From: cogsdell@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (tony c)
Subject: Re: Institutional racism in education
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 04:06:51 GMT

In article <1992Dec12.141324.1@milori.ccit.arizona.edu> ohall@milori.ccit.arizona.edu writes:
>In article <1992Dec11.004346.6503@samba.oit.unc.edu>, Terry.Parks@launchpad.unc.edu (Terry Parks) writes:
>> 
>> All wealth opportunities which are biased on the basis of race
>> are biased in favor in Blaks to the detriment of Caucasians. There does
>> not exist any such opportunity restricted to Caucasians. However,
>> set-aside contracts, hiring and promotional preferences, and
>> educational preferences which are restricted to blacks and denied to
>> Caucasians are widespread and provide blacks with a much greater opportunity
>> to become wealthy.
>  Man you are stone mad!!!  
>  You actually believe there are all types of opportunities for blacks in 
>  terms of employment, education, contracts, and promotion?
>
>  Let me share my personal experience with you and maybe we can try and figure
>  out where all my grand opportunities went, or why I was denied them.  I was 
>  born and raised in Tucson, Az. I am 30 yr. old black male. I have a B.S. 
>  degree from the local college(U of Arizona) in business admin with a major in
>  M.I.S.  Upon graduating in 1986 I worked for $4.25/hr in my field as a 
>  programmer for a 1yr. 6mo.  Positions which I was well qualified for opened
>  in the organization.  The people leaving the positions recommended me for the
>  positions(I have letters).  I was continuously denied.  Affirmative action 
>  So now I am back in Arizona(The Racist State) working for $6.50/hr as a 
>  home town in my entire 25 years of living here.  
>  Neither my brother, myself or any of our black friends have ever secured 
>  worthwhile fulltime permanent work in this state.  All of my white friends I
>  went to high school with have fulltime jobs in state.  Some have no H.S. 
>  diploma and none have college degrees except me.  Yet all have been able to 
>  stay local and support themselves.  My parents have recently been 
>  brutalized by the police in Phoenix and have had no luck in finding legal 
>  representation for well over a year.  The cops reinjured my dads neck and 
>  kicked my mom to the ground and said "shut up bitch".  They both have 
>  spotless  A++ criminal records, but these are the cases you never hear about
>  on TV or in the media.  I could go on and on, but I'm sure you get the 
>  picture.  
>  So tell me where are all the opportunities?  Maybe I'm just looking in the 
>  wrong places.  



Things must be getting a 'little' better for black men........

I am 20yrs old, Live in Indiana, Make $8.50 p/h as an electronics tech.......

I really feel for those of you who have had to take this sh!t from  "the man".

Yes,  I realize not ALL whites are racist.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>



The key to solving our problems lie in the establisment of an economic base
in this country.  Due to the racist nature of the US, blacks will remain
a 'subclass' as long as we are dependent on whites for our very survival.
What are the solutions?????????

Education....    Education is the first step in finding the solution to
                 any problem. (Take Asians for example) 
Law..........    We live in a society where law will prevail.  
Unity........    When a group of people unite(set a common goal), they succeed.
Determination    Don't give up.

If you are in an area that won't allow you to succeed economically because
of your race, spend more of your resources looking for other parts of
the country to live/work in...  I'm not saying 'run and leave your problems 
behind' however.   One must help thyself before s/he can help others.  When 
you acquire the money/economic/political power needed to adress these
situations go back home(figuratively). 
For black(white) parents; Educate your children.

See to it they not only learn math and science well, but that they also
learn more about the world(cultures) around them.......   


It saddens me to see that only 3% of the population of this(my) school is black,
and of those 3% less than 1% are in math and science majors.  This is sick!!!!!

I can see why this has happened though.   Most(the majority) blacks in this
country are poor(see reasons above).  Most poor people live in poor 
neighborhoods.   The school systems in AmeriKKKa  :)    receive most of their
funding from the tax base of their local communities.    Schools in poorer
communities have less money -> resources to work with = poor education.

There are, of course, a lot of variables here.     Take me for example.

I graduated from LaSalle High in '90 with a 2.78/4.0 GPA.  I was hardly ever
told by my mom(my dad died when I was 8)  to get good grades or to do my 
homework.  All we where concerned with in HS was having a good time w/ friends.

I really didn't think about college until my junior year; that was encouraged
by my vocational electronics teacher and my older brother going to college.

After my senior year I decided to accept a job with Doctronics Co.,  a
division of Montgomery Ward Inc., as a state licensed electronics tech.
I didn't have too much of a problem finding a job in South Bend In. They
where looking for skills more than race.  After working there to save up 
enough money, I came to Purdue to study Electrical Engineering.  I still
have a way to go before I get my degree(MSEE) but no matter what the cost, I
will have it.


It became quite evident to me just how important a good primary education
is to ones success in college. (especially in math and sciences) 
I also noticed that, regardless of race, those students who came from
families that stress education are doing better than most.  There are
black students here with backgrounds(educational/monitory{wealthy}) that many
white people don't have.  Were they just lucky????   I doubt it. 

There are obviously a lot more well educated, well to do, whites here then 
blacks.  This I may attribute to racism(past/present).

Although Asians as a group may face racism(past/present) in the US, I don't
see it practiced against them as often.  Although asians number just above 3%
of this schools population, they are more visible as T.A.s, grad. students,
and professors.  Our math sciences building has a high percentage of non-white
students and staff.  The same holds for our Engineering schools.

I find it interesting that the only two black T.A.s I've had where graduate 
students from Africa. 

Higher education and it fruits are the future for black America.


PS. If all else fails we could resort to:

"...by any means necessary!!!!!!!"
 

Be the best at what you do!!!!   Never settle for less.

                                  Tony L. Cogdell
Newsgroups: alt.discrimination,soc.culture.african.american,misc.education