do you think if blacks had the opportunity to control the images,faces and voices heard,seen and read on television,radio and print it would be the people we see and hear the most???
the people i see the most on tv are not the people i want representing me...
True. You get the "mass appeal" folks, and right now in the US, the mass is still laregly white. Just curious though (and not trying to be argumentative), what people would you think would be better representative, or who would some examples be of who would be in the media if the roles were reversed?
Well, you're complaining how white people stereotype and fear black people.
WHEN DID I SAY THAT?????? WHEN DID I[/b] ..J*r*** say that?????
You didn't. But that's been what the thread is about, more or less, and you were commenting on the thread, so I assumed that's what you were referring to.
But I'm not trying to be argumentative or inflammatory. I'm just conversating and it's been interesting hearing other people's opinions. I don't think what I've said has been ridiculously off-base, even if others don't agree with my line of thinking.
But hey, if I'm somehow just being insane or offensive or something, let me know.
I say that if you get enough black CEOs, lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs, and the like, you will erase the "black" issue .
And how do you suppose this is going to happen ? oh thats right ..if i just pick myself up by my bootstraps ....RIGHT?
this is why the advice and encouragement annoys me....its like a father telling his child.... "thats alright son.... there are some very mean people out there but just ignore them or kill them with kindness or forgive them or be the bigger man and it will all go away.....ask yourself son..what am i not doing right to make these people treat me so bad...it'll be ok son....here are a few quotes by some wonderful people to make you fell better"....
I say that if you get enough black CEOs, lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs, and the like, you will erase the "black" issue .
And how do you suppose this is going to happen ? oh thats right ..if i just pick myself up by my bootstraps ....RIGHT?
I wasn't trying to craft an intricate plan to equalize people of all races and all walks of life, at least not in this thread.
I'm just saying that, in general, if you shift enough people into professional positions as above, the stereotype can be broken. It's already changed for the positive in the last 50-60 years. It will most likely continue changing. I realize that there are still a lot of negative stereotypes and inequality out there... what can I say, keep pushing. I don't think there's much else that can be done.
It's all how you "appear" as well as[/b] what race you are.
I'll agree with that. I have no doubt that there are preferences for whites versus other folks, even if everything else is the same.
But, for what a lot of people have been talking about, it would eliminate a lot of the pretty "purse grabbing"-type activity that people have been talking about.
Appearance is everything. Even my dad, a 50 year old white guy, gets treated differently. When he goes looking at cars, if he's dressed in jeans and a t-shrit he gets largely ignored. When he goes in a suit, salespeople are on his nuts - I've seen it.
It's the same reason white biker guys in leather jackets with long hair and tattoos freak people - anybody - out. Clothes represent the person.
I'm just saying that, in general, if you shift enough people into professional positions as above, the stereotype can be broken. ... what can I say, keep pushing.
Graf..just letting you know nothing i'm saying is personaly against you...i honestly think you're one of the more open minded people on the site.....but the entire quote above is the mentality that bothers me the most....Keep Pushin?????....and believe me Niggas have been waiting a long time to be "shifted into professional positions"....but i dont know any "sucessful" black men or women who got in the positions they are in without some involvement/ assistance from a white man/woman....not too many whites can say the opposite.....this is why i am very conscious of how i am around white people with authority and white women especially
Graf..just letting you know nothing i'm saying is personaly against you...i honestly think you're one of the more open minded people on the site.....but the entire quote above is the mentality that bothers me the most....Keep Pushin?????....and believe me Niggas have been waiting a long time to be "shifted into professional positions"....but i dont know any "sucessful" black men or women who got in the positions they are in without some involvement/ assistance from a white man/woman....not too many whites can say the opposite.....this is why i am very conscious of how i am around white people with authority and white women especially
Well, I'll break it down from my perspective:
1.) In the discussion here, like I said, I don't have the magic answer. . As far as the "keep pushin" comment... somewhat corny, but honestly, there isn't anything else to do. Progress has been made from people doing just that... pushing the limits and the old "rules". What else can you say? Hold hands and it'll be ok?
Yeah, but see, they think by your style of dress, etc. that you represent the traditional lower-class minority image. It's all how you "appear" as opposed to what race you are.
Understood. I dress accordingly in professional enviroments, have proper posture, don't slouch, walk tall and despite the goatee and long hair, I am well groomed etc. I ain't walking around like Rick Rubin. I also dress decent when I go shopping or places where I know appearances matter extra. But the skin/race still makes a difference.
