Mr. Hudson you are spouting the same thing the Klan spouts. The majority of welfare recipients are white. The African American race does have a problem with teen pregnacy but so do the whites. Having an education and even a college degree doesn't guarantee any wealth in this country as long as the people in charge do play fair. A lot of the white people in charge of companies are afraid of the educacted African American because he knows that he is well prepared. The majority of the African Americans at my job have an Associates Degree or a Bachelors Degree. Some of the whites don't even have a high school diploma. It took a college degree for an African American to get hired but all it took was the budy system for a white to get hired. Our Human resources department consist of 4 people 2 black and 2 white. Both African Amercans have Bachelor Degrees and the 2 whites have none. That is the reality of todays society. When young African Americans continue to see this happen it is hard to convince them to spend 2 to 4 years and the cost of college to get in a position that there white conterparts are given. They say why should I go in depth just let the gov. take care of me. I won't let my kids do this but my hope is they become business owners and create jobs rather than be asking for one.

Single teenage mothers are a problem regardless of race.

I do not agree that the LTE sounds like the Klan. I think some harsh truths are stated. The comments made seem racist to me. Where do you get the statistics on the race of welfare recipients? Why does race matter? What is your area of work?

All have worked and seen the buddy system at work. It is an unfair fact of life. I am sure that as a business owner, most would hire those they know over a stranger.

I have not worked outside of education in years, but know that the school systems search and court minority teachers with great zeal. Support positions are racially balanced, principals are racially and gender balanced...leaning more to females maybe, central office support positions are racially balanced.

We should work together to educate our children, not just in the curriculum offered but in how to succeed in life. Parenthood is the most difficult job around...it is not for the young and unemployed of any race.

TugOWar,

What part of Mr. Hudson's letter was inaccurate, and how was it racist, if it is true? Sure, whites suffer from many of the same issues, and the problem is growing in the white sector of our society, but statistics show that on a percentage basis, illegitimacy runs higher in the black community, and it has for several decades. The fact remains that, whether in the white or black community, this is the root of much of the societal problems in this country. Recently, there was an article that showed statistically that two factors that ran common in prison inmates were: 1) they came from a home without a father, and 2) they were school dropouts. This seems to support Mr. Hudson's contention. It makes sense that if you don't have an education with which to support yourself, and you grow-up in a family without minimal resources, your odds of struggling in life are great.

I recall several weeks ago, one black woman that authored an article in the Ideas section of the newspaper who stated that within much of the black community that being married and living in a traditional family unit was "being white". Mr. Hudson's letter was in response to the minority contractors' article, so he was not generating a "racist" letter, but rather responding to an allegation made in the article.

Bill Cosby is actively carrying this message to the black community, and he is being villified for it. If they, as well as, the white community don't wake-up and listen, our country is going to be in a terrible state in a few decades which wil be difficult to recover from. This may be totally different than where you work, but the world is larger and different than your one example.

..... and besides, white people who are in similar circumstances don't blame the fact that they are white for being in those circumstances.

It is not just the company I work for it is every major company. The government jobs a racial diversed but not the private sector. Maybe you should not comment o what you don't have any experience in. My first job that I got out of college. I was the third selected and the two in front of me were young white high school graduates. They were trained on what was considered more complex machines even though I had a higher level of education. Only through my proving my ability was I given the opportunity. And the fact still remains that there are more whites that recieve social security than blacks. I don't have a problem with Bill Cosby's statements. They were true and something we use to teach before we were intergrated. I think we were doing fine teaching our own and the only thing blacks gained from intergation was better books and not the outdated material that the white schools had used up.

Tug, it is probably true for women as well. You should read STUPID WHITE MEN (it is written by a white man whose name brings nothing but disdainful comments from many, but he should be read even if you don't accept all his statements. It has a lot of truths and is humorous....Michal Moore is the author...let the comments fly)

How do you feel about the High Point plan to bus for diversity?

TugOWar,

What do you mean don't comment on things in which I don't have experience in? I was Human Resource Director of a company, and I am fully aware of the policies and practices of companies. In case you are not aware, most , if not all, companies have an equal opportuntity program that ensures that qualified minorities get an opportunity to be hired, promoted and rewarded.

I think that you are spewing the very racist statements that you charged Mr. Hudson of doing. You have the right to state your opinions here, but be aware of your own racial biases, which are evident here.

Carol,

Obviously, Michael Moore's book is an autobiography.

A good article on this subject here :http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4296 on this subject. No it isn't Michael Moore. It's written by someome with credibility.

