The American Cancer Society Study on Black Women and Cancer
May 10, 2024 at 9:00 am | Posted in African American, American history, anglo saxons, Bigotry in America, biological races, blacks, CNN, DNA, Ethnicity in America, European Americans, identity, language, Media and Race, Medical Aparteid, skin color, skin complexion | Leave a commentTags: African Americans, American Association of Physical Anthropologists, black, Census Bureau, European Americans, history, Jen Christensen, PMC(nih.gov), race, Race in America, racism, white
One of the continuing challenges in America today is the refusal to change when change is necessary. One glaring example is the use of certain words that continue to promote the concept of Anglo-Saxon, European American, and European supremacy. A reason for the lack of change is our conditioning to not challenge words that carry social weight in a negative context. In a recent CNN article by Jen Christensen, that announced the start of a new study by the American Cancer Society that is seeking participants and may be the largest study of its kind because the study “aims to solve the mystery of why Black women have the lowest survival rate of any racial or ethnic group in the US for most cancers.” We will take a closer look at what is said.
On the surface, the study is legit and worthy of the effort to solve the mystery involving Black women and cancer. The problem with this study is by using the words Black and racial it is destined to fail. Why? Because the word Black is a label, not an identity and it has no fixed qualities that allow for measurement. How are Black women defined? They are not defined, because no fixed criteria exist to ascribe to all so-called Black women. When people are identified by a color, any color, they automatically lose all individuality and become part of a group with stereotyped characteristics. Color cannot be one of those characteristics because of the span of skin complexions that exist in the world.
The other word used was “racial,” which is a derivative of the word race. What is the status of the word race as far as science is concerned? According to Wolfgang Umek, MD. And Barbara Fisher, PhD. in an article entitled “We Should Abandon “Race” as a Biological Category in Biomedical Research,” PMC (nih.gov) stated that “In 2019, the American Association of Physical Anthropologists issued a statement on biological aspects of race, concluding that ‘pure races, in the sense of genetically homogenous population, do not exist in the human species today, nor is there any evidence that they have ever existed in the past.’” They commented more specifically by asserting that “The only living species in the human family, Homo sapiens, has become a highly diversified global array of populations. The geographic pattern of genetic variation within this array is complex and presents no major discontinuity. Humanity cannot be classified into discrete geographic categories with absolute boundaries.”
The reference to “genetic variations” is where the word “ethnic” comes into play. Rather than using the word race in referring to different human groups, the word ethnic or phrase ethnic group is preferred because they carry no biological or genetic implications with their use.
In another statement from the CNN article, we are told that “The racial differences are especially stark with certain types of cancer, research shows. For example, Black and White women are equally likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, but Black women are almost 40% more likely to die from it.” Again, we have the problem of color with white. Who are the white women spoken of in the data? White is not defined, the same as black is not defined. In fact, white is more complex to deal with since the 2020 Census Bureau allowed a broad range of exceptions for identifying as white: “A person having origins in any on the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.” Confusion would not be unusual for an individual in trying to decide how to answer the question of race when no specific definition exists. How can someone prove their ancestry from people of original origin? What does original origin mean since we were told earlier that “Humanity cannot be classified into discrete geographic categories with absolute boundaries?”
We know that no such groups identified as Black women and White women exist and that those terms are used as labels to try and present an idea of ethnic unity among each group of women. We also know that unless and until a more specific and clearly defined data groups of African Americans and European Americans are established that the findings of this study will be meaningless. For example, we know that within the African American women and European American women communities’ differences exist based on education, income, housing, employment, health care, and family. In order for the study to have any significant value, each of these elements must be considered in both groups.
The article commented to previous data collected and made the statement that “The data we’ve uncovered through previous population studies has been critical in reducing the unacceptably high burden of cancer, but the reduction has sadly not been equal.” What does that statement mean? If the previous studies focused only on the medical history of the women suffering from cancer and not the other social elements, then how can equal or fairness even be considered? What the study seems to suggest is that cancer in African American women is purely medical. We know or should know that medical history and social history go hand in hand. One cannot be isolated from the other when talking about prevention.
