ignorant they were raised. I think every generation get a lil better at racism and that mixed families will help that" - ras adam
You attempt in my view to be trying to skirt your original statement. You have said here:
"There has been made a leap from saying people should be free to be with anyone who they want, to some conspiracy theory of a master plan to lighten the black race" - ras adam
However, first of all no one was debating whether or not people should be free to be with someone of another race. You were the one who suggested that race mixing could be a way to break down racism and this was what some posters found naïve problematic and downright disturbing. In my post I indicated that my country is a perfect example of this, an example that I live with daily. I am sure others can give similar examples. As a white male can you not see how very offensive and ugly it is to come into a black forum and advocate race mixing in any way? When black people have been dealing with a mass media and a western society that has valued the mixed race lighter blacks over the darker kinky haired ones? When it is often these blacks that emerge with opportunities and privileges and ally with whites for their own benefits? Can you honestly not see this??
When we speak of racism we are not simply speaking of a few individuals and their possible ability to relate to another person of another race. Europeans interacted quite well with Arab and some African traders for business interests yet still spouted the racism diatribe that they used to justify slavery. Being able to relate with, sleep with or breed with a person of another race cannot be a measure of improvements in race relations or breaking down the racist systems that surround us.
Furthermore your perspective as a white male observing a family with mixed race children cannot be completely trusted from a black perspective especially as most whites really do not think they are racist at all. As a black woman I have seen first hand the abuses, some subtle and others not to subtle, that take place between siblings of the same womb, often encouraged and fed by biological parents when one is darker or lighert than the other. A white person may NEVER notice these subtle abuses because they simply do not have the experience to pick them up. From your position that you have articulated here and previously on this board, I am certain that you are one of those whites.
Your denial of this problem is very disturbing to me and I am glad that others have now got the chance to see your true colours.
- When strangers come to our villages
June 09, 2004 - by Ras Marcus
- Race..so now what?
June 12, 2004 - by Ras Adam Simeon
- Re: Race..so now what?
June 14, 2004 - by Ayinde
- Race mixing a great tool to break down racism?
June 15, 2004 - by Ayanna
- Genocide can help break down racism?
June 15, 2004 - by Ayinde
- Ras Adam: Race Mixing + Racism
June 15, 2004 - by Ayanna
- Re: Race Mixing + Racism
June 16, 2004 - by Ayinde
- Ras Adam misinterpreting Selassie's speeches
June 17, 2004 - by Ayinde
- Ras Adam: 'Race..so now what?'
June 18, 2004 - by Ayanna
- Interracial Relationships and Brown Babies:
Ras Adam Simeons's great tool to break down racism
June 18, 2004 - by Ayinde
- Anti-Black Slander
July 27, 2004 - by Ayinde and Ras Adam
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