In my high school year, we had 1 (singular) African American girl. She was bused in (70's and early 80's Silicon Valley) who I barely knew in school. I did spend an hour or so talking to her at our 30th reunion, and she is/was a lovely person, it made me wish I had known her when we were in school together, and that there were more people with her background. But alas, I do remember the fights between my parents when busing became a thing in the SF Bay Area, about how it was the worst thing ever.
I suspect we are far from there being anywhere near equality of opportunity.
Exactly. As a policy, most dislike the program. But when you put a face on it, when it becomes a personal interaction with someone, it isn't so bad-- you can appreciate it a little more.
We're getting closer, but still have a ways to go.
We have far too long self segregated so the experience many in the Midwest have that there just aren't any African Americans in their lives is the norm, so when they do see them, they automatically assume that they got their via Affirmative Action, and not because they are worthy.
Reminds me of when I was tin grad school (Physics, SJSU) that we had a black colleague that disappeared one day. Turned out that he and his family lived in Oakland, and his brother was killed in a drive by gang shooting one day, and that caused him to drop out of the program. Sad, senseless, yet it is "America".
A very nuanced position.
In my high school year, we had 1 (singular) African American girl. She was bused in (70's and early 80's Silicon Valley) who I barely knew in school. I did spend an hour or so talking to her at our 30th reunion, and she is/was a lovely person, it made me wish I had known her when we were in school together, and that there were more people with her background. But alas, I do remember the fights between my parents when busing became a thing in the SF Bay Area, about how it was the worst thing ever.
I suspect we are far from there being anywhere near equality of opportunity.
Exactly. As a policy, most dislike the program. But when you put a face on it, when it becomes a personal interaction with someone, it isn't so bad-- you can appreciate it a little more.
We're getting closer, but still have a ways to go.
We have far too long self segregated so the experience many in the Midwest have that there just aren't any African Americans in their lives is the norm, so when they do see them, they automatically assume that they got their via Affirmative Action, and not because they are worthy.
Reminds me of when I was tin grad school (Physics, SJSU) that we had a black colleague that disappeared one day. Turned out that he and his family lived in Oakland, and his brother was killed in a drive by gang shooting one day, and that caused him to drop out of the program. Sad, senseless, yet it is "America".