Carol,
You hit the nail right on the head. You said minority. You are considered a minority in most circumstances. And the only reason that most companies have an equal oportunity policy is because of the government and government contracts. They want to do away with affirmative action because they feel it forces companies to hire minorities that are not qualified. But all it does is give me a foot in the door. Most of the time African Americans are more than qualified for the job but we don't have the luxury of having someone on the inside to hand feed us until we can stand on our own. How can you justify hiring a young white male for and engineering position when he doesn't even have an engineering degree. If an African amercian got the job he would need a Masters Degree or PHD, and still would be second guessed the whole time.

The one problem I have with Bill cosby is that if he were so Black and new the needs of Blacks why didn'y he attend an HBCU or why don't he live in the neighborhood he came. He could by a whole block and make it a better place for his people. I don't see Oprah's house on MLK. These people may be African American but they aint been black in a long time.

TugOWar, please calm down, take a deep breath and stop typing so fast. You with to present yourself as an educated person, yet your posts are riddled with grammar and spelling errors. I'd like to know what you mean when you say Bill Cosby and Oprah "aint been black in a long time." Are you saying that they became "unblack" when they became successful? Do you have to live on MLK Drive to be black? Do you have to be opressed to be black? What exactly is your point? I'm not trying to attack your views and opinions, just trying to understand them.

Oops...here I am guilty of typing too fast as well. I meant "wish" to present yourself as an educated person. Just goes to show ya...none of us is perfect!

Tug, I have seen minorities hired over equally or better qualified whites. It really does go both ways. I don't deny that there are racist folks around; however, I see it in people of all races, not just whites. If you were presented with two candidates of equal ability, would you choose a black over a white? I know when I was leading our FBLA club, our black students would ask who was black when choosing leaders at the state level. They didn't ask about qualifications. Not a big deal, but shows how some think.

Still want to know your thoughts on the High Point busing for diversity plan. Most of the folks who have blogged seem to be white, so I really would like your point of view.

Kel,

It is not that I am typing fast it is that I don't have the time or ability to proof read what I have typed properly. Glad to see you corrected yourself once you posted your comments. The comment about Bill cosby was not directed to the fact that he doesn't live on MLK or has to live on MLK. But in order to respresent and chastise someone for their short comings you need to have walked in their shoes recently. My mother is not in tune with the problems of my childrens generation and I don't know it all but I can represent one generation removed better than she can. Bill is Green meaning that he walks to the beat of a different drum based on the people he communicates with most often. Do you think he hangs out at the Barber shop or even shops for himself in a mall. That is my point on Bill aint been Black in a while. As for the High Point School bussing I made my views none in another blog but i will state some again. Most of the people griping about the school zoning is the same ones that fled Greensboro to avoid the issue when the rezoning took place here. I think all schools should be more equal including Dudley. some have commented that go ahead and draw the lines and I will move to the area that I want my kid to go to school in and some have even said they would move to Davidson County. That's a choice they will have to make but sooner or later you have to face reality. As for my sounding educated you made that assumption Kel, I didn't give any credentials.

True Kel, Tug said "My first job that I got out of college." not that he graduated.

TugOWar, I was not making assumptions about you presenting yourself as educated. You stated that you had attended college. The only assumption I made was that someone who had attended college should possess basic grammar and spelling skills. I still don't believe you've effectively explained your statement about certain successful black people not "being black". Therefore, the conclusion that I draw from what you have said is that if you're not angry with "whitey" for any and all adversity in your life and if you don't have a huge chip on your shoulder because of your race, you are no longer considered black. Here's the deal...life isn't fair for a lot of people regardless of race. Get over it and stop blaming everything that's wrong in your life on the color of your skin.

Kel,

I am sucessful and I didn't know this was english Class. Evidently I can't explain the situation to you simple enough for you to understand therefore I on't know why I should consider the response you make. If you had any idea you my could relate. I don't have a chip on my shoulder my comment was to the first letter in stating that all black teenage mothers are what's wrong with our race. Your responses remind me of some young immature person with nothing else to do but point out irrelevant topics. When you grow up and live a while you might understand a little more so stop playing with grown ups.

Not that it really matters, but I am a 45-year-old grandparent. Does that qualify me as "having lived awhile" or do I have to be older?

I don't see where the original letter writer said or implied that all black teenage mothers are "what's wrong with our race." Fact of the matter is, any teenage pregnancy, regardless of race, will more than likely lessen the chances of the mother growing to her full potential. This in turn perpetuates the problem as succeeding generations learn from the same experiences. If you wish to improve your situation, the cycle needs to be broken. Statistics show that getting an education first will greatly improve the chances of success in life.

Everyone should just give it up debating with Tug. He possesses all of the wisdom and experience, and none of us could possibly ever have as good of an understanding as he, including his own mother. Clue to Tug: All of the wisdom in the world is not contained at the barber shop. Some people have wisdom gained from living and can see what the problems are. Regardless of race, the lack of education and growing up in a single-parent household makes a person's opportunity for success very low.

