Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
Earlier this month, Fast Company released an infographic detailing the demographic makeup of the Occupy Wall Street movement which revealed that only 1.6 percent of protesters are black.
The Washington Post today awkwardly endeavors to explain why, despite being disproportionately afflicted by the economic downturn, African Americans have not embraced Occupy Wall Street. The half-baked hypothesis: after decades of economic hardship blacks are resigned to their plight.
Blacks have historically suffered the income inequality and job scarcity that the Wall Street protesters are now railing against. Perhaps black America’s absence is sending a message to the Occupiers: “We told you so! Nothing will change. We’ve been here already. It’s hopeless.”
[...]
Beyond a lack of leaders to inspire them to join the Occupy fold, blacks are not seeing anything new for themselves in the movement. Why should they ally with whites who are just now experiencing the hardships that blacks have known for generations? Perhaps white Americans are now paying the psychic price for not answering the basic questions that blacks have long raised about income inequality.
Other under-represented populations in the Occupy Wall Street movement include Asians (only 2.6% of OWS is Asian), Hispanics (6.8%), and Republicans (2.4%). I cannot wait to read the WaPo's theories on these groups.
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May '10
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
It's clear: The Man is oppressing minorities so bad that they have no choice but to get a job and go to work to pay their taxes so that their wealth can be redistributed to the downtrodden White folk.... No, that's not it. Wait, give me a second... I'll come up with something....
Sep '10
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
The answer is simple: OWS is mostly middle-class white kids who've gone to college, and been indoctrinated by leftist ideology. If blacks are less likely to come from that background it stands to reason they would be less likely to care about OWS.
But i guess the press can't get passed the idea that OWS is a movement of downtrodden.
Apr '11
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
" A few prominent African Americans, such as Cornel West, Russell Simmons, Kanye West and Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.)" One can be forgiven if they stop reading there.
Oct '10
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
I love reading the trials and tribulations of urban upper-middle-class bleeding-heart white liberals. It always amazes me how self-righteous they can be.
Jul '10
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
Let Me take a gander at this:
protest
1.an expression or declaration of objection, disapproval, or dissent, often in opposition to something a person is powerless to prevent or avoid
and the opposite of pro is con
contest
1.a race, conflict, or other competition between rivals, as for a prize.
Participating in a contest there's a potential winner. So, the opposite would be no potential winners; meaning participation in a protest.
Maybe the "under-represented populations" are busy participating in contests (working, creating work, or looking for work; potentially winning) and the represented populations are busy participating in protests (losing).
Edited on Nov 25, 2011 at 4:49pmOct '10
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
If there were any money in it, Jesse J. and Rev. Al would have seen fit to exploit the OWS folks. The race baiting and class warfare call in the piece is off the mark and shamefull at best.
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
With rare exceptions, African-Americans have better things to do than to engage in such posturing.
May '10
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
One of many MSM displays of fallacious logic:
A movement with few blacks is racist
The Tea Party has few blacks
Therefore the Tea Party is racist
Will they draw the same fallacious conclusion about OWS?
Jan '11
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
That's the trouble with socialist dogma, one has to keep rationalizing opposite outcomes. Too much work for me. I'll stick with capitalism.
Oct '10
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
Perhaps when you have a proud history of resisting real evil—state-sponsored apartheid and state-condoned murder, for instance—the incoherent whining of pampered college kids doesn’t much commend itself.
Aug '10
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
Occupying Wall Street is Stuff White People Like.
May '10
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
I'll wait for the Gallup numbers. The original survey was pretty unscientific.
Also, is there a Tea Party analog for this? http://pococcupywallstreet.tumblr.com/
May '10
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
Er, sorry. http://pococcupywallstreet.tumblr.com/
Nov '11
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
Black people generally don't sleep outdoors unless they're homeless. Camping out is mostly a white people thing, specifically two particular groups of white folks:
1. White folks brought up in, or not far removed from, rural or small town middle class to lower middle class society. Most of them like to hunt or fish. They prefer RVs and 5th Wheels. They wouldn't do OWS, because they think it's a buncha spoiled brats and because only an idiot would go camping in the middle of a city, unless it was in a nice RV Park.
2. White folks brought up in middle class to upper middle class urban society. They might fish a little, but no way will they hunt. They prefer tents and would feel mortally embarrassed to be seen in an RV or a 5th Wheel. The older ones are old worn out hippies or hippie wannabees. The younger ones like to camp out to "get back to nature" or to prove how much they're willing to suffer for the cause. They also hope maybe all that animal outdoorsiness might stimulate some hormones. This group of white people is well-represented at OWS campouts
Edited on Nov 25, 2011 at 8:26pmAug '10
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
Hi, Lysdexic! Just wanted to say that hubby here and I love your name. We use that word all the time!
Aug '10
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
Astonishing: Camping out is mostly a white people thing, specifically two particular groups of white folks:
1. White folks brought up in, or not far removed from, rural or small town middle class to lower middle class society. Most of them like to hunt or fish. They prefer RVs...
2. White folks brought up in middle class to upper middle class urban society. They might fish a little, but no way will they hunt. They prefer tents and would feel mortally embarrassed to be seen in an RV...
Where do the white folks who switch hit fit in? We'll cheerfully do either tents or RVs, depending on the circumstances.
EDIT: Asking dear hubby, he'd rather fish (which I wouldn't have guessed). I'm the one who'd rather hunt. But handing a klutz like me a rifle is a questionable idea at best -- hubs is inclined to forbid it, in my case.
Edited on Nov 25, 2011 at 9:07pmNov '11
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
Oh, man, you stole my thunder.
(SWPL is way funny, but really it should be called "Stuff Liberal White People Like." How lucky I feel not be white! Because it's just too embarassing for them sometimes, and everybody is still allowed to make fun of them.)
Nov '11
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
Midget Faded Rattlesnake
Astonishing: Camping out is mostly a white people thing, specifically two particular groups of white folks:
1. White folks brought up in, or not far removed from, rural or small town middle class to lower middle class society. Most of them like to hunt or fish. They prefer RVs...
2. White folks brought up in middle class to upper middle class urban society. They might fish a little, but no way will they hunt. They prefer tents and would feel mortally embarrassed to be seen in an RV...
Where do the white folks who switch hit fit in? We'll cheerfully do either tents or RVs, depending on the circumstances. And we'd rather hunt than fish (though whether it's a good idea to put a rifle into the hands of someone as klutzy as me is debatable). · Nov 25 at 8:48pm
This is American, so you're allowed to express your bi-campualness openly. But be honest, wouldn't you rather sleep in a nice RV?
Aug '10
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
Astonishing
Oh, man, you stole my thunder.
(SWPL is way funny, but really it should be called "Stuff Liberal White People Like." How lucky I feel not be white! Because it's just too embarassing for them sometimes, and everybody is still allowed to make fun of them.) · Nov 25 at 8:53pm
Har! Didja know #94 on the list of SWPL is free health care? Oh and "awareness" and "threatening to move to Canada" make the list, too, among other things.
Aug '10
Re: Why Aren't Black Americans Occupying Wall Street?
Astonishing
This is American, so you're allowed to express your bi-campualness openly. But be honest, wouldn't you rather sleep in a nice RV? · Nov 25 at 8:58pm
Sleep in one? Sure. Go through the expense and trouble of renting one for each trip? Not so much. Plus, the places darling hubby likes best involve roads where an RV could easily get stuck, especially if I'm the one driving it (there's that klutz factor again).