Video by Lacigreen via Youtube
This Girl Surprisingly Gives One of the Best Explanations About Systematic Oppression In America
May 14, 2015 | Posted by
Comments
Speak Your Mind
You must be logged in to post a comment.
News and Empowering Narratives to Change Our World
Recommended Stories
Related Videos
-
Actress Jurnee Smollett-Bell Makes Compelling Argument for Why America Should Deal with Wounds of Slavery
-
Stephen A. Smith Doesn't Know What Racism Is, So Some Young People Had to School Him
-
'White Privilege Glasses' a Hilarious Take on White Folks' Obliviousness to Racial Bias
-
Watch What Dustin Hoffman Thinks Is a Way Bigger Problem than #OscarsSoWhite
Spot On!
She could not have said it any better than that
Absolutely Excellent work young lady, truly inspiring and refreshing to see someone not directly effected by this stimulus get it!
"For most of my life I was blissfully unaware that I was white."
And I stopped listening right there. That's about the dumbest thing I ever heard.
That's too bad. She presented a lot of good information.
Guess the truth is too much for some.
"This girl?" "Surprisingly?"
Her name is Laci Green. She's a grown ass woman. She's a Feminist scholar.
She's kind of a big deal.
This is a great video (her videos are great, period.) …but they should be ashamed for the title of this post. Come on!
It's true that many if us white people don't realize, consciously, that we are "white". It's the default, just like many cis men don't have to think consciously about the fact that they are men. It's when you're systematically disadvantaged due to an aspect of your identity that you realize how much that identity is a part of you–or when later on, like Laci Green, realize the privilege you've had NOT to think about your own race.
She has no idea what she is talking about. The truth is not racism. It's just telling the truth. Be glad this country has been here for us. Funny as hell!
Emma Hardy talk for yourself I learned in job corp about this priviledge we are supposed to have then for all my adult life I watched as the straight black community brutalized my people, I also am waiting to see if I'm considered an equal person by the courts meanwhile the straight black churches are doing their best bashing us so stop pretending that the blacks have no shame in the game that they are saints and all whites are evil well actually it isn't about all whites notice noone really attacks the females and the reason is they jumped into this fight because of their issues with white males so its pile up on white mailes time, and this concept of saying I have priviledge because I'm white, where? where was it, when I was growing up in southern ohio coal town? a gay white kid where was it?
THIS is what you have gotten out of this video? Seriously?
Today's forecast calls for 100% chance of White Tears, because someone DARED to speak the truth.
*YAWN*
stirs coffee
Horribly sad but true.
Emma Hardy No, it's the manner in which she states her claim that is unbelievably ridiculous. It's as if she were to say "For most of my life I was blissfully unaware that I had two feet." Nonsense, and you knew that all your life. It might be that she was inattentive to what her being white meant for her outside of everyday interactions with others, but the wasn't unaware that she was white unless she was blind.
Sablo Stutt What he's saying is that she's talking about systemic oppression of entire populations… while the title of this article suggests that A GIRL unexpectedly (because girls are not smart and capable of independent critical thought) and succinctly lays it all out. A great video about systemic oppression is marketed through the use of overt sexism.
Sablo Stutt Nope, it's not. But I could see how you'd feel that way.
Look up sarcasm. Seriously.
Sablo Stutt- w/ all due respect, I agree w/ Justin and Monica here as I find the author's reference to Ms. Green as a girl to be disrespectful and unprofessional, given that he's a jounalist and she's a respected, professional, grown WOMAN, as has been stated. and further, her material is alwaaaays well done and well sourced. I would tell Jason that he owes Ms. Green an apology and really needs to do a lil research on her work ;).
Great video, but she left out the fact that during the 60's a lot of black people had factory jobs in places like Detroit and Los Angelos and while they weren't fantastic they allowed black people to live a semi comfortable middle class existence. It may seem hard to believe now but places like Compton represented a hopeful future for Black America at one point. Then the factories all moved overseas and Detroit and Los Angelos became the wonderful paradises we know today.
@shawn kidwell Just because you didn't benefit from one form of privilege doesn't mean you haven't benefited from others and that unearned privileges simply don't exist. Yeah you might have lacked upper-middle class privilege and straight privilege growing up but if you don't think you've benefited from white privilege or male privilege or cis-gender privilege step out of your own shoes for a while and just imagine what your experience would have been growing up in the same environment as an afro-latina trans-woman. If you seriously think your struggle would have been easier then there just isn't any hope for you.
More like her, please!
I would have liked to have seen her address reverse redlining. That was when Bush said that banks must lend endless money to these low-end neighborhoods. Which led directly to the financial crisis. Banks had to turn around and package all those loans that they gave to low-end neighborhoods into securities with good loans and sold them across the globe.
But she mentioned the lack of education leading to more physical labor oriented jobs . So I think she has it covered.
The truth that people have racial bias I.e. racism
Everyone does.
Yeah. But if you read the fine print. Those loans were higher interest than at any time in American history. Fact
Because you didn't want to listen in the first place
Sablo Stutt @ Justin Hubbell said ""This girl?…….. Come on!" Monica Baran said "What he's saying……….overt sexism." I got something different from the presentation and their comments. I am guessing you did too. They are at least trying to understand but the best authority on this subject is…….. a black person! I've never been to prison and got a decent education after high school….. twice! However, that oppressive system still awaits me because I will forever be black.