I managed a sales department (high end retail electronics) recently. My staff who I hired were- 2 Blacks, 2 Whites, 1 Armenian, 2 Asians (1 light skinned Pinoy, 1 Sri-Lankan who was darker), and 1 Latino. They (minus the Pinoy and Armenian...both younger) were middle-aged and everyone was groomed professionaly, spoke proper and wore the same work attire. Everyone approached ALL customers and greeted them properly. Skill/knowledge level was mixed. One of the Black guys had the most knowledge on the product though while everyone basically had intermediate product knowledge. The playing field was fairly level. They were all male so gender did not play a difference.
The team and my observations:
The customers (despite whoever greeted them initially) tended to always end up with the sales associate who most resembled their race. And it went all ways. It wasn't just whitey favoring whitey.
Everyone on the team realized this. You would see it daily. One sales associate might be giving a perfect presentation/pitch or do a friendly non-aggressive greeting. It wasn't every time, but enough to see a definite relationship-
"Oh we're just browsing thanks" -or- pretend like we didn't hear the sales guy, don't make eye contact, pretend to listen to cell phone msgs [our dept. was a dead zone for cell phones]
Couple minutes pass by, customer browsing. Different associate greets guest and asks them if they need help. This associate most closely resembles customer's race-
"Oh hi, we're thinking about buying a plasma but want to know what the differences are betweem it and lcd..."
"Oh thanks, we wanna know if this is too big for our room."
"Tell me which brand is better."
Again, every racial group tended to do this. But America being America and socio-economic history being what it is- High-end retail chain= higher economic level demographic/customer= higher percentage of whites than other customers.
The white sales associates tended to have more sales. Which meant more money for the whites. Which meant despite things being equal- Whites still remained on top.
And this was just one tiny sales department who averaged 100-150k in sales per month total in one local store. Now think of this happening everyday at every workplace to everybody. It isn't just apperances or dress homie.
and why are so many White and Asian people giving advice and encouragement in this thread ..some of it borderline offends me
Kind of like Vitamin when he channeled Native American rage, huh?
Seriously, though. I'm curious to know specifically what offends you. Not because I think you shouldn't be offended, but because I suspect I've probably been that over-identifying white guy at some point or another.
I've never been very comfortable discussing issues of race, even on soulstrut, because ultimately I either come across as ignorant or arrogant (maybe because I'm a bit of both), much like Grafwritah is doing now. Would most of you rather folks like me didn't post here at all? Or is it mostly the advice you're bothered by?
[quote and finally, that article pertains to toronto's multiculturalism.......not really related to natives. not tryin to start beef,i'm just sayin think about what your typing in this thread.
this is why i am very conscious of how i am around white people with authority and white women especially
Ed, I was wondering if you could break down the white woman thing from your point of view for me/us. Is it because they have the power to cry "foul" and have anybody run to their rescue if they are made uncomfortable? Why are you cautious of them more so than men? I believe, if there's ever been a white gender more sensitive to black tribulations its women, because they have been up against a constant gender struggle themselves. I'm not saying its anywhere near equal, but it's true. What's your perspective?
Seriously, though. I'm curious to know specifically what offends you.
to me it comes across as patronizing and arrogant...eventhough it may be genuine and heartfelt........ advice from someone who hasn't experienced situations from my perspective is useless especially from people who are a part of the offending race
this is why the advice and encouragement annoys me....its like a father telling his child.... "thats alright son.... there are some very mean people out there but just ignore them or kill them with kindness or forgive them or be the bigger man and it will all go away.....ask yourself son..what am i not doing right to make these people treat me so bad...it'll be ok son....here are a few quotes by some wonderful people to make you fell better"....
Yo, what up my niggaz! Peep this- is it just me, or do you ever find yourself in a situation with a non-black person (especially a female) where you feel like you have to act a little bit nerdier (softer, less aggressive, whatever you want to call it) than you usually act just so that you won't come off as threatening to them?
