• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

California State University Offers Community For Black Issues

Status
Not open for further replies.

davepoobond

you can't put a price on sparks
they need to save black identity by keeping them away from everyone else!


but really, i'm sort of ambivalent on this, its not forced.
 
In this case, it's likely a section of the dorms or a series of room where residents are encouraged to talk about the issues facing black people. That's it. they're probably have weekly talks about racial issues and plan protests or something. College stuff. It's

It's open to everyone. If you're a black person that cares about black issues, here's spot for you. If you're a white person that cares about black issues and wants to understand more, the same is true.

It's called "Living learning community". Here's a STEM Living Learning Community at a college near me.



This is one based around racial issues focusing on black people.

Wow that it, fucking hell Washington Times just made shit completely up .
 

JCX

Member
Even with the hyperbolic shit getting thrown around here and in the articles I don't see how people are okay with the idea of some places being 'black themed' or whatever.

Like...what does that even mean? What is different and why does it need to be? Although I am not some naive fool that believes we live in a post-racial society or whatever the fuck term gets batted around... I thought the more sane people had realized at this point that we are all just human beings.

If some Japanese person tried to sell me on 'white American themed living' here I would give them a side-eye so hardcore I'd go blind.

White American themed living is basically every dorm on most public universities. You don't need to be sold on it because it already exists.

"We're all humans" is true, but do we treat all humans the same? Are there issues that affect some groups more than others? You bet.

My college had multiple themed spaces in dorms for many interests: art, science, engineering, political science, and even some based around culture/gender/race/sexual orientation. Seemed more like a way to build community among students with a shared interest in one of the above topics.
 

Slayven

Member
Black women are actually outperforming black men pretty handily by objective metrics, mostly due to higher education completion in comparison to black men. Black men are also disfranchised more due to incarceration.

Black women are also 10 times more likely than any other group to be suspended from school. And thney face harsher dress codes because of their hair
 

entremet

Member
Black women are also 10 times more likely than any other group to be suspended from school. And thney face harsher dress codes because of their hair

Oh agree there. I'm just staying that black women have made great strides and it has not been talked about much.

Reagan really poisoned the well with his "Welfare Queen" coded language bigotry.
 
White American themed living is basically every dorm on most public universities. You don't need to be sold on it because it already exists.

"We're all humans" is true, but do we treat all humans the same? Are there issues that affect some groups more than others? You bet.

My college had multiple themed spaces in dorms for many interests: art, science, engineering, political science, and even some based around culture/gender/race/sexual orientation. Seemed more like a way to build community among students with a shared interest in one of the above topics.

It perplexes me that white Americans are unable to see that they view their world with a white POV. They like to convince themselves that they can't see color--which is saying they blatantly ignore racial issues (but whatev)--and that other groups are constantly pulling up the race card. What the fail to acknowledge is that they have a race card as well. Their white race card even grants them to ability to refer to their way of thinking as normal.

"If someone tried to tell me I needed a white space I would be outraged." (paraphrased)

Well, any space that is not inclusive and dominated by white people is a white space. Your ignorance, whether innocent or malicious, prevents you from acknowledging this fact.
 

Riddick

Member
smh @ Themed Housing being changed to "Segregated Housing".

So in other words a non story conservatives want to be a story.


No one assumed that white people would be completely banned from there, that would be illegal. They still encourage segregation, that's the point. Why do you give so much importance on the wording instead of the actual context, words are insignificant, it's the intention that counts and the intention here is questionable at best. That PR statement changes nothing.
 
The source is right-wing therefore I can't take it at face value.

Also this doesn't seem so bad to me. I do wonder what the current racial make up is. It says 24 students.

Unless racists are abound at that campus I wouldn't make use of it anyway.

It perplexes me that white Americans are unable to see that they view their world with a white POV. They like to convince themselves that they can't see color--which is saying they blatantly ignore racial issues (but whatev)--and that other groups are constantly pulling up the race card. What the fail to acknowledge is that they have a race card as well. Their white race card even grants them to ability to refer to their way of thinking as normal.

"If someone tried to tell me I needed a white space I would be outraged." (paraphrased)

Well, any space that is not inclusive and dominated by white people is a white space. Your ignorance, whether innocent or malicious, prevents you from acknowledging this fact.

This is true too.

Edit: Oh themed housing, interesting. I've never seen that.
 