Of course you agree with Justin, Mike…
Because instead of listening to the point of the video you dwell in the "I'm offended" gimme bait of the title because we as a nation have forgotten how to objectively ignore things that aren't meant to offend and instead run with that… because outrage is cool. It shows how politically correct we are with the least amount of effort.
I don't mind being called a guy or a dude in colloquial conversation and I highly doubt Ms. Green cares much about it either. Also it's not SURPRISING because she's a woman, it's surprising because she is WHITE…. because most white folk are too busy arguing over semantics and perceived offenses to actually educate themselves on the REAL issue. Do you see my point here or did you miss it like you did the point of the author sharing this video?
I think Malvin Boyd raises a great question, which (to paraphrase) is – how come the only authority when it comes to education is a white authority?
Obviously there are hundreds of Black scholars, activists, and public figures from John Henrik Clarke to contemporary folk like Alicia Garza
The problem is that racism is so ingrained within White consciousness – that most of us either take for granted or outright refuse the words of our Black peers – such that if we don't learn from other white people then we don't learn at all.
I hate how a vast majority of White folk (myself included in the past) can listen to Black people and hear nothing. It's a true sadness.
However I believe that people like Laci Green, Tim Wise, Robert Jensen etc play a huge role in getting the ball rolling towards us White people opening up to more perspectives.
John Karnay – I don't understand this loathing of "politcal correctness."
Personally I try to be politically correct because I don't like intentionally hurting people.
I've certainly slipped up here and there – apologized and learned from my mistakes?
But that process is good for me, it's important to be challenged and to grow by learning from others.
People who feel attacked by other people being offended simply don't want to think about the reasoning behind those feelings of frustration. And that's fine, but if you don't want to think then don't get worked up when other people do.
Great job Laci!
We think this person is so great, we are going to remove any direct link option to her video, and not play it through Youtubes player. So she gets not credit, and you can't even like her post" Wow, Atlanta Black Star, this is my first exposure to you, and my last.
Matthew you should dig a little more….she is talking about black people and the reality you quite naturally in this country cannot see.
John and Malvin, the whole point of this conversation has been NOT accepting oppressive ideas and concepts. That means that if you qualify a statement/position/authority based on ANYTHING physical without merit you're wrong.
For example:
– "I know the plight of all blacks and can speak publicly on the subject because I was born black." ummm, maybe. But what if you've never stepped outside of your state or never read a book or heard others' experiences? You've been actively oppressed and not been able to step past that wall mentally.
– "I KNOW abortion is wrong because I'm a white Christian woman and my opinion matters because I'm white, Christian, and a woman. Thank GOD I'm a senator so I may disseminate my ideals and force them on everyone else and create a whole hubbub about shit we already decided on 40 years ago." Well.. while your opinion holds value, it can and should affect how YOU live YOUR life. Not how someone else should live theirs. Plus you're guided by politics and worse yet political money.
– "Feminists are man-haters and female supremacy advocates. I know this because I'm an insecure white man who works in a male driven career where really hard working women are popping up and doing a really good job. Rather than being happy to see new ideas, major strides, and development in my field I can't help but take other people's success as a personal affront." This sounds like you need to focus less on what evil feminists are doing and work on your self, buddy. You're going to be alright, step away from the fedora.
The point is that your physical person does NOT qualify you to speak. Your hunger to learn, your understanding, professional empathy, your WORK in the field, your experience, and academic research is what matters.
Malvin, please let me express incredible regret that you've lived, grown, and managed in a system where you can't win because of your high level of melanin.
John, no one here is "offended" by the author's use of the word girl, it's just kind of uncreative, shitty click-bait writing that plays into exactly the old gender stereotype world. It's not offensive, it's fucking cheap. You know what this article deserves? NOTHING. Rather than this garbage site being posted on my facebook page, the original content should be posted so that Laci can be making ad money off of it. Not some wannabe actor from LA that's got some really fucked up race-based views and who actively believes in conspiracy theories. You're being offended over someone else's falsely perceived offense. Stop. The truth is that we're just generating MORE ad revenue for this useless website.
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it."
Please drop it.
Why is this "surprising", Jason Moore and Atlanta Blackstar? Why is it "surprising" that a WOMAN – not a "girl" – would have a good explanation for systematic oppression?
Finally!
Walter Scott was shot 8 times…… Let's give facts .
like most people care.
Can we please stop pretending this is some HUGE revelation. We've known, and stated over and over, this for sometime. I guess when a cute white girl says it then it must be true. Anyone who actually cared enough knows damn well why racial minorities and poor whites are systemically marginalized. Now lets see how many people are actually "woken up" by this.
because many whites refuse to acknowledge nor speak on this. ESPECIALLY in Texas.
Now that we are all singing Ms. Green's praise (or demise) because she may or may not have so eloquently explained the problem in her witty video, can we stop debating like blathering idiots over semantics and actually post authentic and creative actionable solutions on how we can start solving the problem? Or are we all just here to pat each other on the back or complain so that we feel like we are standing up for social justice while we sit at our computers and type.