The CNN article noted that the American Cancer Society said, “it was mindful of the long history of ‘mistreatment and abuse’ of Black women’s bodies used to benefit science, ‘yet Black women have received the fewest benefits compared to their male and white counterparts.’” While we agree with the statement and applaud the American Cancer Society’s decision to start this study, we would hope that the mistakes of the past studies do not reduce the value of this new study. The study should take the time to identify the participants by ethnic or cultural groups, and not by color—black and white. When those words are used the identity of the participants and their ethnicity is unknown and therefore serves no purpose for the study. These changes can only improve the study.
Teaching race is not beneficial, teach, instead, ethnic, and cultural awareness and respect.
October 11, 2023 at 11:52 pm | Posted in African American, American Bigotry, American history, American Racism, anglo saxons, biological races, black inferiority, blacks, democracy, equality, ethnic stereotypes, Ethnicity in America, European Americans, Human Genome, identity, language, Media and Race, minorities, race, Race in America, racism, skin color, teaching race | 3 CommentsTags: African Americans, Angela Glover Blackwell, biogtry, biracial, black, Confronting Myths, current-events, ethnicity, European Americans, multiracial, race, Race in America, SPLC, white
An experience that, at times, causes disappointment is having to listen to someone fervently speaking on a topic of concern of which they lack the ability to show control. While the intention of the speaker is well-intended, the outcome fails to have value or is contrary. The subject of race falls into that category. What some people speaking or writing about race do not realize is that once the concept of race is accepted, everything that follows is counterproductive in fighting ethnic bigotry.
What people need to know about race is that the word represents a bias in that it signifies a sub-species. Any sub-species of a species is inferior to the species. The Homo Sapiens species has no sub-species. Europeans, Anglo-Saxons, and European Americans view themselves as representatives of the species-Homo sapiens and not a race. Based on the myth of European supremacy, all non-European people must identify as a race based on a variety of elements like race, color, religion, ethnicity, and others. The power to control the false concept of race and the myth is woven into the language. Every time the word race or any of its diversities are used, the myth of European (white) supremacy is protected, maintained, and promoted.
How does race manifest its power through language? Whenever the word race or any of its diversities are used, four things become apparent: unity, separation, manipulation, and discrimination. When individuals are identified by a color, that identity places them in a so-called minority group category and they are viewed as inferior. Also, because of the minority group identity, they lose any individuality/uniqueness; they become stereotypes associated with the characteristics of their group; they are treated by society in conjunction with the stereotypes of the group. The individual becomes less than a human being while experiencing unity with a group, separation for the family of human beings, viewed with stereotyped characteristics, and treated with less than human values.
How language and a lack of knowledge can turn good intentions into counterproductive results can be observed in the following example. An article in the SPLC magazine “Learning for Justice,” includes an interview with Angela Glover Blackwell on “Paving the Way to a Vibrant Multiracial Democracy.” In the interview Blackwell makes the statement relative to teaching and talking honestly about race: “Talking about race is in fact the only way democracy can succeed in a multiracial society.” Several concerns with her statement show the counterproductive elements.
The very first concern that appears in the statement is an acceptance of the false concept of race. Once race is introduced into the conversation the opportunity for truth and honesty is gone. For many years scientists, scholars, states people, and others have been asking the U.S. Government to stop using race in its literature because it is not a valid or acceptable word since it connotes a biological and genetic difference among human beings that does not exist. Yet, the government continues to confuse its citizens by using the word race along with the word ethnicity as though they were synonymous, which they are not. In any event, using the word race prevents the opportunity of a level playing field because a superior and inferior context has been established.
When the words multiracial and democracy are used in conjunction with each other a problem of perception is introduced. We know that any use of the word race brings with it four social conditions that do not comport with democracy. When the language uses a word like minority, the perception is usually not of European Americans, but on the contrary, of non-European people. The perception includes a superior and inferior understanding of people in the majority and those that are not. If education is as important as Blackwell states, then accurate and factual information must be the order of the day.
Another example of concern comes from the Blackwell statement that “Democracy is about shared responsibilities and processes for working together, as equals, to have a meaningful say in our lives and our community.” While her sentiments are positive and direct, we must question what is meant by the word “equal” in a society where people are viewed by their race? Who and what establishes what “equal” means? We know that equality pertains to mathematics, and not to humans because that is the only area where numbers are fixed.
