How has life bin...For you to live in your Black skin...OURSTORY

[Tropicana]

Re: How has life bin...For you to live in your Black skin...OURSTORY

Diversitywatch is a great site with some hard hitting facts and data to help those still struggling to get a grip on reality and figure out what's REALLY going on behind the smiles ('kin teet [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] ) that we face every day:

Experiences of Blacks in Canada

http://www.diversitywatch.ryerson.ca/backgrounds/black.htm

I know that this isn't directly relevant to what Blacks have experienced in Canada but I think it shows the racial climate and is important to help us understand and see the Canadian racial climate for what it has been and what it is. Trust me, the person who is calling the Asian person ____ or ___ today will be calling YOU ___ behind your back tomorrow:

Experiences of First Nations People in Canada

http://www.diversitywatch.ryerson.ca/backgrounds/firstnations.htm

You can also find profiles of the Innuit and Innu (which I in my ignorance thought were the same)

Here is the difference:

The Innu of Labrador and how they differ from other Aboriginals in Canada:


are not registered Indians

they do not live on reserves

they have never surrendered their traditional territory nor their aboriginal rights.

Since they are not registered as Indians under the Indian Act, they do not qualify for the services and programs available to other First Nations. (for example, they pay the same taxes as non-Aboriginal Canadians)

and other visible mintorities in Canada including:

Japanese-Canadian Experiences

http://www.diversitywatch.ryerson.ca/backgrounds/japanese.htm

Chinese Canadian Experiences

http://www.diversitywatch.ryerson.ca/backgrounds/chinese.htm

[X]

Re: How has life bin...For you to live in your Black skin...OURSTORY

Respeck fi di ones who share.. I man teck it as learning.
See King, just like the Iraq elections, people will mill around at first, but give dem time, they'll brave the bullet and dip dem finger inna di ink.

Wi need to own wi emancipation.
Like you lapassionata (what a long name, mi had to cut and past it!) Mi wear mi colors. So musch so, just last friday on dress down day, one born white co-worker said to me, "hey you wear nothing but Yellow black and green shirts huh?"
"You are very patriotic to your country".
One Pakistanin giorl once said.. "You are soo Jamaican, it ozzes outta you".

When I first got here, I wasnt soooo Jamaican. Infact when i was leaving, I didnt want too much Jamaican parfanelias around me.
After my first month here, I called my brother and told him to send anything Jamaican he can put his hands on.
Why? I quickly realized that there wasnt much for a black man to hold on to for his identity.
Funny back home, I knew less about the dancehall scene and all the crap that goese on.. I would listen aternative rock and classic. I wore Jackit and tie to work, well clean cut, upstanding young man.
I come here.. and I start to wear the rasta color tukes, rasta bead chains, Yard colors.. Interestinly back in Jamaica I didnt own a yellow shirt. Here.. different story.

Its all about trying to HOLD on to yuh identity when the media here totally ignores yuh, or hypocratically gives teh people u identify with any props.

Are we only runners and basketballers??? So if I cant shoot hoops and mi knees dem too knock fi run, then i'm doomed? Is that what I want my kids to see? Oh Ok.. they can be rappers, or producers like Suge Knight and Herb Gotti.. .. Better yet, fondlers like Bill Cosby.
Where is the Michael Lee-Chins who has one of the most successfull company in Ontario..
Where is the hype over the Ray Changs who leads CI Funds and has Ryerson University Scholl of continuing studies named after him.
Even the Donavan Baileys who inspite of their atletic achievements are financial entrepenuers..

Anyway after mid day, mi gone warm up some ox tail yaah man..

[Verandah5]

Re: How has life bin...For you to live in your Black skin...OURSTORY

Originally posted by Fern:
[qb] Sue,

I say look at the difference in pay scales for blacks as oppose to other races. For many black people, by the time they take care of the necessities (housewhole expenses), there is just enough money left to get them to and from work til the next paycheck. So, it is difficult to pave the way financially for a lot of us. For many, all they have for paving the way is reinforcing the value of a good education, good morals, and determination to succeed. To me, that's not a bad start.

Another side is the one who do have a good income, but have the "neva si come si" mentality....buying everything they never had as a child or buying just to show the world they have likkle money. Either way, it will be a struggle. [/qb]

Coupled with the crabs-in-a-barrel mentality and the ongoing conspiracy to "keep them in their defined places" there sometimes seem to be no way out.

Proper financial planning and management is badly needed in our communities, because although the income is small, black people worldwide are the biggest consumers, I've heard.