I thought it was me! I kind of think that I do this but more out of trying to protect my own feelings... because if I do scare someone by being my natural self, it sort of hurts my feelings as I know that really I'm a nice guy who would not hurt a fly unless it landed in my food and sometimes a harder attitude is really all for show... but really this can apply to when I come into contact with anyone... I was born and raised in Philly so there is always the threat that something violent could happen at anytime and to anyone so you have to look like your not an easy target... plus Raystar is wild mixed... all my grandparents are different races so I look like a Puerto Rican dude which is not a bad thing but I was raised around Black folks so that always brought some undo attention... you know with the girls wanting to touch your hair and stuff like that.
this is why i am very conscious of how i am around white people with authority and white women especially
Ed, I was wondering if you could break down the white woman thing from your point of view for me/us. Is it because they have the power to cry "foul" and have anybody run to their rescue if they are made uncomfortable?
it is because they have the power to cry "foul" and have anybody run to their rescue if they are made uncomfortable ...i have been made to feel uncomfortable even sneezing to aggresively in the direction of a white woman and they are usually the first ones to grab the purse or gather the children when i'm walking in their direction.......almost all of my negative experiences dealing with racism have been because of the actions of a white woman...and the fact that they use their powerlessness with white men to abuse their "power" over blacks...black men especially
all my grandparents are different races so I look like a Puerto Rican dude which is not a bad thing but I was raised around Black folks so that always brought some undo attention... you know with the girls wanting to touch your hair and stuff like that.
"Ooh, girl, look at him.. he got good hair!"
Yeah, I feel ya on that, Ray... I'm sure the hair that I used to have is not as "good" a grade as the hair that you used to have, but it's a bit less excessively curly than that of your typical runaway slave negro (I gots Indian blood up in me!). Black girls LOVE that shiet for some reason (self hate and loathing of their own natural nappiness maybe? I dunno). I had a few chicks who used to grease my scalp and braid my hair for me back in the days and I swear the hair was like an afro-disiac, mane! I could give more graphic details but I'll keep it PG for the time being.
Man, I gots to holla at my folk more often. This is a good thread. Y'all niggaz is
OH JESUS CHRIST. I assumed Pickwick was white this whole time. Now I feel kinda like an ass. But then again.... Pickwick.... I mean, come on.... we've all seen pickwick rackords... I know I'm not the only one who thought he was white!
Shit. Well, sorry man.
Anyways, can I say how [SARCASM] proud I am to have Graphwrita representing white people in this thread? You're doing a great job. THANKS! [/SARCASM]
OH JESUS CHRIST. I assumed Pickwick was white this whole time. Now I feel kinda like an ass. But then again.... Pickwick.... I mean, come on.... we've all seen pickwick rackords... I know I'm not the only one who thought he was white!
Well how many black dudes have you ever known who could rattle off extensive country and garage rock discographies and little-known label and session information off the top of his head?
Well, PICKWICK can, I'll tell you that.
Now, as a white woman, I have to say, the only time I've ever been robbed, with a pistol to my head, was by a black man in his 20s. After that, any time a similar-looking and acting man approached me directly, or even came into my space, I'm getting mad flighty because I will not be cornered like that again, metal to the temple. And it's really too bad for the guys who were not planning on robbing me...they're probably like, shiiit, look at that scared-ass white lady.
Also, in rap music, if I see a rapper is white, I will most likely not like his raps.
this is why i am very conscious of how i am around white people with authority and white women especially
Ed, I was wondering if you could break down the white woman thing from your point of view for me/us. Is it because they have the power to cry "foul" and have anybody run to their rescue if they are made uncomfortable?
it is because they have the power to cry "foul" and have anybody run to their rescue if they are made uncomfortable ...i have been made to feel uncomfortable even sneezing to aggresively in the direction of a white woman and they are usually the first ones to grab the purse or gather the children when i'm walking in their direction.......almost all of my negative experiences dealing with racism have been because of the actions of a white woman...and the fact that they use their powerlessness with white men to abuse their "power" over blacks...black men especially
i don't know if this is just a black male problem or just a male problem, i am not black and my workplace is made up of like 98% women and they yells and scream at each other all day but if i even raise my voice in a meeting they all act threatened or as if i am going to hit them
and when some woman have power over men, watch the fuck out, cause they will use it, and to extremes, many a times i have seen them get off on the role reversal
Yeah, I feel ya on that, Ray... I'm sure the hair that I used[/b] to have is not as "good" a grade as the hair that you used[/b] to have, but it's a bit less excessively curly than that of your typical runaway slave negro
Bald head strutters unite!... where you at Iron Monkey!
(self hate and loathing of their own natural nappiness maybe? I dunno).
(self hate and loathing of their own natural nappiness maybe? I dunno).
(self hate and loathing of their own natural nappiness maybe? I dunno).
(self hate and loathing of their own natural nappiness maybe? I dunno).
(self hate and loathing of their own natural nappiness maybe? I dunno).
