Study: Whites Just Don’t Understand the Black Experience

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Study: Whites Just Don’t Understand the Black Experience
By Margaret Kamara
Jun 25, 2007,

To White Americans, giving up television is a hardship; being Black is not. That’s the upshot of a series of studies by researchers at The Ohio State University.

As part of the studies, Whites of different ages and geographic regions were asked how much they deserved to be paid for living the rest of their lives as an African-

Respondents generally requested less than $10,000 to become Black. However, they said they’d have to be paid $1 million to give up television for the rest of their lives.

“The costs of being Black in our society are very well documented,” says study co-author Philip Mazzocco. “Blacks have significantly lower income and wealth, higher levels of poverty and even shorter life spans, among many other disparities, compared to Whites.

“When Whites say they would need $1 million to give up TV, but less than $10,000 to become Black, that suggests they don’t really understand the extent to which African-Americans, as a group, are disadvantaged,” says Mazzocco.

In another scenario, the references “White” and “America” were omitted, and participants were asked to select between being born a minority or majority in a fictional country called, “Atria.” They were warned of the disadvantages that the minority group faced — the same disparities faced by Black Americans — and they said they should be paid an average of $1 million to be born a minority.

“When you take it out of the Black-White context, White Americans seem to fully appreciate the costs associated with the kinds of disparities that African-Americans actually face in the United States,” Mazzocco says.

“Our data suggest that such resistance is not because White Americans are mean and uncaring, morally bankrupt or ethically flawed,” adds Dr. Mahzarin R. Banaji, a professor of social ethics at Harvard University. “White Americans suffer from a glaring ignorance about what it means to live as a Black American.”

The study also found that nearly all Whites opposed reparations for slavery, saying it was “too long ago” and that the descendants of slavery don’t need to be compensated.

However, when researchers ask participants to imagine a situation in which they could be part of a reparation lawsuit that would compensate them $5,000 for an event that occurred 150 years ago to a wealthy ancestor of theirs, 61 percent agreed to be part of the lawsuit.

This is the same percentage of Blacks today that support reparations for slave descendants.

“[The] surveys show that 90 to 96 percent of White Americans are against slave descendant reparations. It is nearly impossible to get that many people to agree on anything, so it is an issue that really deserves attention to see why this is,” says Mazzocco. “We need to take a heated and emotional issue and look through a scientific lens.”

The study, titled “The Cost of Being Black: White Americans’ Perceptions and the Question of Reparations,” was facilitated by a postdoctoral fellowship to Mazzocco from Ohio State’s Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. The study appears in the fall 2006 issue of Harvard’s Du Bois Review, a journal on social science research on race.

Georgia Southern University associate economics professor Gregory J. Brock, one of the study’s co-author’s, says the idea to do the study came after viewing media coverage of reparations struggles for groups wrongfully interred during wars.

--Margaret Kamara

[oXJmAuPs2005Xo]

stupid ass study what does the black experience have anything to do with white people and watching television motha fuckazz be on some ignorant shit.

[perongregory]

interesting, omit black, African American, black people etc. and good portion of white views change. A personal grudge?

[Anesis]

Sounds like a bogus study to me. But this is coming from a white girl who doesn't own a television.

It isn't that bad, actually.

People are stupid, no matter what skin color they are.

How much money would non-whites pay to be white? Or rather, how much would you pay to be in the majority in Atria?

[BornInvincible]

“Blacks have significantly lower income and wealth, higher levels of poverty and even shorter life spans, among many other disparities, compared to Whites.

and this is almost in every country on earth not just the u.s so it isnt a particularly American problem.

[EmperorPenguin]

I don't get it, they said that: “Our data suggest that such resistance is not because White Americans are mean and uncaring, morally bankrupt or ethically flawed,” adds Dr. Mahzarin R. Banaji, a professor of social ethics at Harvard University. So what would you call it then? They're all for paybacks and the like unless it's for black people. So white americans aren't uncaring or mean they just don't like black people? Isn't THAT uncaring and mean? Whatever, these studies just confuse me more then anything when it comes to understanding the mentality of any american, regardless of their colour.

