[Dixielandjazz] Mixed race lineups, Chicago Style

[Stan Brager]

Odd that you should say this. Unless you're talking about those people
regardless of race who have grown up with prejudice.

On the other hand, I've seen many instances in which today's youth feels
much less uncomfortable around people of differing races. In my son's high
school, there was a true melting pot of races. My son is friends with all
except those people who he doesn't like for strictly personal reasons and
not reasons of race. He works and participates with other students on
projects, on extracurricular activities, etc. I've never heard him or his
friends make a racist remark.

I see people in all races freely mingle at the gym where my wife and I work
out. And I see people of all races freely mingle in stores and shops as both
sales clerks and shoppers - there seems to be tolerance of race.

I see people of all races at parties.

The enforced desegregation of the 50's is surely transforming the US into a
color blind society.

The work is not yet complete but the direction is positive.

Stan
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Charlie Hooks" <charliehooks at earthlink.net>
To: "DJML Dixieland Jazz" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2003 9:32 AM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Mixed race lineups, Chicago Style


> on 7/22/03 8:18 AM, Don Ingle at dingle at baldwin-net.com wrote:
>
> > To those that would have a problem with this, I can only say...GET OVER
> > IT!!
> > Don Ingle
>
>     You know, Don, I think the only people who would have a problem are
> younger black people.   Many of them are just completely different from
the
> older generation, causing ill-feeling needlessly, seeing problems where
none
> exist.  I often feel that they need conflict so they can in their turn
feel
> morally victorious as did their elders who had real problems and fought
real
> battles.
>
>     There are now very few impediments to black people who want to get
> ahead, and I see them as nostalgic for the tough times of their parents'
> lives when black folks had real obstacles and it really was "the white
> folks' fault"!   Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jordan and Bill Cosby can't
claim
> "po' li'l black folks jis' cain't make it nohow--white folks won't let
'em!"
> And I think this situation greatly disturbs many younger blacks.  "If I
> can't blame Whitey, I might have to blame myself!"
>
>     Men like Quinn Wilson, Roselle Claxton, Eddie Johnson, Joe Johnson,
> Jimmy Johnson, Truck Parham, Duke Groner--I could go on and on and so
could
> you--were all men who had been through the fire and had come out on the
> other side, still gentlemen, still playing.  These were all men I felt
close
> to; yet I do not now know a single black player under 50 that I can feel
> that way about.   I'm sure they are out there, but I haven't found any:
> which suggests that their numbers are few.
>
>     Another case of youth being wasted on the young...
>
> sadly,
> Charlie
>
>
>