(self hate and loathing of their own natural nappiness maybe? I dunno).
(self hate and loathing of their own natural nappiness maybe? I dunno).
very on topic!... how others are affected by negative stereotypes about us. Racism takes a toll on everyone not just the people who are being targeted so you need to stand up for it all really... did I say that? me being a homophobe and all! I'm so Kanye right now.
I had a few chicks who used to grease my scalp and braid my hair for me back in the days and I swear the hair was like an afro-disiac, mane!
Maybe all that Nu Nile clogged up your pours so your hair stopped growing! The price you pay for a shot. I could never imagine you with hair... I can't even recognize you without your Yankees joint on!
Maybe all that Nu Nile clogged up your pours so your hair stopped growing!
That could be true. That and the fact that I always wore hats a lot. Strange because none of the males in my immediate family, even cousins, have male pattern baldness. So it doesn't seem to be genetic... I guess I just lucked out.
I could never imagine you with hair... I can't even recognize you without your Yankees joint on!
You must've missed this one from a few days ago. "To battle me you betta be a damn ninja"...
I'm not trying to sound defensive here but there's a line between encouragement and condescension. I think we've seen both on the board, but I wouldn't paint with too broad a brush as to who's guilty of what.
Grafwritah,
Class is only part of the equation. The hatred of Blackness - and of non-whiteness writ large - isn't confined to just images of us as thieves, rapists, muggers, drug addicts, etc. It has to do with how our mere presence - whether in a suit, lab coat, or throwback - threatens a basic sense of racial purity and privilege. Frankly, there's a lot of white people out there who feel threatened by professionals of color because they think they're going to take their jobs.
Moreover, the idea that going professional is a way to fight racism is nonsense. Look at how many South Asian and East Asian professionals are out there. You think that stops us from getting shitted on in terms of anti-immigrant, anti-Asian racism?
Race is not reducible to class. If anything, if you look at the construction of class in America, race has always played a primary role in shaping how we think of class categories from the get go, especially the working class. The problem is that today, we've gotten in backwards, especially by neo-liberals who want to believe that our problems with racism have to do with class at its core. Seriously, if we eliminated class differences tomorrow, we'd still have virulent racism in the mix.
Comments
Grafwritah you are not helping.
True. You get the "mass appeal" folks, and right now in the US, the mass is still laregly white. Just curious though (and not trying to be argumentative), what people would you think would be better representative, or who would some examples be of who would be in the media if the roles were reversed?
You didn't. But that's been what the thread is about, more or less, and you were commenting on the thread, so I assumed that's what you were referring to.
Probably.
But I'm not trying to be argumentative or inflammatory. I'm just conversating and it's been interesting hearing other people's opinions. I don't think what I've said has been ridiculously off-base, even if others don't agree with my line of thinking.
But hey, if I'm somehow just being insane or offensive or something, let me know.
And how do you suppose this is going to happen ? oh thats right ..if i just pick myself up by my bootstraps ....RIGHT?
this is why the advice and encouragement annoys me....its like a father telling his child....
"thats alright son.... there are some very mean people out there but just ignore them or kill them with kindness or forgive them or be the bigger man and it will all go away.....ask yourself son..what am i not doing right to make these people treat me so bad...it'll be ok son....here are a few quotes by some wonderful people to make you fell better"....
FUCK OUTTA HERE!!
I wasn't trying to craft an intricate plan to equalize people of all races and all walks of life, at least not in this thread.
I'm just saying that, in general, if you shift enough people into professional positions as above, the stereotype can be broken. It's already changed for the positive in the last 50-60 years. It will most likely continue changing. I realize that there are still a lot of negative stereotypes and inequality out there... what can I say, keep pushing. I don't think there's much else that can be done.
I'll agree with that. I have no doubt that there are preferences for whites versus other folks, even if everything else is the same.
But, for what a lot of people have been talking about, it would eliminate a lot of the pretty "purse grabbing"-type activity that people have been talking about.
Appearance is everything. Even my dad, a 50 year old white guy, gets treated differently. When he goes looking at cars, if he's dressed in jeans and a t-shrit he gets largely ignored. When he goes in a suit, salespeople are on his nuts - I've seen it.
It's the same reason white biker guys in leather jackets with long hair and tattoos freak people - anybody - out. Clothes represent the person.
I'm done... day[/b].
