Why are these websites and applications acceptable?

Well, I do see it as being somewhat racist. Then again, it’s also an example of targetted marketing. I don’t see much of a difference between this and say Ebony magazine.

Good news for you. I skimmed their TOS and there’s nothing that says that you must be Black to be a member. So register away, upload a picture, no one will reprimand you for it. Ditto for the application, it might be targeted to Blacks but I don’t see any particular statement/method restricting people of different colors from using it.

And I don’t consider them as Black-only media since it’s targeted at them, but doesn’t prevent anyone else from joining it either.

“BlackPlanet.com does not support your web browser”

Not acceptable.

http://www.fluther.com/disc/29431/blackbird-browser-clever-or-never/

@PnL no of course. I’m not saying you can’t join it if you;re white, I’m saying if a white person were to make a website like this called GreatWhites.com or something, it would receive thousands of complaints for being racist from black people AND positive racist white people.

@jasongarrett different question, I was more using as an example as appose to saying is it a good idea

They have white members: I saw her on the front page

http://www.blackplanet.com/missynass11/?username=missynass11&sidebar=1

Okay I’d like to rephrase my question. When I say ‘white only’ I don’t mean it’s physically impossible to join if you’re white. I mean it’s sort of implied that it’s made exclusively for black people.

It’s acceptable, and often good for any oppressed group to use tools to help themselves rise out of oppression and become strong, but when an already privileged group does this, it might look as if they are trying to alienate, make themselves elite, and/or further oppress others.

@forestGeek

So are blacks already privileged?

@forestGeek I didn’t realise black people were still treated as slaves and that the American President isn’t half black~

I mean seriously come on, do people still see the black race as ‘oppressed’ and ‘weak’?
That’s just silly.

and racist when you think about it

Electing a president with a shared racial background
does not erase years of oppression.
Nor does it negate the oppression that continues to abound.

It is one symbolic step in the right direction.

@Nimis well no, but I don’t think it’s right to say that blacks are still oppressed and not strong.
again, example. It is a symbol

Blacks are still oppressed.
But being oppressed does not make them weak.

@Nimis when was the last time you saw a black man in chains?

It’s not racist for the simple reason that whites are still a majority whether they will openly admit it one-on-one or not.

Minorities do these type of things not for the sake of supremacy [they are the minority, duh!], they do it so they can maintain their cultural identity in a white world.

It is not racist to make a website that markets to blacks, asians, indians exclusively, because these cultures have had little air to breathe in a world where the majority culture is white.

When one speaks of oppression in this day and age, they are referring to cultural oppression and the inability for any culture other than a white one to be seen as a majority or “the right way”.

For instance – if you see a business run in a “black” way, you wouldn’t see them as professional because the “white” way is right and professional.

That’s oppression of the most subtle type.

You’re taking it a bit literal, methinks.
Real life oppression is rarely so literal and apparent.

@cage – firstly, there’s a difference between BlackPlanet and “Great” Whites. Think about it.

As for “why is this acceptable?” – When a white person looks at another white person, they typically don’t think “You are like me, I am like you, let’s hang out.” Blacks, on the other hand, are a “community”. Technically, there isn’t anything like a white community. I am going to leave aside the “are they still oppressed or not” argument, and posit a different reason. Immigrants from certain nationalities have a strong community feeling, such as Ukranians. Now even though black people do not fit in this category, since they could be from countless countries and many of them are just American, there still is a inherent feeling of community or a want to look out for each other that white people do not have. Saying this does not take away from either race. It’s just a way of how things are. I could list some probable reasons for why this is the case, one being the “diversity” in all the different types of white people, but I won’t go into that.

I am not black, but I did have one of my friends look over my answer to be sure I wasn’t just making crap up

Obviously blacks are not treated as slaves, did I say that? I personally don’t see any race in the US as being weak or oppressed, but I wouldn’t know how every individual feels, just myself.

I personally think an elite browser like that is really lame, but I think that any oppressed group, no matter which race, should take steps and do things to make themselves stronger.