I found the title kind of funny though "Study: Whites Just Don’t Understand the Black Experience". Well no shit. I don't understand what it's like to be molested by my priest, or understand the hardships of being born blind. I'm not saying it's the same experience, I'm just saying how to do make someone understand an experience without them having gone thru it? I can sympathize and I can be educated but I can't fully understand it.

[BornInvincible]

republicans are mean and greedy toward everyone not just blacks.

[LcBwC]

republicans are mean and greedy toward everyone not just blacks.

They are about money making, the top of the top get the respect from them. If you have money then the party is all for you. Its not just blacks its the people with low incomes period.

[LcBwC]

I dont really understand what the study set out to prove tho. Its like as african americans can we say that we understand the "white experience", or any other races "experience"...

[EmperorPenguin]

I dont really understand what the study set out to prove tho. Its like as african americans can we say that we understand the "white experience", or any other races "experience"...

Which was indirectly my point. No one person can understand any other one persons life experience.

[LcBwC]

I dont really understand what the study set out to prove tho. Its like as african americans can we say that we understand the "white experience", or any other races "experience"...

Which was indirectly my point. No one person can understand any other one persons life experience.

I didnt read ur response but yea i agree with ur statements. its really no way that u can

[se11]

“When Whites say they would need $1 million to give up TV, but less than $10,000 to become Black, that suggests they don’t really understand the extent to which African-Americans, as a group, are disadvantaged,” says Mazzocco.

some things look different from a white persons point a view. the same way they look different from black peoples.

It is nearly impossible to get that many people to agree on anything

thats the dumbest quote if ever heard in my life. if its a clear decesion, then yes 95% of people will agree on something.

[TeeKay]

I found the title kind of funny though "Study: Whites Just Don’t Understand the Black Experience". Well no shit. I don't understand what it's like to be molested by my priest, or understand the hardships of being born blind. I'm not saying it's the same experience, I'm just saying how to do make someone understand an experience without them having gone thru it? I can sympathize and I can be educated but I can't fully understand it.

That shit made me laugh.

[MiChuhSuh]

I don't get it, they said that: “Our data suggest that such resistance is not because White Americans are mean and uncaring, morally bankrupt or ethically flawed,” adds Dr. Mahzarin R. Banaji, a professor of social ethics at Harvard University. So what would you call it then? They're all for paybacks and the like unless it's for black people. So white americans aren't uncaring or mean they just don't like black people? Isn't THAT uncaring and mean? Whatever, these studies just confuse me more then anything when it comes to understanding the mentality of any american, regardless of their colour.

I found the title kind of funny though "Study: Whites Just Don’t Understand the Black Experience". Well no shit. I don't understand what it's like to be molested by my priest, or understand the hardships of being born blind. I'm not saying it's the same experience, I'm just saying how to do make someone understand an experience without them having gone thru it? I can sympathize and I can be educated but I can't fully understand it.

good post

[senseofhumorgirl_]

I dont really understand what the study set out to prove tho. Its like as african americans can we say that we understand the "white experience", or any other races "experience"...

I think the only "experience" whites have are of trying to keep blacks down, and I'm white. I'll admit that I don't have a deep understanding of the black experience, the only thing I probably understand about it is the struggle to try to put an end to hundreds of years of mistreatment at the hands of the white man. Basically I also understand that the whole reason why the white man mistreated blacks was out of pure fear. Fear that they would no longer be the majority amongst other reasons that I can't think of at this time.

[justice league]

I dont really understand what the study set out to prove tho. Its like as african americans can we say that we understand the "white experience", or any other races "experience"...

I think the only "experience" whites have are of trying to keep blacks down, and I'm white. I'll admit that I don't have a deep understanding of the black experience, the only thing I probably understand about it is the struggle to try to put an end to hundreds of years of mistreatment at the hands of the white man. Basically I also understand that the whole reason why the white man mistreated blacks was out of pure fear. Fear that they would no longer be the majority amongst other reasons that I can't think of at this time.

blah blah blah...... go tell it to your black boyfriend.

[A Ghost]

I dont really understand what the study set out to prove tho. Its like as african americans can we say that we understand the "white experience", or any other races "experience"...