One way to avoid the problems relative to race is to stop using it and its derivatives. Since we know that race means sub-species, how can we accept the concepts of biracial and multiracial without challenge? What we are saying by using those terms is that we accept the false concept of races. We do not refer to people as bi-species, or multi-species because we know that would be illogical. When two distinct species try to procreate, the result is a hybrid. A horse and a jackass, two distinct species, can produce a mule. A mule is neither a horse nor a jackass. A word used for so-called biracial people is mulatto, which comes from the word mule. Human beings belong to a species, not a race.
We can avoid the word race and its derivatives by using ethnic group or ethnicity. Rather than using racism, use bigotry or ethnic bigotry, for racist, use bigot. Americans, aside from their ethnic identity, have only two actual identities: state and national. Race and color are not included in either one, so why should we continue to use them?
If we look at the concept of race and democracy in the context of a worm being the concept of race and racism and an apple being democracy, then the worm in the apple represents the problem involved in saving democracy. Understanding the problem is necessary to save democracy. Presently, the focus has been on the worm and not the destruction it is experiencing in democracy. The article shows just how the worm of race is protected, maintained, and promoted. Once we begin to address the problem of race, we can also start to build a vibrant democracy.
Princeton’s educational challenge regarding the language of race
August 26, 2023 at 12:14 am | Posted in African American, American Bigotry, American history, American Racism, anglo saxons, Bigotry in America, biological races, blacks, Civil Rights Ats, desegregation, discrimination, DNA, education, equality, Ethnicity in America, European American, European Americans, identity, interpretations, language, minorities, Negro, public education, Race in America, racism, skin color, skin complexion, Slavery, teaching race, white supremacy, whites | 4 CommentsTags: African Americans, black, Confronting Myths, current-events, ethnicity, European Americans, Race in America, white
When I write and speak about how the language of race enslaves Americans and constantly present African Americans and other non-European people as inferior, the following example should suffice to make the point. In an article “Being Black Means You’re Disabled – People Are Up in Arms Over What This Ivy League School Is Teaching,” story by Emily Valadez •2h 8/25/2023, the following sentence is offered.
“Systemic racism refers to the systems in place in society that create racial inequality for people of color.”
Since we have not and do not challenge the truth and facts about the language we use, we fail to understand and appreciate the predicament in which we are placed. For example, the reference to “Systemic racism” should be challenged because race is not a valid word relating to identity since it has no biological or genetic basis. Certainly, a system of ethnic bigotry exists, and has existed since before the founding of this nation. The language should avoid using the word race and its derivative, racial because those words protect and promote European supremacy. The word race is a bigoted word in that it was developed to signify a sub-species of the Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens have no sub-species except in the word race. The objective in developing the word as a reference to sub-species was to render all peoples not European inferior to them. In essence, only Europeans represent the Homo Sapien species.
The next part of the sentence, the word inequality has no fixed or specific meaning except in mathematics. Equal cannot apply to human beings, just fixed entities like numbers. The word is used to suggest “fairness” which sounds pleasing but is also a relative word with no fixed meaning. When the word is challenged, confusion sets in because no definite parameters are established from which to judge and make a balanced decision.
The last part of the sentence refers to “people of color” and continues to add confusion to be objective of the sentence in a reasonable manner. Who and what are people of color? The reference to any person or group of people using color is a form of bigotry. What makes it bigotry is the implied reference to race that is associated with people and a color. Since black and white are colors, what distinguishes the people of color from people without color, if they exist?
The title of the article states that “Being Black means you are disabled,” suggests that something is inherently wrong with blacks that render them disabled. The problems visited on the African American population is a direct result of actions taken against them by European Americans. The situations in which African Americans find themselves can be directed attributed to their treatment in America. The language is misleading and confusing.
What happens when we fail to challenge the language of race was explained by John H. Stanfield II, “Race as a myth is a distorting variable that convolutes and in other ways distracts attention from the variables that really matter in understanding how and why human beings think, act, and develop as they do. The extent to which race does exist, it is an experience, it is not phenotype real or imagined.” (Montagu, Man’s Most Dangerous Myth, the fallacy of race.) The myth of European supremacy continues because we are complacent relative to the language and fail to realize the damage it contributes to our society.
