Racial pride

[jayem]

In a sense, I get it. But if pride is ever justified, race is one of the least valid reasons. It's at the bottom of the list. At the top is what you've actually done. You can be justly proud of how you've lived your life. The way you've shown your character. What you've accomplished. How you've raised your children. And especially, how you've treated other people. Below that are things that are accidents of birth. These all have tribalist implications. It's fine to be proud of your family, when you've had good parents, who've encouraged and supported you. But pride in distant relatives who may have distinguished themselves in some way is much less valid. Below that, I'd put national pride. I suppose it's OK, but you had no choice in it, and it's too easy to get carried away. And to me, it would be much more justified depending on what you've contributed to your country and your fellow citizens. And lowest on the list are purely biological characteristics that are functions of your DNA. Like your race. Is it really rational for me to be proud I'm a white guy? I know it's part of who I am, but it happened because of a random reproductive event. It's nothing I did, and nothing over which I have any control. As I see it, being proud of my race makes as much sense as being proud of my blood type.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[High Fidelity]

In a sense, I get it. But if pride is ever justified, race is one of the least valid reasons. It's at the bottom of the list. At the top is what you've actually done. You can be justly proud of how you've lived your life. The way you've shown your character. What you've accomplished. How you've raised your children. And especially, how you've treated other people. Below that are things that are accidents of birth. These all have tribalist implications. It's fine to be proud of your family, when you've had good parents, who've encouraged and supported you. But pride in distant relatives who may have distinguished themselves in some way is much less valid. Below that, I'd put national pride. I suppose it's OK, but you had no choice in it, and it's too easy to get carried away. And to me, it would be much more justified depending on what you've contributed to your country and your fellow citizens. And lowest on the list are purely biological characteristics that are functions of your DNA. Like your race. Is it really rational for me to be proud I'm a white guy? I know it's part of who I am, but it happened because of a random reproductive event. It's nothing I did, and nothing over which I have any control. As I see it, being proud of my race makes as much sense as being proud of my blood type.

Just my 2 cents.

I've never really seen the reasoning of it either.

Maybe it's pride in the historical associations of a particular race that deem it 'good' or 'bad'.

If I was to claim to be proud to be white, I'd very likely be considered a racist.

If I was to claim to be proud to be black, I'd very likely be considered someone who is well-read and in touch with their history.

One thing worth noting, though, is that with race in particular, it's very rarely an issue outside of white or black. That's intriguing on its own.

Either way, I don't see why I should be proud of my race any more than the colour of my hair, eyes or the speed of my metabolism.

 

[brightlights]

I'm not convinced that there is such a thing as "race". What do you mean when you use this term?

Skin color? If so, taking pride in the color of your skin is not all that strange. There's nothing wrong with appreciating the appearance of white skin or black skin.

Or are you referring to heritage? If so, what's wrong with honoring your ancestors and respecting what they accomplished and how you have been blessed because of their hard work?

 

[grandvizier1006]

I've never understood "pride" in something you didn't accomplish, like gay pride, for example. Part of normalizing homosexuality had to do with making gay people into people who happened to be gay. Having a specific identity around being a minority seems to do more harm than good. The same goes for black or racial pride. Being obsessed with your "blackness" just seems obsessive and invites a microcosm. I think it explains why some young, left-leaning people thought of people voting for Trump as "being against people like me" when really most people who voted for Trump probably weren't thinking of minority activists who claim to speak for all minorities like them. They thought they were losing jobs and thought Trump would bring them back, or other reasons.

On the other hand, if we're going to have "pride" in things we did not accomplish, why not male or female pride? Or for things we chose, why not Christian or Muslim or atheist pride? These concepts don't really exist, but it may have to do with the fact that there are too many people under each label that by being one of these things you're "not special enough".

 

[Cearbhall]

I personally don't have racial pride, partly because "white" doesn't really mean anything anyway. Case in point: three of the ethnic groups in my DNA results were not considered white at certain points in time, but they are now in most cases.

But I do have ethnic pride. I enjoy engaging in the cultures of my ancestors and connecting with my community.

 

[bhsmte]

In a sense, I get it. But if pride is ever justified, race is one of the least valid reasons. It's at the bottom of the list. At the top is what you've actually done. You can be justly proud of how you've lived your life. The way you've shown your character. What you've accomplished. How you've raised your children. And especially, how you've treated other people. Below that are things that are accidents of birth. These all have tribalist implications. It's fine to be proud of your family, when you've had good parents, who've encouraged and supported you. But pride in distant relatives who may have distinguished themselves in some way is much less valid. Below that, I'd put national pride. I suppose it's OK, but you had no choice in it, and it's too easy to get carried away. And to me, it would be much more justified depending on what you've contributed to your country and your fellow citizens. And lowest on the list are purely biological characteristics that are functions of your DNA. Like your race. Is it really rational for me to be proud I'm a white guy? I know it's part of who I am, but it happened because of a random reproductive event. It's nothing I did, and nothing over which I have any control. As I see it, being proud of my race makes as much sense as being proud of my blood type.

Just my 2 cents.

Agree and well said. We have no control over our race, so the pride thing about something you had zero influence on, does lack substance. It makes much more sense, to have pride in the type of person you are and how that positively impacts others, regardless of race.

 

[Saucy]

For me, I'm proud of my ancestry. I always knew I was Irish (and questioned if I might've been Scottish) and had pride in that. I recently found out I was also Scandinavian and my ancestors might've been Vikings. I thought that was pretty cool.

I also found out I'm most likely 'black Irish', which are Irish who co-mingled with people from Spain who survived a boat wreck on the coast of Ireland and stayed around, as I have those dark Spanish characteristics (dark hair, darker skin complexion than the average Irish person).

So, when someone just brings up race and throws all white people into one category, as if our own ancestors haven't endured slavery, pain, hardship, genocide, and it can be frustrating at times. Blacks weren't the only ones brought to America for slavery purposes. So were the Irish, from the 1600s to the 1800s. Irish were cheaper at first than the blacks, so they endured all the same heartaches, but you never read about it in textbooks.

At the end of the day, we're all different and unique, yet we all come from the same place. I think blacks might be more proud of being black because they are a minority in the U.S. and whites are more proud of their individual ancestry than they are of being white. Mostly because it's okay to say "black power", but if you say "white power", well then you're racist.

 

[Resha Caner]

In a sense, I get it. But if pride is ever justified, race is one of the least valid reasons. It's at the bottom of the list. At the top is what you've actually done. You can be justly proud of how you've lived your life.

Your personal experiences likely explain why this is a mystery to you. I don't know your background, but that's my guess.

Group "pride" is not meant per the dictionary definition. It's meant more to convey a sense of intense loyalty to a group upon whom you depend. If outsiders label you "black", and then use that label to deny you rights - strip you of all legal recourse - the only people who will be willing to pull that weight with you are people in a similar situation. Expressing your loyalty to that group as well as to those who would seek to harm that group is important.

 

[durangodawood]

....At the top is what you've actually done. You can be justly proud of how you've lived your life. The way you've shown your character.......Below that are things that are accidents of birth.....

Its not at all settled that, to a very large extent, your character isnt also an accident of birth.... as a result of both biology and parenting.

 

[Chesterton]

Yes I note the date you posted this, and I agree, Black History Month is ridiculous.

 

[Paradoxum]

I think having pride in your race is stupid. But I'd hope people actually mean they have self-confidence in what they are. Pride probably isn't a good word.

 

[durangodawood]

Yes I note the date you posted this, and I agree, Black History Month is ridiculous.

A day may come when black history month is ridiculous.
But it is not this day!