Graf..just letting you know nothing i'm saying is personaly against you...i honestly think you're one of the more open minded people on the site.....but the entire quote above is the mentality that bothers me the most....Keep Pushin?????....and believe me Niggas have been waiting a long time to be "shifted into professional positions"....but i dont know any "sucessful" black men or women who got in the positions they are in without some involvement/ assistance from a white man/woman....not too many whites can say the opposite.....this is why i am very conscious of how i am around white people with authority and white women especially
Well, I'll break it down from my perspective:
1.) In the discussion here, like I said, I don't have the magic answer. .
As far as the "keep pushin" comment... somewhat corny, but honestly, there isn't anything else to do. Progress has been made from people doing just that... pushing the limits and the old "rules". What else can you say? Hold hands and it'll be ok?
Understood. I dress accordingly in professional enviroments, have proper posture, don't slouch, walk tall and despite the goatee and long hair, I am well groomed etc. I ain't walking around like Rick Rubin. I also dress decent when I go shopping or places where I know appearances matter extra. But the skin/race still makes a difference.
I managed a sales department (high end retail electronics) recently. My staff who I hired were- 2 Blacks, 2 Whites, 1 Armenian, 2 Asians (1 light skinned Pinoy, 1 Sri-Lankan who was darker), and 1 Latino. They (minus the Pinoy and Armenian...both younger) were middle-aged and everyone was groomed professionaly, spoke proper and wore the same work attire. Everyone approached ALL customers and greeted them properly. Skill/knowledge level was mixed. One of the Black guys had the most knowledge on the product though while everyone basically had intermediate product knowledge. The playing field was fairly level. They were all male so gender did not play a difference.
The team and my observations:
The customers (despite whoever greeted them initially) tended to always end up with the sales associate who most resembled their race. And it went all ways. It wasn't just whitey favoring whitey.
Everyone on the team realized this. You would see it daily. One sales associate might be giving a perfect presentation/pitch or do a friendly non-aggressive greeting. It wasn't every time, but enough to see a definite relationship-
"Oh we're just browsing thanks" -or- pretend like we didn't hear the sales guy, don't make eye contact, pretend to listen to cell phone msgs [our dept. was a dead zone for cell phones]
Couple minutes pass by, customer browsing. Different associate greets guest and asks them if they need help. This associate most closely resembles customer's race-
"Oh hi, we're thinking about buying a plasma but want to know what the differences are betweem it and lcd..."
"Oh thanks, we wanna know if this is too big for our room."
"Tell me which brand is better."
Again, every racial group tended to do this. But America being America and socio-economic history being what it is- High-end retail chain= higher economic level demographic/customer= higher percentage of whites than other customers.
The white sales associates tended to have more sales. Which meant more money for the whites. Which meant despite things being equal- Whites still remained on top.
And this was just one tiny sales department who averaged 100-150k in sales per month total in one local store. Now think of this happening everyday at every workplace to everybody. It isn't just apperances or dress homie.
Still a cycle.
who gives a shit if people cringe, they weak
flunk
Kind of like Vitamin when he channeled Native American rage, huh?
Seriously, though. I'm curious to know specifically what offends you. Not because I think you shouldn't be offended, but because I suspect I've probably been that over-identifying white guy at some point or another.
I've never been very comfortable discussing issues of race, even on soulstrut, because ultimately I either come across as ignorant or arrogant (maybe because I'm a bit of both), much like Grafwritah is doing now. Would most of you rather folks like me didn't post here at all? Or is it mostly the advice you're bothered by?
hahahahaha..........I imagined you flicking your bangs and pouting
flk
and finally, that article pertains to toronto's multiculturalism.......not really related to natives. not tryin to start beef,i'm just sayin think about what your typing in this thread.
Ed, I was wondering if you could break down the white woman thing from your point of view for me/us. Is it because they have the power to cry "foul" and have anybody run to their rescue if they are made uncomfortable? Why are you cautious of them more so than men? I believe, if there's ever been a white gender more sensitive to black tribulations its women, because they have been up against a constant gender struggle themselves. I'm not saying its anywhere near equal, but it's true. What's your perspective?
to me it comes across as patronizing and arrogant...eventhough it may be genuine and heartfelt........ advice from someone who hasn't experienced situations from my perspective is useless especially from people who are a part of the offending race
I thought it was me! I kind of think that I do this but more out of trying to protect my own feelings... because if I do scare someone by being my natural self, it sort of hurts my feelings as I know that really I'm a nice guy who would not hurt a fly unless it landed in my food and sometimes a harder attitude is really all for show... but really this can apply to when I come into contact with anyone... I was born and raised in Philly so there is always the threat that something violent could happen at anytime and to anyone so you have to look like your not an easy target... plus Raystar is wild mixed... all my grandparents are different races so I look like a Puerto Rican dude which is not a bad thing but I was raised around Black folks so that always brought some undo attention... you know with the girls wanting to touch your hair and stuff like that.