Another clue to Tug: The people that you feel are racists in High Point never lived in Greensboro to flee. They moved there from other locales. Their objection is not going to school with black children, it's their own children being used lime pawns arouhnd a chess board to serve someone's political agenda. And, that political agenda had to do with economic development, not the benefit of the the children of either race.

Tug, find out the real truth on things. As Kel said, everything that happens in this world is not about race, indeed, it's ususally not about race, but rather money.

Now is Tug a gal or guy? I assumed Tug was a gal.

When I look at all the statements from those who support the "High Point Diversity" plan, what I see is this: Black children can't be as successful when they don't have "X" number of white faces with them. Now if I were black, I would be up in arms. I would be screaming and kicking. Tug said things were better before integration.

I personally think that success comes with a competent teacher and a student who is well-behaved and wants to learn. Color of skin is not an issue.

I taught for 25 years. Seven years at Southeast which was not diverse. I finished my career at Southern then Southwest, both very diverse. I had classes with all kinds of percentages. Once had a class of 25 with only one white kid, we had the most fun, they learned a lot, great kids. White kid was making an A. I disciplined him for tardiness. He refused to stay. Had to meet with him and his mother and my principal. Mom and son accused me of treating him differently because he was white. Sometimes you just can't win.

Tug, where do you live? Are your kids bused? Do you realize that the kids who will suffer the most in this busing plan are the poor kids? I have written on this before and still believe I am correct.

Sure hope I didn't make any errors. I spent half my day teaching English and proofreading...this was in busines classes. Comments from students: Why didja mark off for that??? This ain't English class. My comment: Everything you write is English class. Still think that.

Kel,

maybe you should go back and read the first post. It was talking about black contractors, and his comments were about a young black girl in the grocery line. I leave you guessing whether i am male or female. You seem to have a lot of book knowlegde and great grammar but you have no common sense. And you know what you do when you assume. My comments were about the article tha was written not about whether a college graduate should be able to spell correctly in tis blog. You got the meaning of each comment i wrote whether they we spell checked or not. Yes my kids are bused and that is by choice. I grew up in a single family home and i made it. And by they way i did graduate with a 3.07 GPA. And I worked everyday after i got out of class. things that are important to you is imporant to you but in some cases getting results is better than making sure every I is dotted and every T crossed. Proper spelling and grammar won't put any food in your mouth. Did you teach the kid a lesson about being on time when you discplined him or di you just create an enemy. I sounds like the student didn't have to be on time to your class to make an A.

When writng to an audience that I feel requires proper grammar I know how to use it. But I don't feel this is the proper audience. Why don't you try going in the hood and correcting them on their grammar and see how far you get.

"Proper spelling and grammar won't put any food in your mouth". Au contraire, "Who da baby's daddy is?" isn't going gain anyone a job to put food in mouths.

I really liked this LTE, as it is the cold truth that too many are afraid to bring up for fear of being called a racist. Spin it anyway you want, but you cannot deny the fact that 2 of 3 black kids are born out of wedlock little or no paternal influence, which IMHO greatly reduces their chances of succeeding in life. By the way, I think lack of paternal influence is a problem with any race, yet it is dominant in the black race. It is a problem in denial among the black community, with only a few like Cosby trying to address it. Until it is acknowledged and addressed, it will remain a state of perpetual failure, with the only answer being to blame others, namely whitey.

Oh by the way Tug, in case you want to label me a racist for my point of view, please keep in mind the following:

1) My next door neighbors are black and hard working, intelligent people. Both their kids are extremely intelligent and are in advanced courses for their ages. They play regularly with my kids.

2) Just today, I ran into a black physician in his workplace. He attends my church. This guy has a successful practice and has a terrific wife and well behaved, educated children. See.... that mom AND dad thing might have an effect after all.

3) BUT, single mom doesn't necessarily equal failure. I served 9 years in Big Brothers/Big Sisters to mentor a young black child. His mom really stressed the importance of an education and discipline. Today he is successfully employed as a computer technician in the Navy.

Common denominator, all of these people took it upon themselves to succeed in life. They didn't mope around in perpetual whoa's me status blaming someone else for their setbacks in life.

Anyone can succeed, it only takes effort and determination.

By the way Tug, why do you have different sets of grammar for different audiences? What makes us undeservng of proper language and grammar?

I use the same, PROPER, grammer all day with anyone. Well...except with my 3 year old, we still use the word poo poo instead of S**t.

Tug, If disciplining students for breaking rules causes them to be enemies, then I have a boat load. Actually the students I was on the most usually turned out to like me a lot. They knew that I was fair and had high expectations. Teachers who let them slide were held in disdain.

Tardiness is always a problem in schools. It is disruptive and has to be dealt with. It doesn't keep you from making A's. I always set the example. I was at the door to greet them every day. Are you allowed to be tardy to work? Most aren't.