I think the only "experience" whites have are of trying to keep blacks down, and I'm white. I'll admit that I don't have a deep understanding of the black experience, the only thing I probably understand about it is the struggle to try to put an end to hundreds of years of mistreatment at the hands of the white man. Basically I also understand that the whole reason why the white man mistreated blacks was out of pure fear. Fear that they would no longer be the majority amongst other reasons that I can't think of at this time.

blah blah blah...... go tell it to your black boyfriend.

Everyone here knows you don't understand the black experience. It's understandable.

[BxxMILITIA]

^^^the idiot above me (88) obviously DOSENT Understand the black experience...n that's fine, but it her case, she chooses to be ignorent, which in turn just makes her look bad...and how childish is saying "blah blah blah"???? I used 2 say that when I was in elementery school....its sad how people try to make intelligent, civilized topics, and we have ignorent dumbasses like these...

Anyways, back 2 the topic, the way I see it is, YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'VE NEVER BEEN THROUGH.....white people always try their best 2 convince us that they do understand what's goin on, but for example, if you've never been to my neighborhood, how can you tell me where the bodega is, n who the owner is??? And what sneakers do they have down the block if you've never been in there??? That's all I'm sayin....and amerikkka still shits on us every single day....they call us niggers in comedy shows, call us nappy headed hoes on radio stations, hang ropes on trees and always try to boycott our music and change how we do it....it aint fair n were not dumb....I'm preety sure that 85% of the time a white person gets mad at a black person, he thinks 2 himself like "fu*king niggers"....and don't lie because I've seen this so many times it aint even funny.....although I'm preety sure it will all end if we start punchin people in the mouths everytime they call us racial slurs....but then again, maybe we shouldn't, kuz they jus gave the jena 6 almost 25 yrs for beatin a white kid up......god bless amerikkka

[StoneGreaser]

Course we dont understand-how could we, we're White? Anymore than a Black can ever understand what it is to be White? So what??? As far as racial slurs, tell ya what, in my lifetime I've heard more of em directed at Whites by Blacks than the other way around.

So why the big worry about understanding and group hugs and all this basura? Why not accept the fact that all people are different and let it go at that?

BTW, for those who keep writing about "the majority", Whites comprise just around ten percent of the worlds population-WE'RE the minority!

[BxxMILITIA]

Alright, but were trying to EXPLAIN the struggle, since white people are always so curious and wonder what makes a black mans life different than a white mans....what odds does a white man have against him???I understand the white experience, how could I not, when their on top of the world...lets be serious....

[EmperorPenguin]

Alright, but were trying to EXPLAIN the struggle, since white people are always so curious and wonder what makes a black mans life different than a white mans....what odds does a white man have against him???I understand the white experience, how could I not, when their on top of the world...lets be serious....

No, you don't understand it. No more then a white person who claims to understand where a black man is coming from. You can grow up in similar situations, be the same colour, get the same income, goto the same schools, etc. and you still won't know the other persons personal struggles. It's what makes us all different. Like I said before, I can sympathize with another persons hardships, I can maybe even grasp it to some extent but I'll never fully understand it.

The article would have been summed up a lot simpler if it was just called "NEWS FLASH! Study shows you CAN NOT walk a mile in another mans shoes."

[justice league]

I dont really understand what the study set out to prove tho. Its like as african americans can we say that we understand the "white experience", or any other races "experience"...

I think the only "experience" whites have are of trying to keep blacks down, and I'm white. I'll admit that I don't have a deep understanding of the black experience, the only thing I probably understand about it is the struggle to try to put an end to hundreds of years of mistreatment at the hands of the white man. Basically I also understand that the whole reason why the white man mistreated blacks was out of pure fear. Fear that they would no longer be the majority amongst other reasons that I can't think of at this time.

blah blah blah...... go tell it to your black boyfriend.

Everyone here knows you don't understand the black experience. It's understandable.

and THAT is coming from a wigger.... tell me, what made you turn against your own race? Did your daddy beat you? Was your mama too drunk to give you proper upbringing
did the black kids in your neighborhood make you feel bad for being white? cuz this last one wont work with me.

