I am not telling you to "bash" a black woman, but you said her opinions were wrong when I you thought the ideas originated with me. You thought you could use the "tired" argument that white people's opinions are shaped by white privilege and so you were unprepared when I provided you evidence that my opinions are shaped not only by my experience (as an American), but also by a black woman (also an American) and she is just one of many whose wisdom I find compelling.
Now that you have lost this debate, because the "white" premise of your argument has been destroyed by this woman's article, you are trying to ignore her insights. And pretend this debate is between a white man and a black man... but it isn't... it is between two people.
Nothing changes when I echo her thoughts... as I said, I echo them because I agree black people are not a monolithic group and I agree with some black people and disagree with other like you.
As you say, you don't speak for black people, you speak for yourself, so don't keep bringing our different skin colors into the conversation when I showed you skin color is not the reason we disagree.
You are clearly entitled to your opinion... but it is not the opinion of the black community and mine is not the opinion of the white community. My opinion is supported by thought leaders from all races.
You seem fixated on the concept of a "white" savior, so I am assuming you read that recently and thought it clever. Mentors are not saviors; they are simply people willing to share their knowledge and experiences to help people get ahead, usually because someone did the same for them. I was lucky and had two.
Nearly, every successful person had one or more people in their life help them when they were young to succeed... and I don't think skin color was an important part of that relationship. In my case, my mentors were both from religions that would have separated us in Europe in the past (they were Catholic and Jewish, and I was a Protestant). Hopefully, you have an idea how radical that would have been in the past.
Using your logic, I should have rejected their help. Such a silly idea. Those who see the world through the lens of black and white, Christian and Jew, etc. miss out on so much.
But you seem to see the whole world through the lens of color and that is sad. I grew up listening to MLK's speeches as a child. He is one of my heroes, not because he was black, but because he was great.
He was adamant that action was needed to make the world a better place (staying in their place was not an option). Thankfully there were enough good people (black and white) that made the Civil Rights movement of my day achieve the success that it did, that we are where we are today.
Slow and steady progress towards an integrated society was MLK's goal and its happening. Malcolm X, another African American leader of my youth, advocated a form of black separatism, I rejected that as it would lead to violence and segregation simply on different terms. Sadly, he continues to have adherents and they use race as a rallying cry to promote separatism.
And so, I embraced MLK's dream... in my career and my personal life... I am all in... my family is more integrated than the country and so there is no going back for us.
You seem afraid of integration. That somehow white people can't possibly see you as an equal.
I feel sorry for you... because that kind of thinking will keep you stuck in the past. Meanwhile enjoy this song from my youth... it has influenced me for 50 years...
https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=Has%20anybody%20seen%20my%20good%20friend%20John&mid=B5BCB363616B6E334BEFB5BCB363616B6E334BEF&ajaxhist=0