@squirbel I’m not saying this is racist, because then I’d be a hypocrite about complaining when white people being called racist when they do something similar.
@Nimis can you explain the real life oppression? I’m not arguing, it’s a case of intrigue I rarely see racism in any form in the UK.
@PnL WHITEPLANET then. it’s just an example, look a bit further But that’s an interesting about the community idea so I’ll GA you anyway…
@forestGeek your first answer (at least how I read it) certainly sounded like you were saying “this makes sense because black people are oppressed and weak”

@cage: The majority of what I said addressed what “real life oppression” was.

@squirbel so being a minority makes you oppressed? from your answer you were saying that minorities do this themselves. Therefore they are forcing themselves into depression?

and just fyi whites are the minority on a while all over the world

@cage In the regions in question though “whites are the minority” isn’t the case. It’s more of a regional thing than a worldwide thing.

@cage I’m glad to hear that you rarely see racism in the UK.
But it’s foolish to think that what you don’t personally experience does not exist.

Not to mention that your experience being white will be markedly different.
Reading, hearing, watching how black people are treated
cannot compare to experiencing how black people are treated.

I’m feeling a little lazy right now, so I’m just going to link an old answer.
Basically, you can be totally oblivious to what happens around you as I was,
simply because it is not happening to you.
And some part of you is in denial that it still happens. Kumbaya and all of that.

@Nimis did I ever say it didn’t exist just because I don’t see it? No.
That like saying because I’ve never seen the Taj Mahal it doesn’t exist. I’m not a fucking idiot thanks. Obviously that would be very very foolish.
Also you still haven’t answered my question on what you meant by oppression. I’ll state agin, I’m curious not trying to start an argument. which it would appear you are by calling me foolish and in denial

@richardhenry I know, but I think it’s interesting to think about when the word minority is used and phrases similar to “black people are alone” and such come up

@cage My apologies for jumping to the conclusion
that your statement about rarely see racism in the UK
was meant to support your claim that it no longer exists.

I’ll take half of my comment back.
But you’re still half foolish for believing it no longer exists. ;)

As for saying some part of you is in denial, that’s more of a universal you.
If anything, it had more to do with my own experience in that long-winded response.
I didn’t really want to believe that people will still ask a black person for their seat.
That just seems ludicrous to me. Wasn’t Rosa Parks like 50 years ago?

Sadly, that shit still happens.
Black kids still get pulled over in white neighborhoods.
There are still LEGAL! housing contracts that specify
that the buyer must agree not to sell it to a black person.

But, really. I’m not the person to ask.
I’m not black. I do not experience this oppression first hand.
What I can or cannot tell you is very limited.

@Nimis I will repeat myself from my last comment. I never said it doesn’t exist!!! I just don’t think it exists in the ‘traditional’ form.

@cage
Let’s see. You said:
I don’t think it’s right to say that blacks are still oppressed.

Maybe I’m jumping to conclusions again, but I took that to mean:
I don’t think blacks are still oppressed.

Unless you actually meant:
I don’t think it’s right to talk about how blacks are still oppressed.

When was the last time you saw a black man in chains?
Is this the ‘traditional’ form you are referring to?
I merely took this part as you grasping at straws.
Are you back-pedaling to say this was your main point?

Rather than saying Whoops. Bad example in a moment of haste.
You’d be saying Yes, that is my best and brightest idea for this debate.

Not the best move.

The site above does not have as motivation judgement or bashing of outside
group. Clearly the purpose is not to discriminate against others but to network
with others of similar interests and ethnicity.

Yes- I think we can all agree that despite great progress in the last few years
racism is still far too common and is felt keenly by minorities today.

If you think about it- no matter who you are and where you are on earth there is someone somewhere who hates you for some reason that you have no control over.

And… just have to say this- GreatWhites.com sounds like a shark fan site. ;)

@Nimis… bad example then? I usually find it best to say things in the extreme to get people to understand the point straight away. Ironically it’s the opposite this time :P
I’d say the traditional sense is when you think of how the Black Panthers viewed it.
I like it how you’re still attacking me “Not the best move” when I’ve done nothing to provoke you. You’re still calling me a fool and an idiot aren’t you?

@cage Agreed…bad example. Truce.

It’s tempting to say things in the extreme.
Though I rarely find it the best route to go.

That last comment, I just wanted to stop you
from digging an even larger hole is all.

I hope you didn’t take all of this too personally.
For the record, I don’t think you’re a fool and an idiot.

@Nimis the point is though, I was never supposed to be digging a hole.
I think people have completely misunderstood my question. And I knew that was going to happen.
It’s more “Does anyone else find the people who complain about white people doing ‘this sort of stuff’ annoying?”

@cage No one ever means to dig a hole.
But you did take the first shovelful of dirt
with the president comment and another
when you made the shackles comment.

I don’t think people have misunderstood your question.
They just don’t seem to agree with your viewpoint on it.

@Nimis a lot of previous experience tells me that people do agree with my viewpoint. Maybe it’s more an English thing then.
The President comment was made because all through HIS campaign, supporters, him and his team have been saying how amazing it is that the black race has risen from oppression and they now have a Black American President. So tbf to me, I really don’t think that was a bad comment at all. e.g.
The chains comment, as backed up now, was probably a similar comment of what the Black Panthers would say, i.e. traditional oppression views.

@cage I don’t mean people in general.
I meant the people who answered this question,
the people that you assumed misunderstood it.

Electing the president was a historic milestone.
It is amazing that we have come this far,
but that isn’t to say that we don’t still have a ways to go.

The chains comment was probably a similar
comment of what the Black Panthers would say?

What does your comment have to do with the Black Panthers exactly?
Can you explain what you mean by ‘traditional oppression views’?

I’m probably just tired,
but you kind of lost me there.

You must be getting tired of this back and forth too, right?

[waves white flag]

I’m tired!
a) Truce.
b) I give up.
Your pick.

@Nimis I haven’t gone back and forth. I think you’re nitpicking to make me stop.
If you look on here and scroll down to the 10 Point Program, most of the things on there are pretty much covered these days. Traditional views of oppression I guess are where you find views expressed in lets say the Black Panther scene of Forest Gump since I’m sure most people have seen that. you can see those black people believe whites treat them like shit.
That’s the most simple way I can put it. The view that Blacks are treated like scum on a wide basis.
When you look at the big picture, it doesn’t really happen anymore.
If you’d like me to continue to repeat myself in more simplistic versions that’s fine.

@cage Not your back and forth, our back and forth.

You: We’ve come a long way.
Me: Yes, but we still have a ways to go.

Is that more or less it?

@Nimis not at all, I see it more like you’re the little kid in the back seat going “are we there yet are we there yet are we there yet…”

I don’t even know what we are arguing about anymore…

@PnL I think we were arguing about how I simply cannot understand racism because I’m not black and haven’t experienced it myself.

@cage – Oh okay then. I guess I concur.

@PnL so you’re saying I’m not allowed an opinion on it because of my skin colour?
racist!

Absolutely. Now shut up and just look pretty. =)

@PnL…um…

THE PLOT TAKES A MOST UNEXPECTED TWIST

Yes, there is a double standard. Get over it!!!

Discussions about race always make me facepalm.

Take a course on the sociology of the African American. I did, and despite half of my family being of African American descent (I’m not however), the education helped me to see this from all angles.

I don’t find those sits acceptable. People need to become more human and less ethnic. Many groups cry to erase racism but this will never happen as long as we cling to our own ethinticity.

@gooch – I disagree. I don’t think wanting to keep your culture makes you any less human. If the members on that site only interacted with black people and treated everyone else like dirt, then that would be different. In a nation which is such a melting pot of different cultures, having people like you around you only helps you feel more comfortable with your surroundings. I’d say more…but I am tired. Good Night.

you

DO NOT

have the right

to be not-offended

welcome to free speech