it is because they have the power to cry "foul" and have anybody run to their rescue if they are made uncomfortable ...i have been made to feel uncomfortable even sneezing to aggresively in the direction of a white woman and they are usually the first ones to grab the purse or gather the children when i'm walking in their direction.......almost all of my negative experiences dealing with racism have been because of the actions of a white woman...and the fact that they use their powerlessness with white men to abuse their "power" over blacks...black men especially
"Ooh, girl, look at him.. he got good hair!"
Yeah, I feel ya on that, Ray... I'm sure the hair that I used to have is not as "good" a grade as the hair that you used to have, but it's a bit less excessively curly than that of your typical runaway slave negro (I gots Indian blood up in me!). Black girls LOVE that shiet for some reason (self hate and loathing of their own natural nappiness maybe? I dunno). I had a few chicks who used to grease my scalp and braid my hair for me back in the days and I swear the hair was like an afro-disiac, mane! I could give more graphic details but I'll keep it PG for the time being.
Man, I gots to holla at my folk more often. This is a good thread. Y'all niggaz is
Shit. Well, sorry man.
Anyways, can I say how [SARCASM] proud I am to have Graphwrita representing white people in this thread? You're doing a great job. THANKS! [/SARCASM]
I'll go ahead and back out of this one now.
Well how many black dudes have you ever known who could rattle off
extensive country and garage rock discographies and little-known
label and session information off the top of his head?
Well, PICKWICK can, I'll tell you that.
Now, as a white woman, I have to say, the only time I've ever
been robbed, with a pistol to my head, was by a black man in his 20s.
After that, any time a similar-looking and acting man approached me
directly, or even came into my space, I'm getting mad flighty because
I will not be cornered like that again, metal to the temple.
And it's really too bad for the guys who were not planning on
robbing me...they're probably like, shiiit, look at that scared-ass
white lady.
Also, in rap music, if I see a rapper is white, I will most likely
not like his raps.
Thanks to everybody for expressing your thoughts.
i don't know if this is just a black male problem or just a male problem, i am not black and my workplace is made up of like 98% women and they yells and scream at each other all day but if i even raise my voice in a meeting they all act threatened or as if i am going to hit them
and when some woman have power over men, watch the fuck out, cause they will use it, and to extremes, many a times i have seen them get off on the role reversal
Bald head strutters unite!... where you at Iron Monkey!
very on topic!... how others are affected by negative stereotypes about us. Racism takes a toll on everyone not just the people who are being targeted so you need to stand up for it all really... did I say that? me being a homophobe and all! I'm so Kanye right now.
Maybe all that Nu Nile clogged up your pours so your hair stopped growing! The price you pay for a shot.
That could be true. That and the fact that I always wore hats a lot. Strange because none of the males in my immediate family, even cousins, have male pattern baldness. So it doesn't seem to be genetic... I guess I just lucked out.
You must've missed this one from a few days ago. "To battle me you betta be a damn ninja"...
I'm not trying to sound defensive here but there's a line between encouragement and condescension. I think we've seen both on the board, but I wouldn't paint with too broad a brush as to who's guilty of what.
Grafwritah,
Class is only part of the equation. The hatred of Blackness - and of non-whiteness writ large - isn't confined to just images of us as thieves, rapists, muggers, drug addicts, etc. It has to do with how our mere presence - whether in a suit, lab coat, or throwback - threatens a basic sense of racial purity and privilege. Frankly, there's a lot of white people out there who feel threatened by professionals of color because they think they're going to take their jobs.
Moreover, the idea that going professional is a way to fight racism is nonsense. Look at how many South Asian and East Asian professionals are out there. You think that stops us from getting shitted on in terms of anti-immigrant, anti-Asian racism?
Race is not reducible to class. If anything, if you look at the construction of class in America, race has always played a primary role in shaping how we think of class categories from the get go, especially the working class. The problem is that today, we've gotten in backwards, especially by neo-liberals who want to believe that our problems with racism have to do with class at its core. Seriously, if we eliminated class differences tomorrow, we'd still have virulent racism in the mix.