[justice league]

^^^the idiot above me (88) obviously DOSENT Understand the black experience...n that's fine, but it her case, she chooses to be ignorent, which in turn just makes her look bad...and how childish is saying "blah blah blah"???? I used 2 say that when I was in elementery school....its sad how people try to make intelligent, civilized topics, and we have ignorent dumbasses like these...

Anyways, back 2 the topic, the way I see it is, YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'VE NEVER BEEN THROUGH.....white people always try their best 2 convince us that they do understand what's goin on, but for example, if you've never been to my neighborhood, how can you tell me where the bodega is, n who the owner is??? And what sneakers do they have down the block if you've never been in there??? That's all I'm sayin....and amerikkka still shits on us every single day....they call us niggers in comedy shows, call us nappy headed hoes on radio stations, hang ropes on trees and always try to boycott our music and change how we do it....it aint fair n were not dumb....I'm preety sure that 85% of the time a white person gets mad at a black person, he thinks 2 himself like "fu*king niggers"....and don't lie because I've seen this so many times it aint even funny.....although I'm preety sure it will all end if we start punchin people in the mouths everytime they call us racial slurs....but then again, maybe we shouldn't, kuz they jus gave the jena 6 almost 25 yrs for beatin a white kid up......god bless amerikkka

why you go around provoking people in the first place? and why you wanna be that way? you have no idea what its like to be white, so quit demanding white people to appreciate what its like to be black.

you only dont like that I told mudshark there to shut up because she is doing that dicksuck routine you LOVE to see white people do.

[StoneGreaser]

On top of the world?

My Brother, I grew up in the same foster homes and "youthful offender" facilities, I came of age in the same prisons, lived in the same ghetto, all that routine. Was my experience different than yours? Probably, but I don't know better or worse-most of the keepers in those places were Black.

There is an elite that run things all over the world, be they White, Jewish, Lebanese, what have you...onliest color they're about is green n gold.

Dig this...the flip side of "all White people make fun of Black and don't understand em" is "all Black people are dirty and lazy"...just more racist razmataz from a different angle.

[Cold Bear]

I dont really understand what the study set out to prove tho. Its like as african americans can we say that we understand the "white experience", or any other races "experience"...

I think the only "experience" whites have are of trying to keep blacks down, and I'm white. I'll admit that I don't have a deep understanding of the black experience, the only thing I probably understand about it is the struggle to try to put an end to hundreds of years of mistreatment at the hands of the white man. Basically I also understand that the whole reason why the white man mistreated blacks was out of pure fear. Fear that they would no longer be the majority amongst other reasons that I can't think of at this time.

blah blah blah...... go tell it to your black boyfriend.

Everyone here knows you don't understand the black experience. It's understandable.

and THAT is coming from a wigger.... tell me, what made you turn against your own race? Did your daddy beat you? Was your mama too drunk to give you proper upbringing
did the black kids in your neighborhood make you feel bad for being white? because this last one wont work with me.

I think it's pretty clear here who is the one is who is overly defensive versus somebody who is comfortable being white and is not afraid of black people.

[justice league]

I dont really understand what the study set out to prove tho. Its like as african americans can we say that we understand the "white experience", or any other races "experience"...

I think the only "experience" whites have are of trying to keep blacks down, and I'm white. I'll admit that I don't have a deep understanding of the black experience, the only thing I probably understand about it is the struggle to try to put an end to hundreds of years of mistreatment at the hands of the white man. Basically I also understand that the whole reason why the white man mistreated blacks was out of pure fear. Fear that they would no longer be the majority amongst other reasons that I can't think of at this time.

blah blah blah...... go tell it to your black boyfriend.

Everyone here knows you don't understand the black experience. It's understandable.

and THAT is coming from a wigger.... tell me, what made you turn against your own race? Did your daddy beat you? Was your mama too drunk to give you proper upbringing
did the black kids in your neighborhood make you feel bad for being white? because this last one wont work with me.