What is disheartening about the article is the fact that Princton University, one of the prime institutions of American Education, did not recognize what the language they employed was doing. Rather than using the opportunity as a teachable opportunity, they instead, whether knowingly or not, protected and promoted European supremacy. When color is used to identify a person or a group of people that is a form of bigotry and discrimination. The history, culture, language, religion, food, and all the things that pertain to an ethnic group’s uniqueness are lost when the group is turned into a monolith by being referred to as a color. The very word “black” is used as an adjective preceding the noun race. Any time race is used, it protects and promotes the myth of European supremacy. Of course, many African Americans and non-European Americans do not question the use of the word black, but that does not make it acceptable and not historically demeaning. Maya Angelou once stated that “when we (people) know better, we do better.”
What Princton could have done in providing information about the course was to make the point that no one comes to America using color as an identity. When the Africans that were enslaved were brought to America, one of the first things to happen was the taking away of any identity and replacing it with words like negro, black, colored, slave, and others. The language used in identifying the enslaved changed over the years until present day usage includes black, African American, non-European American. African Americans did not choose to be identified as blacks but were socialized to accept and use it without challenge until the 1970’s civil rights era. Rather than recognizing the permanent stigma associated with its usage, many decided to retain it. Even today, many will try to defend it, not realizing that each usage protects and promotes European (white) supremacy.
Since the foundation of America numerous voices have attempted to inform society relative to the use of the word race. A few scientists and scholars have challenged the governments and society’s continued use of the word race. Many anthropologists have noted regarding the concept of race: “(1) it was artificial, (2) it did not correspond to the facts, (3) it led to confusion and the perpetuation of error, and finally, (4) for all these reasons it was scientifically unsound, or rather, more accurately, that is was false and misleading.” They also concluded that “based as it was om unexamined facts and unjustifiable generalizations, it were better that the term ‘race,’ corrupted as it is with so many deceptive and dangerous meanings, be dropped altogether from the vocabulary.” (Montagu, p.107.)
A common belief is that everything we know, we acquired from our socialization in society. From day one, we began the socialization process, and it continues throughout our lives. However, just because we learned something that proved to be incorrect does not mean we cannot correct it. Educational institutions like Princeton must help to educate society out of its ignorance and theirs.
Ethnic bigotry always in plain sight
June 16, 2023 at 3:52 am | Posted in African American, American Bigotry, American history, American Racism, ashley Montagu, C. Loring Brace,, biological races, black inferiority, discrimination, Disrespect, DNA, education, equality, Ethnicity in America, European Americans, Human Genome, identity, interpretations, language, minorities, minority, Race in America, racism, respect, skin color, U. S. Census, whites | 3 CommentsTags: African Americans, black, Confronting Myths, current-events, ethnicity, European Americans, race, Race in America, white
Many of us sometimes experience remembering placing our keys down somewhere, but when we try to retrieve them, they are nowhere in sight. After we have looked in all the places, we think they could be, low and behold we spot them in front of us right in plain sight. They were not hidden from us; we just did not see them at first. That experience can serve as an example of what happens daily in America and the Western World relative to ethnic bigotry. Ethnic bigotry is present, but just not seen because we have become conditioned to not questioning its presence, but it is present in the language. One reason we do not challenge the language is because we have been conditioned to accept it on face value. That acceptance, however, represents the problem of our not seeing the ethnic bigotry.
We have been told for several hundred years that that the word “race” is socially constructed to represent a particular meaning and as C. Loring Brace has noted that…” despite almost universal belief to the contrary, the concept of ‘race’ as applied to the picture of human biological diversity had absolutely no scientific justification.” The word “race” was developed to represent a subspecies, inferior to the species Homo sapiens, and to promote, to protect, and to preserve the myth of European supremacy and domination. So, how does a society go about making the myth a reality? Stephen Ullmann stated that “Words [language] certainly are the vehicles of our thoughts, but they may be far more than that: they may acquire an influence of their own, shaping and pre-determining our processes of thinking and our whole outlook.” America and the Western World wanted to ensure that the myth remains current, so they ignored the facts regarding race.