No one assumed that white people would be completely banned from there, that would be illegal. They still encourage segregation, that's the point. Why do you give so much importance on the wording instead of the actual context, words are insignificant, it's the intention that counts and the intention here is questionable at best. That PR statement changes nothing.

[citation needed]

Seriously, people still saying this are going to have to back that up. What do you know about these buildings that provides this context you're speaking about? Themed housing could be anything from buildings named after historical figures, to the discussion spaces that MHWilliams posted about about. Giving a space for other races and cultures to be acknowledged and speak about issues that are relevant to them is not encouraging segregation.
 
Wow that it, fucking hell Washington Times just made shit completely up .

It's the Washington Times. Their agenda is well known.

People should have known further due diligence was required. Some on page 1 did, asking for a more reputable sources. Others just bit down on that bait and rode and let themselves be swung around and reeled in.

It perplexes me that white Americans are unable to see that they view their world with a white POV. They like to convince themselves that they can't see color--which is saying they blatantly ignore racial issues (but whatev)--and that other groups are constantly pulling up the race card. What the fail to acknowledge is that they have a race card as well. Their white race card even grants them to ability to refer to their way of thinking as normal.

"If someone tried to tell me I needed a white space I would be outraged." (paraphrased)

Well, any space that is not inclusive and dominated by white people is a white space. Your ignorance, whether innocent or malicious, prevents you from acknowledging this fact.

woke posts today. refreshing, really.
 

andthebeatgoeson

Junior Member
Seems like Washington Times needs a safe space: the trash

Terrible source? Fuck it, let's keep pushing. Better source posted on the first page? Let's keep this going, not enough hot takes.

Themed housing was a thing 20 years ago when i started college.
 
In this case, it's likely a section of the dorms or a series of room where residents are encouraged to talk about the issues facing black people. That's it. they're probably have weekly talks about racial issues and plan protests or something. College stuff. It's

It's open to everyone. If you're a black person that cares about black issues, here's spot for you. If you're a white person that cares about black issues and wants to understand more, the same is true.

It's called "Living learning community". Here's a STEM Living Learning Community at college close to me.



The others.

This is one based around racial issues focusing on black people.

who saw this twist coming?
 

LionPride

Banned
So what I got from this thread is that if I don't wanna educate ignorant ass white people I'm part of the problem and if I willingly place myself away from them because I ain't got time for that bs I'm helping America set itself back? Sure, okay.

Like Morgan Freeman said, "I ain't gotta do shit but stay black and die"
 

Dude Abides

Banned
No one assumed that white people would be completely banned from there, that would be illegal. They still encourage segregation, that's the point. Why do you give so much importance on the wording instead of the actual context, words are insignificant, it's the intention that counts and the intention here is questionable at best. That PR statement changes nothing.

Nobody tell this guy about athletic dorms.
 
It perplexes me that white Americans are unable to see that they view their world with a white POV. They like to convince themselves that they can't see color--which is saying they blatantly ignore racial issues (but whatev)--and that other groups are constantly pulling up the race card. What the fail to acknowledge is that they have a race card as well. Their white race card even grants them to ability to refer to their way of thinking as normal.

"If someone tried to tell me I needed a white space I would be outraged." (paraphrased)

Well, any space that is not inclusive and dominated by white people is a white space. Your ignorance, whether innocent or malicious, prevents you from acknowledging this fact.

Just like black america is not a monolith, white america is not one as well.

The key part in my post was 'Japan' which you seem to have missed. I have not lived in a white dominated space for almost ten years now. I am not going to try and directly conflate my experience with black america because I am of the mind that racism in Japan is fairly benign and harmless and know for a fact that it pales in comparison, but that doesn't mean that there are not struggles to be had. I can be stopped on the street for absolutely no reason (and I mean no reason. They don't even need to make one up) and forced to show my ID with serious repercussions if I am unable to. I can be publicly denied (as in a written rule not some underhanded excuse like is the case in the States) housing because I am a foreigner with absolutely no recourse. My mixed race son and soon to be born daughter will have their own struggles if I continue to raise them here.

I am not posting this to try and play oppression Olympics or whatever, but to just point out that by making blanket assumptions about someone based on their race such as claiming that I am unable and unwilling to exit my own comfort zones you are showing your own prejudices, no matter how harmless they may be. A close reading of my post would have told you that I do not live in a white-dominated society but you completely glossed over that and went on to call me ignorant.

