Did the Obama administration make race relations better or worse?
Barack Obama is the Jackie Robinson of American politics. Let me explain.Back in the day, when America was great and racism was in your face to the point where whites could kill blacks with impunity—they didn’t have to claim the black was running away after committing a crime, just looking at a white girl was enough of a crime to merit lynching—there was a great baseball player in the Negro leagues whose name was Jackie Robinson. Robinson was already 28 when he became a rookie on the Brooklyn Dodgers.Like Barack Obama, Robinson was a great player but even more importantly, he had a mild disposition. His manager warned him that all the white racists in every stadium in the country would harass him, throw things at him, insult him with racist slurs. They used to wait at the exits at the ends of games so they could do that. But his manager told him never to answer back, just smile and pretend nothing was wrong. Robinson did that. He also played for 10 years, was voted mvp one year and competed in 6 world series.After Robinson, black players became normal in Major League baseball. The idea that blacks could not compete with whites vanished completely.When Obama won the presidency, the same scenario began to play out again. People who should have been on his side refused to give him any credit for his excellent performance in office. I guess at first you could claim that Jackie Robinson made racism worse, but eventually it became clear that he made it better.The same is going to happen in America. There will be more black presidents who will be judged on their merits instead of on the color of their skin. In the short term, Obama’s election made racism worse because racists could no longer claim they weren’t biased, so they came out of the closet, so to speak, and let everyone know they were racist.But in the long term, Obama will be viewed as one of our better presidents and the only one so far who had to endure racism just to do the job. Let’s hope the next black president will be treated with more respect by the public and other politicians.
What do you think of the Black Lives Matter movement?
I think it began because people were fed up. I think it lives because people are fed up. I think the #AllLivesMatter movement is a way to belittle the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Everyone knows "All lives matter" - no ones arguing that silly people. People forget all too soon (and or twist the facts) on how the Black Panther Party began. I wasn't alive for it. But my uncle was. And a participating member at that. It began because of ruthlessness here in the Bay Area (Oakland specifically). People were FED UP. Racism was much more prominent, aggressive and open in the 60's and 70's. It's gotten much better here in the Bay, but everywhere else seems to be moving at a slower pace. Police need to be Policed. Police need better training. Police need to be held to the same standards as those people they are shooting: is it self-defense when you shot and killed that boy? If not, be tried for murder. There should be no other option. The other issue I find is when people protect and stand behind the police: "That girl should have learned to shut her mouth and behave and maybe that police officer wouldn't have beaten her down". WHAT? In what world is a sass-mouthed teenager beaten to a pulp in front of peers and other adults ok? A helpless foster child with a bad attitude. It's called "ABUSE OF POWER" and it's not ok. Had that young black girl been a "Blonde Beauty" with a sassy mouth, she wouldn't have been beat - and if she was, they'd hang that cop to dry. (example: Ben Fields, South Carolina Deputy, Fired Over Student Arrest)This is the exact reason (example) why #BlackLivesMatter happened. Because the police (and some other members of the judicial branch) have indicated that Black Lives Don't Matter. As someone else mentioned that whites should take a back seat to the movement and let black people drive it home. I don't care if I take a front or back seat to this movement, but I'm along for the ride. I support the movement, it's meaning and I believe Black Lives Matter. I don't need to say anything else.
How is 2010s different from 2000s?
2000s:Young people watched television for news.The 80s nostalgia revival was in full swing.Reality TV was at its height.Athletic wear was acceptable everyday wear, as Juicy Couture tracksuits became all the rage.The majority of music artists had established rappers and pop superstars that belonged to major record companies, like Britney Spears or Kanye West.Most people used MySpace and FaceBook, and the idea of a YouTube star had yet to fully realize its potential.Most people owned flip phones or Nokias.2010s:Young people read Twitter for news, and this has lead to a crisis of fake news and misinformation.The 90s nostalgia is in full swing.Instagram models and YouTube stars have replaced Reality TV stars, although, it's absolutely possible for a reality star to cross over into the social media scene, and get influence that way.Much of music is made on GarageBand and put online. The need for big music producers has decreased.EDM and Trap have taken over the music industry, and every artist has some influences of this. Many artists seldom use real instruments.FaceBook is still around, but Twitter and Instagram have become more important to young people, as it thrives on ingesting small bits of information.Most people own iPhones or Samsungs.