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Though I don't have a television, I can see from the many blogs out there that there are still studies being done to expose how bad it is to be black. lol! Studies show the worse thing you can do is be black, etc. I suppose these studies are important (I would sure like to find out who is behind these studies and why are they being conducted but anyway..). The by -product of these studies is that BF end up feeling crummy about themselves. But somehow its important to have these studies put out every so often. Why?
For one thing, its not a natural state to be crummy and down about one's self. These studies help to reinforce that feeling (in case we forgot and got happy for a hot second!) lol!
Well, I decided, in honor of Black History Month, to seek out through all the muck, and find good and positive studies. So here's what I found:
Studies show BF have diverse opinions and ideas (shocking!)
Studies in 2000 showed good self esteem in black children! (Self esteem study). This, despite that "pick the 'good' doll; white or black" study. (And what was that about? My sister wondered what was the purpose of that old study in the first place!)
Studies show in 2005 that hypertension, high blood pressure in Blacks is NOT genetic. A change in lifestyle is in order. Finished.
Studies show Blacks are more like to leave a hospice....to seek life extended care! How can that be, asked the scientists scratching their heads. So they chalked it to surely BF didn't know what a hospice was for inthe first place.
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Another thing I want to say, but not sure how to, so I'll just give a story that happened to me:
Long ago, when I was a kid, some other kids asked if I wanted to come and play with them. Of course I said yes. When we were outside some of the kids were telling me I needed to put sun screen on.
Honestly, I don't know about such things, but it does seem strange for a black girl -who's ancestry hails from Africa, and who's recent ancestry hails from the Carribean- that I should use sunscreen. Does anyone know more about this? I should block out the continental -ish sun when my family withstood a more stronger equatorial, or at least tropucal sun?
Again, I admit I don't know...
8 comments:
Miriam, as usual, you're on the money.
Blacks have been placed under a microscope for years--presumably to understand how we manage to cope in a world where we're often despised just because we're black.
These studies, as you pointed out, can do considerable harm--not only do they shape how others perceive us, but how we perceive ourselves.
Thoughts are creative. The thoughts that are held in mind, or are accepted as real, become our reality, the facts to the contrary.
I say do away with the studies. They have limited use, and don't reflect Ultimate Reality.
I agree on doing away with those studies! That, or if we need to find out something for health reasons, we should conduct our own.
Excellent post Miriam. I'm so wary of studies because there can be so many confounding factors including personal prejudice and manipulation of numbers. Thank you, though, for pointing out studies that show us in a favorable light. Too often we get caught up focusing on what's not right we fail to see what is right, what makes us beautiful and great.
Miriam, it's JustMe,
The reason for the sunscreen in Whites is because they lack melanin and are at high risk for skin cancer from exposure to the Sun; melanin acts as a conduit to the Sun for blacks and actually releases healing and health chemicals in the body; so exposure to the Sun is GOOD for Blacks!
The reason you don't know this is the same reason the resolutes of theses studies are given to us all - whites are in control and they decide what is consider NORMAL and what is ABNORMAL! It's not a conspiracy on behalf of the entire white race but is wrought through White Supremacy!
The reason for the Doll Study was to prove the harmful effects that segregation and Jim Crow had on Blacks. It was rehashed by a young Black Sista to see if Blacks were still under that negative self-fufilling prophecy created by White Dominance. It turns out that it's rather stigmatizing to live in a world designed for White when you are Black. Read Dr. Frances Cress Welsing's "The Isis Papers" to learn more!
Just Me . . . excellent points you make! I second the suggestion of The Isis Papers. A must read.
Chi-chi -Thanks for the uplift and encouragement! I really wish we would stop participating in those or just have our own studies done on topics and methods WE are interested in.
Just Me - Well I just learned that the sun gives me vitamin D! from Living Essence blog. (that was a shameless plug for my sister's blog)
I totally hear you. I just wish there had been a more protective, non-blatant "remember little black girl, you chose the white doll" type of experiment done.
Like leaving the kids alone in a room to pick one doll to play with or something.
The way it was done, I can't help but to fear that those little girls who participated got effected.
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I found a website for the Course in Niracles. Pretty interesting.
Still searching for a better (I found a few) site about the Isis papers.
Thanks!
Miriam,
YouTube has lectures by Dr. Welsing on the Isis Papers posted. Here's a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqYJnA_BPKA
JustMe
Oh wow! thanks for the heads up.
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