My problem here is that I just don't see the merit for this sort of housing situation in the long term. On an ideological level I understand the need to speak with like-minded individuals about topics of race, but I also feel like that role is already being served by public universities which are already more progressive than 90% of spaces in the country. Are placed like CSU actually racist hotbeds to the point where safe spaces are necessary even on a housing level? I feel like that is not the case, but I fully admit that I could be wrong.

I feel like making this an official safe space housing situation is just going too far and does more harm than good in the grand scheme of things. This thread and the responses here are proof of that in my opinion. It just enforces an idea of us vs. them in a lot of people's minds even if the judgement is unfair and the motivations behind it are valid.

I understand that placing the burden of this conversation on minorities is unfair, but I also feel like it is a necessary evil if we actually want America to continue to improve on these issues. Giving ammunition like this to the bigots just seems short-sighted and I feel like this thread is proof of that considering how many people fell for the bait.
 
Just like black america is not a monolith, white america is not one as well.

The key part in my post was 'Japan' which you seem to have missed. I have not lived in a white dominated space for almost ten years now. I am not going to try and directly conflate my experience with black america because I am of the mind that racism in Japan is fairly benign and harmless and know for a fact that it pales in comparison, but that doesn't mean that there are not struggles to be had. I can be stopped on the street for absolutely no reason (and I mean no reason. They don't even need to make one up) and forced to show my ID with serious repercussions if I am unable to. I can be publicly denied (as in a written rule not some underhanded excuse like is the case in the States) housing because I am a foreigner with absolutely no recourse. My mixed race son and soon to be born daughter will have their own struggles if I continue to raise them here.

I am not posting this to try and play oppression Olympics or whatever, but to just point out that by making blanket assumptions about someone based on their race such as claiming that I am unable and unwilling to exit my own comfort zones you are showing your own prejudices, no matter how harmless they may be. A close reading of my post would have told you that I do not live in a white-dominated society but you completely glossed over that and went on to call me ignorant.

My problem here is that I just don't see the merit for this sort of housing situation in the long term. On an ideological level I understand the need to speak with like-minded individuals about topics of race, but I also feel like that role is already being served by public universities which are already more progressive than 90% of spaces in the country. Are placed like CSU actually racist hotbeds to the point where safe spaces are necessary even on a housing level? I feel like that is not the case, but I fully admit that I could be wrong.

I feel like making this an official safe space housing situation is just going too far and does more harm than good in the grand scheme of things. This thread and the responses here are proof of that in my opinion. It just enforces an idea of us vs. them in a lot of people's minds even if the judgement is unfair and the motivations behind it are valid.

I understand that placing the burden of this conversation on minorities is unfair, but I also feel like it is a necessary evil if we actually want America to continue to improve on these issues. Giving ammunition like this to the bigots just seems short-sighted and I feel like this thread is proof of that considering how many people fell for the bait.

Read the quote in post 373.
 
Read the quote in post 373.

Maybe read my post?

I covered that. I understand the need for these spaces, but just feel like the need to apply it to permanent and separate housing is short-sighted and is just going to cause more misunderstandings. This thread seems to be pretty obvious proof of that.

Why not just apply that sort of thinking and activities to every dorm on campus? Wouldn't that make more sense and also do away with the negative connotation of 'safe spaces'? It would also force more people to be confronted with these issues who would never seek them out on their own.
 

sphagnum

Banned
It perplexes me that white Americans are unable to see that they view their world with a white POV. They like to convince themselves that they can't see color--which is saying they blatantly ignore racial issues (but whatev)--and that other groups are constantly pulling up the race card. What the fail to acknowledge is that they have a race card as well. Their white race card even grants them to ability to refer to their way of thinking as normal.

"If someone tried to tell me I needed a white space I would be outraged." (paraphrased)

Well, any space that is not inclusive and dominated by white people is a white space. Your ignorance, whether innocent or malicious, prevents you from acknowledging this fact.

Being the dominant culture without a threat to their hegemony, white people don't see themselves as a collective but as individuals. Generally speaking, the only times they start to think of themselves as distinctly white is when something causes them a grievance, whether real or perceived. Non-whites know from childhood however that they are different from the majority.
 

norm9

Member
Still reading through the thread.

Back in my day, our on campus housing did something similar with these themed dorms. There was an Asian one, Latino one, Black one, etc. But they were also part of a larger (or smaller) dorm so you weren't technically separated from the rest of your classmates.

Our college was separated into 7 or 8 different smaller colleges. Some of these colleges had more of one group and less of the other, but it was never exclusively one group, only if you consider the majority Caucasian campus one group.