I think it's pretty clear here who is the one is who is overly defensive versus somebody who is comfortable being white and is not afraid of black people.

you sure can twist a point around.
I am NOT afraid of black people. I am afraid of people that think they know me because they come to the table armed and ready for battle.

[A Ghost]

Alright, but were trying to EXPLAIN the struggle, since white people are always so curious and wonder what makes a black mans life different than a white mans....what odds does a white man have against him???I understand the white experience, how could I not, when their on top of the world...lets be serious....

No, you don't understand it. No more then a white person who claims to understand where a black man is coming from. You can grow up in similar situations, be the same colour, get the same income, goto the same schools, etc. and you still won't know the other persons personal struggles. It's what makes us all different. Like I said before, I can sympathize with another persons hardships, I can maybe even grasp it to some extent but I'll never fully understand it.

The article would have been summed up a lot simpler if it was just called "NEWS FLASH! Study shows you CAN NOT walk a mile in another mans shoes."

Actually I believe Puerto Ricans all have African blood in them. It cant remember where I learned it but they are African. I think it had something to do with the slave trade or something...

Thats the problem, people think Puerto Ricans are like Mexicans and they aren't. They are completely different.

Mexicans are actually Native Americans who speak Spanish.

Puerto Ricans are like mixed people (black and white) who speak Spanish.

At least I think. If Im wrong please correct me.

[A Ghost]

I dont really understand what the study set out to prove tho. Its like as african americans can we say that we understand the "white experience", or any other races "experience"...

I think the only "experience" whites have are of trying to keep blacks down, and I'm white. I'll admit that I don't have a deep understanding of the black experience, the only thing I probably understand about it is the struggle to try to put an end to hundreds of years of mistreatment at the hands of the white man. Basically I also understand that the whole reason why the white man mistreated blacks was out of pure fear. Fear that they would no longer be the majority amongst other reasons that I can't think of at this time.

blah blah blah...... go tell it to your black boyfriend.

Everyone here knows you don't understand the black experience. It's understandable.

and THAT is coming from a wigger.... tell me, what made you turn against your own race? Did your daddy beat you? Was your mama too drunk to give you proper upbringing
did the black kids in your neighborhood make you feel bad for being white? because this last one wont work with me.

"wigger" is just a term where a white person can get away with saying the N word without actually saying it.

I am NOT a fake thug. I am what the American white SHOULD be. Racism free.

[A Ghost]

Did you know that Puerto Ricans are referred to as "Nig-er Ricans" in New York?

[A Ghost]

I dont really understand what the study set out to prove tho. Its like as african americans can we say that we understand the "white experience", or any other races "experience"...

I think the only "experience" whites have are of trying to keep blacks down, and I'm white. I'll admit that I don't have a deep understanding of the black experience, the only thing I probably understand about it is the struggle to try to put an end to hundreds of years of mistreatment at the hands of the white man. Basically I also understand that the whole reason why the white man mistreated blacks was out of pure fear. Fear that they would no longer be the majority amongst other reasons that I can't think of at this time.

blah blah blah...... go tell it to your black boyfriend.

Everyone here knows you don't understand the black experience. It's understandable.

and THAT is coming from a wigger.... tell me, what made you turn against your own race? Did your daddy beat you? Was your mama too drunk to give you proper upbringing
did the black kids in your neighborhood make you feel bad for being white? because this last one wont work with me.

I think it's pretty clear here who is the one is who is overly defensive versus somebody who is comfortable being white and is not afraid of black people.

you sure can twist a point around.
I am NOT afraid of black people. I am afraid of people that think they know me because they come to the table armed and ready for battle.

If you walked into a room with 50 black people and 1 white person.

What would you do?

[A Ghost]

Check this out:

White people will criticize blacks for not utilizing government programs to help blacks succeed, yet turn right around and try to get those same government programs eliminated because they feel it puts them at a disadvantage.



DAMN!!!

[perongregory]

of course they don't understnd and don't give a shit... the last big group of whites who gave some sort of a fuck about minorities in America was the 60's generation, and they either got marginalized, or got their assess kicked into the system by status quo whites. But you can't be an absolute winner if you care about other people, or else you have to share the glory and the prizes.