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@Pioneer1 I would further add to what Troy said by declaring that not only does this despicable country not belong to your people but that for 400 years your people belonged to it; they were chattel, property, goods and services bought and sold for the sole purpose of making life easier for white people. Unlike the immigrants who came to this country, the progeny of blacks were not absorbed into the mainstream but became objects of scorn in the eyes of the children of the immigrants whose white skin allowed them to move up, while your people remained at the bottom where they remain to this day. You are a nothing more than a foster child of America, and all of your breast-beating will not change this.

Pioneer is this really a full 90 minute rant? I listened to a good 10 minutes and will probably check out more of the video later. I will also check out breakingbrown.com, a site I never heard of before today. I agree with everything Yvette said in the portion of the video I listened. The point of the clip that you started was exactly what I was talking about when it comes to having a better understanding of people who don't have a lot of money and how much harder it is for them. Of course poor white people have the same problems, but they don't have the additional burden of living a a white racist culture. I think Cynique is right the country does not belong to you, or I. We are allowed to live here (for now). Most often any wealth we accumulate is the result of providing entertainment for the folks who actually do own this country. Of course there are loads of wealthy professionals and entrepreneurs in America, but those success stories are a relative minority in the Black community--for the reasons we all understand. Worse the most successful Black usually give their money and talents to those who really do own the country. These Back folks strive to go to their schools, live in their neighborhoods, and support their businesses (including their websites). If these Black folks become successful enough, they begin to see themselves as different, better even, than other Blacks and they begin to talk down poor Blacks. Bill Cosby famously did this. There is never a shortage of Black folks who condemn the poor for failing to pull themselves out of poverty while failing to recognize the situation that got them there and the conditions that keep them a virtual permanent underclass. What Yvette was talking about was not letting others tell us that we don't belong here, that we have a right to this country, that we have shed blood to earn our place here. The "right" however does not mean that what we have. We have a right to justice, but we don't often get it. @Pioneer1, perhaps your celebration is premature. I think you need to embrace the "fight to become a American." An American who shares equally in the full rights and privileges guaranteed to all of its citizens. An American that shares the wealth more equitably among it citizens. New York City for example, has almost 100 billionaires, but there are countless working Black people who are homeless or struggling to pay rent. While countless apartments sit idle because the wealthy buy them as investments. Nah man, becoming an American is a daily struggle. Some of us think that struggle ended in the 60's after the passing of civil rights legislation... maybe that is our problem.

Maybe you are both right in a way. No, Sara's words did not make me fly into a rage, if words did that to me I would given this forum up long ago. I also knew at the time Cynique did not need defending. Yes Sara crossed the line but it was also the culmination of her behavior that resulted in my action that an chastising her--which was pretty mild reaction. To put his into perspective Sara deleted her posts herself and left. She was not permanently banned. She could post right now if she wanted, but she won't for a bunch of reasons, the main one being is that she can't not tolerate anyone who disagrees with her. But enough about her... Longstoryshort the real issue is content. You give Bill Maher a pass because you like him. You can couch it any way you like, but you have made it very plain that if your boy Bill uses the word in a manner that you subjectively approve it is not a fighting word. I agree with you in this case. Obviously, others disagreed with us in this. Words don't have meaning, only people do.

Yes there is cultural competent to class. Lower class people generally behave differently that middle and upper class people. But when you are struggling financially your behaviors and attitudes necessarily change and not always for the best. I know white folks are hooked up in ways that Black people are not. Even when I was in corporate America I never filled out a job application, beyond my first job, I was always hooked up by someone that knew me and my work. That someone was always white... Networks are important white folks naturally have large more powerful networks. My problem was that I, unnecessarily, limited my network to the Black community. That was a mistake on many levels. but you live, learn and made adjustments. Maybe that is what being American really means, working to embrace the broader community, which maximizes your potential for success.