So I think it's fine.
 
Hey, my alumni is in the news! The university is pretty diverse. Kinda surprised by this. When I was there two years ago, there was a protest when they decided to stop ethnic study classes mandatory, but a lot of students were confused because the protest signs made it sound like they were removing all ethnic study classes.
 
White people responding:

Are you concerned about the effect this might have on greater society? Then do not worry: The chief concern is surely with Black people, who are the actual victims of racism, and they can decide for themselves what helps them or harms them.

Are you concerned about the effect on the black students themselves? Then do not worry: they are their own best advocates, as they know best what their wants and needs are.

Are you concerned that this will result in a lack of opportunities for whites to interact with black classmates? It is true that more opportunities to interact and live in diversity are a positive good, but the needs of the black community, the actual victims of racism, surely rank above the needs for whites to have a more diverse college experience. An above poster said it best when he said that he did not need to be your magic negro.

My (white) 2 cents.

But I thought white people knew what was best for us? Like Abe Lincoln.

Black women are actually outperforming black men pretty handily by objective metrics, mostly due to higher education completion in comparison to black men. Black men are also disfranchised more due to incarceration.

No. It's still way harder for back women.
 

LionPride

Banned
Black women are actually outperforming black men pretty handily by objective metrics, mostly due to higher education completion in comparison to black men. Black men are also disfranchised more due to incarceration.

Black women are put down more than we are, just an observation
 
interesting breakdown of cal state LA numbers
http://www.calstatela.edu/student/future-students

50.9% Latino
23.3% Asian American/Pacific Islander
15.7% White, Non-Latino
9.6% African American
.5% American Indian

Freshman class breakdown
72.3% Hispanic/Latino
12.2% Asian, non-Hispanic/Latino
5.7% Nonresident Alien
3.7% Black or African American, non-Hispanic/Latino
2.8% White, non-Hispanic/Latino
0.1% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic/Latino
1.8% Two or more races non-Hispanic/Latino
1.4% Race and/or Ethnicity unknown
0.1% American Indian or Alaskan Native

62.8% Women
37.2% Men
 
People become more accepting of other demographic groups simply by meeting and interacting with them. People fear what they don't understand. Segregation reinforces racism. The people that need the special socialization training here are white people. That's why this is a bad idea. And black people will gain some benefits by interacting with white people as well.

FOH, it's not my job to teach y'all how to not be racist. Especially at the cost of my mental health.

That was the problem. Why as soon as your white roommate walks in do you suddenly have a different inflection in your voice? Why can't we have the same conversation we were having 5 seconds ago? Why do you treat this guy like he is giving you a job interview?

Because white people say all kinds of random racist shit. See: your entire post history.

As a white man, I think it would be presumptuous for me to think I know how these students feel, and arrogant to assume that I know what is best for them.

You're really squandering your white privilege. Stop being empathetic and enjoy that shit!

Nobody tell this guy about athletic dorms.

Motherfuckers are gonna have a meltdown when they find out about historically black colleges.
 
Just like black america is not a monolith, white america is not one as well.

The key part in my post was 'Japan' which you seem to have missed. I have not lived in a white dominated space for almost ten years now. I am not going to try and directly conflate my experience with black america because I am of the mind that racism in Japan is fairly benign and harmless and know for a fact that it pales in comparison, but that doesn't mean that there are not struggles to be had. I can be stopped on the street for absolutely no reason (and I mean no reason. They don't even need to make one up) and forced to show my ID with serious repercussions if I am unable to. I can be publicly denied (as in a written rule not some underhanded excuse like is the case in the States) housing because I am a foreigner with absolutely no recourse. My mixed race son and soon to be born daughter will have their own struggles if I continue to raise them here.

I am not posting this to try and play oppression Olympics or whatever, but to just point out that by making blanket assumptions about someone based on their race such as claiming that I am unable and unwilling to exit my own comfort zones you are showing your own prejudices, no matter how harmless they may be. A close reading of my post would have told you that I do not live in a white-dominated society but you completely glossed over that and went on to call me ignorant.

My problem here is that I just don't see the merit for this sort of housing situation in the long term. On an ideological level I understand the need to speak with like-minded individuals about topics of race, but I also feel like that role is already being served by public universities which are already more progressive than 90% of spaces in the country. Are placed like CSU actually racist hotbeds to the point where safe spaces are necessary even on a housing level? I feel like that is not the case, but I fully admit that I could be wrong.