In 1997, Ashley Montagu, stated in an introduction to the 6th edition of his book Man’s Most Dangerous Myth, the fallacy of Race, that the purpose of his book was…:
to make use of the scientifically established facts to show that the term “race” is a socially constructed artifact—that there is no such thing in reality as “race,” that the very word is racist: that the idea of “race,” implying the existence of significant biologically determined mental differences rendering some populations inferior to others, is wholly false; and that the space between as idea and reality can be very great and misleading.
Regardless of the many appeals made by many Americans of note, the government and society continue to use the word race as acceptable when we know that its purpose is to support ethnic bigotry. The fact that the word “race” and many of its diversities are used daily and that they are meant to denigrate their target, fails to register on the sender and the receiver. For example, like the word “race,” the words of color black, red, brown, and yellow are not used as compliments to the groups, but as a sign of their inferiority. The obvious exception of color in this group is the color white because it is usually used as a compliment. When only an ethnic group’s color is used rather than the phrase that is intended: black race, red race, brown race, and yellow race, it is a form of bigotry. If race is included in any form, the message shows disrespect because it signifies inferiority. Unfortunately, when an explanation is offered to some individuals and groups that use a color as an ethnic group identity in their business or organizations, they are quick to show their innocence by defending their use of the color. The fact that they do not recognize the disrespect of the group is due to the power of the language and the failure to question it.
Color is not a part of any human being’s identity regardless of their ethnicity and nationality. How is it that the government, and especially the U.S. Census Bureau continue to use the term “race” considering all the facts and evidence to its being bogus? Could that be a sign of ethnic bigotry? The word “race” is just a small part of the language used by the government and society to protect the myth of European supremacy.
Another word that is frequently used by government and society relative to population is “minority.” Like the word race, minority is a biased term. Most dictionaries offer at least two different usages of the word, but both involve numbers. The first states that minority is “the smaller number or part, especially a number that is less than half the whole number.” The second states that minority is “a relatively small group of people, especially one commonly discriminated against in a community, society, or nation, differing from others in race, religion, language, or political persuasion.” If we notice carefully in the second example, we find the evidence to support the disrespect and bigotry associated in referring to a group of people as a minority. Yet, we hear it daily.
The word “minority” while used in America to describe non-European people shows its selective use. If we applied the word minority to the world population, the people of non-European heritage would represent the majority. We know that eighty percent of the world’s population is brown. That fact is seldom referenced in topics focusing on minorities. Although the word is biased, hardly anyone underscores that fact. What lies inside the use of the word is the suggestion that different races are included and therefore they are inferior to the majority. The use of the word minority as an indicator of race is a form of bigotry, but we find it being used at every level of society without regard to the negative implications it carries.
The use of language as a vehicle for promoting the concept of race and the myth of European supremacy has always been dangerous. Again, Montagu pointed out, …” the very word “race is itself a racist [bigoted] term not simply because it represents a congeries of errors, or that it is a spurious ‘reality’ with no objective existence, but in addition, and most importantly, because its baleful influence constitutes a threat to the very existence of humanity.” When we are ignorant of the power of language and never think to question its use, we become complicit in the damage it causes and the negative impact on the lives it affects. Yet, if we look close enough, we will find it in plain sight.
Affirmative action is the Supreme Court’s Pandora Box
June 8, 2023 at 12:23 am | Posted in Affirmative Action, African American, American Bigotry, American history, American Indian, anglo saxons, Bigotry in America, black inferiority, college admission, Constitutional rights, discrimination, education, EEOC, employment, equality, Ethnicity in America, European Americans, fairness, language, race, Race in America, The U.S. Constitution, U. S. Census | 1 CommentTags: Confronting Myths, current-events, gender identity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation
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Transparency and accountability: two reasons for beginning at the stop
April 6, 2021 at 6:41 pm | Posted in African American, American Bigotry, American history, American Racism, black inferiority, blacks, Constitutional rights, criminal activity, criminal justice, discrimination, Disrespect, Ethnicity in America, European American, incarceration, jail & prison overcrowding, justice system, law enforcement agencies, Media and Race, minorities, police education & training, police force, public education, socioeconomics | 1 CommentTags: African Americans, arrests, black, cultural awareness, European Americans, police stops, Police training, technology, training, white
In 1969, I was a journalist for a local CBS affiliate television and had just completed an assignment shortly after noon. As I was enroute back to the station, I received a call from the station that a possible house fire was in progress at a location they provided and asked if I would check on it. The location of the possible fire took me through residential neighborhoods, so I was careful to watch my speed I case there were children playing along the street. As I was making my way through this one neighborhood, I noticed a motorcycle officer parked down the block facing in my direction. I checked my speed again, and continued on my way. Just as I was about to pass him, he turned on his flasher lights and proceeded to pull me over. The car I was driving was clearly marked with the television station’s call letters and large CBS letters as well. I parked the car next to the curb, notified the station what was happening, and waited for the officer to approach. He dismounted from his motorcycle and came over to my car. He said that he stopped me because I was speeding; asked for my driver’s license and asked where I was going. I informed him that I was on my way to a possible house fire not too far from our present location. He wrote out a ticket, asked me to sign it, gave me a copy, and rode off.
