6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White' • Hacker News Board

Re: 6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White'

#71

Post by hyperpape » Wed, May 06, 2015, 2:33 PM UTC

nashequilibrium wrote: post #62

hyperpape wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, your overall question is a good one, but #2 is a howler. The reported statistic I've seen is that 40% of Americans say they don't have a close friend of a different race. But I'm confident that 99% of white Americans have spoken to a black person. Except for a few states like Vermont, most states and most cities have significant black populations. See, for instance: http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-most-di…

"The reported statistic I've seen is that 40% of Americans say they don't have a close friend of a different race." Firstly that says of another race, could be arab,persian, Italian, asian, etc... Secondly, no way in hell 60% of america can have a friend from a pool of 14% of America. This is impossible looking at how race groups tend to cluster.

More evidence you're confused about the US. In the United States, white people don't consider Italians a different race. They're white.

You're right about the precise claim of what I said. But people who've never talked to a black person are disproportionately likely to have not talked to an Asian, Arab, etc. States that have high proportions of non-Black racial minorities tend to have higher proportions of Blacks.

Re: 6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White'

#72

Post by laichzeit0 » Wed, May 06, 2015, 2:33 PM UTC

"In a high school soccer game I was called 'a white man with a [horrific racial expletive deleted] name.'"

Horrific racial expletive. That seems a bit... excessive? Let's elevate the horrificness of this word to the point where if someone utters it they get fined or jailed. That should teach 'em.

People are so ultra-politically correct these days I'm too scared to open my mouth for fear of offending someone, saying something sexist, racist, "white male privileged", not fat-accepting enough, etc. It's becoming insufferable.

Re: 6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White'

#73

Post by dzeanah » Wed, May 06, 2015, 2:33 PM UTC

nashequilibrium wrote: post #56

alex8022 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Source? I'm asking because I find it hard to believe (almost impossible) that 90% of white people have never spoken to a black person.

How many white people do you know that have spoken to a black person, not the lady at Mcdonalds but an actual interaction?

All of them.

This has to be a troll.

Re: 6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White'

#74

Post by stickfigure » Wed, May 06, 2015, 2:34 PM UTC

nashequilibrium wrote: post #56

alex8022 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Source? I'm asking because I find it hard to believe (almost impossible) that 90% of white people have never spoken to a black person.

How many white people do you know that have spoken to a black person, not the lady at Mcdonalds but an actual interaction?

All of them. Seriously, where do you live?

Re: 6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White'

#75

Post by cafard » Wed, May 06, 2015, 2:34 PM UTC

nashequilibrium wrote: post #56

alex8022 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Source? I'm asking because I find it hard to believe (almost impossible) that 90% of white people have never spoken to a black person.

How many white people do you know that have spoken to a black person, not the lady at Mcdonalds but an actual interaction?

At a guess, 80% of the white people I know. I live in Washington, DC, where you would have to go out of your way not to have black co-workers. Yet I had black teachers and classmates in high school in Denver long ago.

Re: 6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White'

#76

Post by nashequilibrium » Wed, May 06, 2015, 2:34 PM UTC

hyperpape wrote: post #68

nashequilibrium wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How many white people do you know that have spoken to a black person, not the lady at Mcdonalds but an actual interaction?

Every single person I worked with in Rocky Mount had spoken with Black people and worked with Black people. They lived on the same streets and their kids went to the same schools. And many of those white people who interacted with Black people every day were stunningly racist (and I should say many weren't). Maybe they categorized "different types" of black people. But they could hold a civil conversation, then turn…

"In fact, PRRI's data show that a full 75 percent of whites have "entirely white social networks without any minority presence." The same holds true for slightly less than two-thirds of black Americans." Now isolate the 14% black population from all minorities, take into account how minorities cluster and the 75% number is for black friendship is probably even higher than 90%

Re: 6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White'

#77

Post by rayiner » Wed, May 06, 2015, 2:34 PM UTC

Kenji wrote: post #6

I don't think the other people are at fault here. I think it's reasonable to assume that someone with a stereotypically black name is black, just like it's reasonable to assume that a random IT professor is male based on the fact that 90%* actually are. As long as you owe up to your error when you notice it (and e.g. apologize). It's a reasonable optimization that works out more often than not. The problem only start…

Using name is a reasonable way to optimize figuring out someone's race. The question is: why are we trying to figure out someone's race? If you're talking about reducing effort, isn't the easiest thing to just not ponder the question of someone's race? People wouldn't bother to try and answer that question if they didn't care about what the answer was.

Now, the fact that people care is not in and of itself evidence of racism. To some extent, people just want to put a face and a narrative to a name. The question is, what's in that narrative?

Re: 6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White'

#78

Post by shabda » Wed, May 06, 2015, 2:35 PM UTC

contergan wrote: post #60

kaa2102 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is absolutely unreasonable. When you say it "works out more often than not" I would ask "For whom?" Many snap judgments based on race lead to the death of unarmed black men and women. Studies have shown that resumes with black-sounding names get fewer callbacks and we treat black men like white men with a criminal record. Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal? http://www.nber.org/papers/w9873 N…

>Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal? That's impossible to say on an individual level, but it is very likely. If you phrase the question differently, there's a pretty clear answer: >On average, are two white people more employable than two black people? Without knowing any further info about the possible candidates - Yes. Looking at education statistics in the US, it becomes clear pretty quickly…

> On average, are two white people more employable than two black people?

Instead of above, the question you need to ask is "On average, are two white people who are applying to your job more employable than two black people who are applying to your job ? I don't believe the answer is yes. A person who has overcome the statistics you quote has the same ability and employability regardless of race.

Re: 6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White'

#79

Post by nashequilibrium » Wed, May 06, 2015, 2:36 PM UTC

hyperpape wrote: post #45

nashequilibrium wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is what amazes me about white America: 1: 14% of the population is black, 2: 90% of white America have never spoken to a black person let alone have a black friend. 3: So where do their stereotypes come from, rap?, news?, (with regards to height) NBA? 4: They don't like to talk about this and this will be flagged off HN. It amazes me with so little to no interaction with a group, white America can infer a black…

So, your overall question is a good one, but #2 is a howler. The reported statistic I've seen is that 40% of Americans say they don't have a close friend of a different race. But I'm confident that 99% of white Americans have spoken to a black person. Except for a few states like Vermont, most states and most cities have significant black populations. See, for instance: http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-most-di…

Your stats are wrong, read below and thats covering all minority groups. now isolate the 14% black group from those minorities. White ppl just don't have black friends, deal with it.

""In fact, PRRI's data show that a full 75 percent of whites have "entirely white social networks without any minority presence." The same holds true for slightly less than two-thirds of black Americans.""

Re: 6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White'

#80

Post by paulhauggis » Wed, May 06, 2015, 2:36 PM UTC

kaa2102 wrote: post #38

Kenji wrote: post #6

I don't think the other people are at fault here. I think it's reasonable to assume that someone with a stereotypically black name is black, just like it's reasonable to assume that a random IT professor is male based on the fact that 90%* actually are. As long as you owe up to your error when you notice it (and e.g. apologize). It's a reasonable optimization that works out more often than not. The problem only start…

It is absolutely unreasonable. When you say it "works out more often than not" I would ask "For whom?" Many snap judgments based on race lead to the death of unarmed black men and women. Studies have shown that resumes with black-sounding names get fewer callbacks and we treat black men like white men with a criminal record. Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal? http://www.nber.org/papers/w9873 N…

Okay, then we need to remove all stereotypes: republicans are rich old men that want to hurt the poor people, religious people don't like gays, anyone that didn't vote for the current president MUST be racist, if something it's written in PHP..it must be terrible because the language is terrible, the police are all racist and want to kill unarmed black men. I could go on.

There are plenty of stereotypes and generalizations that continue to go on even here on HN..without anybody seeming to care.

"Many snap judgments based on race lead to the death of unarmed black men and women"

A small percentage of this is going to happen no matter what, and it needs to be prevented. The problem I have is that society is not allowed to use statistics or facts any longer because it's not politically correct.

If I'm a police officer going into a neighborhood that has had multiple crimes, shootings, and deaths, and the perpetrators were black, I'm going to be extra careful if I see someone that is black doing anything suspicious. This is just being smart.

"Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal?"

The resumes they used were nowhere to be found on the site, so I don't even know if I can believe this study.

"Norton Pscyhology: Devah Pager and Dalton Conley discuss racism and the stigma of criminal record"

Of course there is a stigma of a criminal record. There should be, because it's not a good thing. If there are two applicants, 1 with a criminal record and one with slightly worse experience and no criminal record..I'm going to chose the latter every time. Sorry, but if you don't want to be judged on your criminal record, don't commit crimes.