I feel like making this an official safe space housing situation is just going too far and does more harm than good in the grand scheme of things. This thread and the responses here are proof of that in my opinion. It just enforces an idea of us vs. them in a lot of people's minds even if the judgement is unfair and the motivations behind it are valid.

I understand that placing the burden of this conversation on minorities is unfair, but I also feel like it is a necessary evil if we actually want America to continue to improve on these issues. Giving ammunition like this to the bigots just seems short-sighted and I feel like this thread is proof of that considering how many people fell for the bait.

Ah yes, stepping on the backs of blacks is a necessary evil this country is quite familiar with, the end justifies the means; get out of here. And whether or not YOU live in a white dominated space does not change the fact that the majority of spaces in America are dominated by whites.
 
As a white person, I'll admit this is a conversation white people don't really want to have. It makes us very uncomfortable to talk about race.

I'm not sure what the answer is. It's a tricky situation. I think a lot of times, people feel they're being accused, which causes them to resist the discussion.
 
Yeah Title IX makes you need to have equal allowance for everyone. So this would make a Somali housing, Italian housing, Hispanic housing, etc required now too.

This will backfire

This is a stupid comment. Title IX doesn't protect nationalities. Please think about what you saying before you say it.

I understand that placing the burden of this conversation on minorities is unfair, but I also feel like it is a necessary evil if we actually want America to continue to improve on these issues. Giving ammunition like this to the bigots just seems short-sighted and I feel like this thread is proof of that considering how many people fell for the bait.

But why do you want to force minorities to have a conversation some white people that are uncomfortable in discussing about race? Shouldn't they have a say in the matter? Minorities doesn't need to talk to bigots to know they are bigots. They also don't need their confirmation that racism and discrimination exist. So if people are uncomfortable, wouldn't it be easier to just let them be? It's not their job to convince minds and win hearts of people who didn't like them or see them as equals in the first place. Some people need to worry about more important things like their job, their kids, getting groceries, paying $59.99 for playstation plus. Having a conversation about race may not be so important because convincing one bigot that racism is alive and well will not instantly make the world a better place.
 

Syriel

Member
And whether or not YOU live in a white dominated space does not change the fact that the majority of spaces in America are dominated by whites.

California is not a white majority state. CA's largest ethic group is Hispanic/Latino (plurality, not a majority), followed by White, Asian, Black, multi-racial and then American Indian.

English is just barely a majority language in the state, with ~44% of households speaking another language at home.

But why do you want to force minorities to have a conversation some white people that are uncomfortable in discussing about race? Shouldn't they have a say in the matter? Minorities doesn't need to talk to bigots to know they are bigots. They also don't need their confirmation that racism and discrimination exist. So if people are uncomfortable, wouldn't it be easier to just let them be? It's not their job to convince minds and win hearts of people who didn't like them or see them as equals in the first place.

These discussions will likely happen more and more often as the rest of the country follows California's lead. As the state with the largest population in the US, it is likely to see demographic changes first.

It also makes for some interesting legal questions, as right now CA currently has no majority population? Could a White person claim protection as a minority? I don't know of any instances where it has happened, but that doesn't mean it hasn't (or won't).
 
interesting breakdown of cal state LA numbers
http://www.calstatela.edu/student/future-students

50.9% Latino
23.3% Asian American/Pacific Islander
15.7% White, Non-Latino
9.6% African American
.5% American Indian

Freshman class breakdown
72.3% Hispanic/Latino
12.2% Asian, non-Hispanic/Latino
5.7% Nonresident Alien
3.7% Black or African American, non-Hispanic/Latino
2.8% White, non-Hispanic/Latino
0.1% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic/Latino
1.8% Two or more races non-Hispanic/Latino
1.4% Race and/or Ethnicity unknown
0.1% American Indian or Alaskan Native

62.8% Women
37.2% Men

Wow only 2% non-Latino white? Are whites not going to college or are they trying to stay away from Latinos?
 

Buzzati

Banned
I don't see the problem with giving people the right to stay with the kind of people they feel comfortable with. If blacks feel comfortable living in a black on-campus community, discussing black issues amongst themselves, more power to them. Asian community groups and academic societies are often organized and coordinated on college campuses by virtue of their asian heritage. Many Universities have on-campus Hillel houses that offer religious and secular events to encourage Jewish socializing. It goes without saying that white people should also.... *MICROPHONE CUTS OUT* *CURTAIN FALLS ABRUPTLY*
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom