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I completely agree with what you just wrote Cynique. All I'm trying to do is add to what you and Chris are saying: as a Black person you can do all the right things and still fail. We fail with abilities and actions that result in success for white folks. Most of it has to do with support structures white folks have in place that we are lacking. You see, if we keep saying all you have to do is work hard and make the right decisions to succeed, you don;t do anything about all of the roadblocks that hamper the success of so many others. This is the mentality of many Black republicans who look at their own success and say, "well if I did so can you." Sure some folks escape, but we can't forget about the many others who never will--due to no fault of their own. Yes work hard, avoid bad decisions, pray, keep your fingers crossed, and do all you can to improve your chances to succeed. But we must also be clear; there is still a battle to fight. I think we have forgotten that, and the biggest consequence of this is our lack of solidarity. Folks like to say, "Black people are not a monolith." of course this is true, but we are treated by society as if we are, and must react as a monolith in order to enjoy the freedoms we deserve in this country. That monolith built universities, it build communities, it build newspapers that feed and nourished our community. Today we talk about our ability to reach others with stupid videos on Twitter, while the communities, universities and newspaper we built shutdown and struggle. It is sickening to think about really. A luta continua...

We argue about this all the time, Troy. I still say that it's better to try and emulate success than to resign yourself to replicating failure. Strong, determined people make the decision to do this. And they are able to do so because they don't bog themselves down with babies or join gangs as a way of coping. Yes, once a person does escape his/her negative circumstances, and gets out there in the rat race, all bets are off. But those who make it out of the ghetto are street smart scrappers ahead of the game because they know how to play hard ball. They are the strong representatives of the fittest. Life is not fair, and goodness is rarely rewarded so meritocracy isn't even a factor. But strong determination is a good weapon when battling for success, and there are a lot of black success stories. ( What do you call you and Chris??) What is the alternative to being self-sufficient? For blacks it depends on the whims of the white power structure and the unity of a black support system. Lotsa luck. When it came to race, I wasn't a politicized observer back during my early days growing up in an interracial town, but I would say that whites always do better than blacks, so however good blacks are doing today, their white "peers" are doing better. I'll get back to you on our spiritual losses.

Cynique, with a TV in every room, a cell phone in every hand, and easy access to fast food, I'm sure Blacks (and everyone else) has more material wealth today, but how are Black doing today relative to White folks when you were younger? It would also be interesting for you to expand upon our spiritual losses I don't put so much faith in the individual being responsible for their own success, sometimes people are victims of the situation, a situation they have no control over. If you are a victim of a shitty school system and aggressive policing you are at a severe disadvantage. A poor education and a warrant can put a serious damper on career prospects. Besides I've seen too much talent get marginalized and wasted because they were not in the right "club." I've also seen people do well for themselves by being very sheisty. Negros don't get away with this, but white folks do all day long. The Wells Fargo scam is the latest example with the CEO being one of the highest bank Bank CEOs in the country... No, America is not a meritocracy.

IMO, In many ways black people, like everybody else, are better off materially than they were 75 years ago but spiritually they have lost something because they have become captivated by false values and addicted to instant gratification. And all the modern conveniences they enjoy have merely made the inconvenience of ongoing racism a little easier to endure. In the big picture, to me the question has always been, why have many blacks risen above their lowly circumstances and acquired financial independence, while others have not. I agree with Chris in that it would seem to have something to do with certain people having superior coping and decision-making skills. (The same can be said about white people because they, too, have an underclass of poor people.) Everybody is created equal, but every body is not endowed with equal intellect, abilities or talents, so when all is said and done, it really does seem to be about the survival of the fittest; or at least the thriving of the fittest. And, of course, Capitalism and Democracy are not compatible so America is a country suffering from a conflict of contradictions. Socialism is what admirably blurs the distinction between the "haves" and the "have-nots" but that form of government is stigmatized because, among other things, it stifles the free enterprise - that exploits others. Race inevitably enters the picture because of visible differences and a lingering xenophobia. Naturally, the race in power strives to maintain its supremacy over those who are perceived as a threat because they are the "them" against their "us". This simple scenario plays out in the war going on between Neanderthal cops and the sons of Lucy and it will probably get worse before it gets better. The complicated black problem in America is entrenched. One reason is because black apologists tend to intellectualize it, and in their analysis they start out with a premise. Then they can't figure out why the "ergo" they come up with doesn't work when tried, never considering that their premise was a false one. Once they state the problem correctly taking truth instead of idealism into consideration, maybe the solution will be more realistic.

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