When I arrived at the location of the fire, it was no longer an active fire and little damage had occurred, so I again notified the station that I was on my way to the station. Once I arrived at the station I took the occasion to look at the ticket the officer had given me. To my surprise, the ticket had my name and driver’s information, but identified me as “white” and “female.”No one on the planet would ever mistake me for a white female, so I knew something funny was going on. After I showed the ticket to my editor, I asked if the station would cover the cost, because I did not feel obligated to pay it with the false information. He disagreed with me and urged me to pay it, which I did under protest.
The reason for this little trip down memory lane was to underscore the point made in my last blog relative to the stops, tickets, and arrests of people of color. My brother, Jim, agreed with my assessment of the problem and suggested a way to collect accurate data concerning who, when, where, and why the stops are made. He noted, “I think the answer may lie in technology. Cruiser cams can now scan and record a license plate while detecting speed, direction, and location panoramically. More importantly the camera isn’t biased. Let the technology determine ‘probable cause.’” The data collected via the Cruiser cam can provide the information necessary to discover where and what kind of attention is needed to correct problems.
The reason for focusing on the stop is because it provides the best opportunity for a comprehensive assessment of three primary areas relative to law enforcement and officers: training, knowledge of the law, and cultural awareness, including implicit biases. With the data from the cam discernments of officer and citizen actions can be made and verified. The in reputation of the actions, however, should be the work of independent, but legally informed, citizen groups or committees. Caution is necessary to prevent preferences for either officer or citizen.
Officer training can be ascertained from the collected data that reveals whether the officer’s actions are related to the mantra “to protect and serve,” or intent to “intimidate and coerce,” the citizen. He data will also indicate the officer’s action to control the situation and manage it reasonably or if the officer’s action serves to escalate and disrupt an orderly exchange. Transparency is important and necessary in order to protect the rights of all concerned, so if the data indicate that more work should go into the training of the officers, there should be no confusion or conflict concerning the issues.
Knowledge of the law is a part of an officer’s preparation for service and includes the rights of the officer and citizen as well. With the data recorded from the Cruiser cam, provided the sound is activated, any problem regarding the knowledge of the law should become apparent to any observer. Knowledge of the law is required of the officer and should dictate how each stop is managed. Citizens are encouraged to know the law, but their knowledge is generally limited in many cases. In some case, however, a citizen can posses an extensive knowledge of his or her rights and privileges. Data will show officers’ actions when confronted with citizens exercising their legal rights relative to being stopped. The data will show what needs to be done in the training and preparation of officers before they are graduated from the academy or program.
Probably the most important element of the stop is the officer’s knowledge of the culture they are to protect and serve. No amount of training can prepare an officer to acknowledge and address long-held cultural and ethnic biases; that revelation must come from education. No one in society escapes the conditioning of biases that come from living in a society that knows bigotry as one of its fabrics. In order for officers to be prepared to serve any community, they must first acknowledge and address their own personal biases in order to replace them with a concern for the well-being of all human beings. If individuals are unable or unwilling to make this transition, they should not be acceptable as candidates for law enforcement. The data from the cam should provide information relative to an officer’s conduct involving individuals of ethnic identities. Based on the officer’s conduct, actions regarding education or more education relative to cultural bias are required.
While the focus of this discussion has been on the officers involved in the stops, the ultimate responsibility for effect preparation of officers’ training, knowledge of the law, and cultural awareness, rest at the top. no�S3�_�
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