As for proper language, behavior, and dress, I always taught that there is a time and place for some things. Use whatever slang you want with your friends, but in class and most jobs, use standard English. Yelling across the room may be OK at a party but not in school. Coming to school half naked is not OK, but OK for the beach.

As to school rules, I always expected them to be followed. Used Baretta's wisdom: Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

Tug, Apparently you have me confused with someone else (Carol Dunn , maybe?). I am not interested in your gender and neither inquired nor speculated about it. Nor have I disciplined any students (other than my own children).

Since you apparently never got my point about the spelling and grammar, and thought I was simply picking on you, let me break it down for you. You complained about being passed over for jobs which were given to caucasions who were less educated than you. I thought that perhaps your spelling and grammar were not indicative of a higher education and may have factored into an employer's decision to hire someone else.

Alrighty then. Touchy subject but I'll give it a go.

I would agree with Tug that there is rampant racism throughout our country when it comes to hiring decisions. I've seen folks go through the applications and chuck out anything that looked like LaQueisha, Taneesha, Devante, and other names that appear 'black'. I've also seen it the other way where black supervisors went out of their way to select those applications for an interview.

Tug is also correct in stating that most government jobs have protections in place to at least require the same levels of education from applicants regardless of race. But that still leaves open the possibility that the job will be offered to the white applicant when an equally qualified black and white person apply simply based on race alone.

However, I do believe Tug would admit that things have improved during his/her lifetime from where they once were. Just not fast enough.

But let's face facts. An educated black man or woman will have a better chance in succeeding that an uneducated black man or woman who are burdened with teen pregnancy, bad grammar, and a defeatist attitude.

I also don't agree with the argument that success makes you not be black anymore. Does that mean Brad Pitt isn't white anymore? I understand that success does put you in a different class but a different race?

I would agree with Tug that being black puts you at a disadvantage. Not only do you have to prove yourself more than your white counterparts in many situations, but you also have to overcome the attitudes from people in your own race who don't believe that you can achieve anything.

I also don't agree that you need to attend an HBCU or give your child an African name to prove anything to anybody about your blackness. I would actually say that attending an HBCU is going to hurt your chances of success instead of helping you. Honestly, if you get an application from NC A&T or Winston-Salem State, your first thought is "Oh, they couldn't cut it in a non-HCBU school" or "They must not be able to get along with white people" That may not be right, but as someone who has worked with plenty of white males, I can tell you that it is true.

The main thing is that you can't just give up in the face of adversity. Tug is a proven example that you can overcome regardless of what the world wants you to be.

HCBU???

HBCU = historically black college/university, I think.

Sorry, Tug, all you claims of being successful don't exactly fly. I hear too much of the old VICTIM line of reasoning in your discourse. It would appear that despite you achievements you have never learned to be a real VICTOR. Sorry to say there's still too much VICTIM showing through. As long as you continue to blame others for circumstances and obstacles that you and others have not overcome then you are still a VICTIM
That is from one who doesn't have to be black to recognize the signs of one still trapped in victimization.
In the article by Deloris Davis it would appear that she suffers from the same illness. Until Blacks stop being VICTIMS ,just because some so called "leader" says they are then there is no hope for the black community. I won't name the leaders for most already know the names who use their race, the people of their race,for their own personal gain. Without VICTIMS, they have no one to lead.
I will add as a close that there is an entire segment of the white race that is also trapped in VICTIMHOOD. I have seen it. I deal with both the white and black VICTIMHOOD on a regular basis. My goal is to show them how to become VICTORS .

I would bet money that most African Americans that are sucessful dont walk around with a sock on their head and a t-shirt around their ankles.

Why?

Truth,

Cause they aren't black anymore. Remember?

Tug, I just have to weigh in on this. I know it seems like the issue of grammar is a diversion, but it isn't. It does not seem like Kel is attacking you. The black community generally uses bad grammar. As a former teacher, I saw many black kids write like you. They seemed to write the way they spoke, which is improper. It's OK to use slang when talking to a friend and it's OK to make typos and occasional errors in a blog. However, you do make plenty of errors, not typos. Kel was just pointing out the truth.

Why is this relevant to the conversation? If I was hiring someone, and the job required writing and correspondence, I am afraid I would not hire you. Not because of your race, but due to your grammar. You seem very smart but if you cannot properly express your thoughts in writing, your intelligence is not an asset to an employer.

Using proper written English is hard if you were raised in a community that rarely uses it. Poor white kids raised in the South or in the Bronx face the same challenges. It must be very discouraging. However, like teen pregnancy, gangs and welfare mentality, you cannot blame this on white people. More importantly, you cannot fault white people for pointing out the truth.

“Why don't you try going in the hood and correcting them on their grammar and see how far you get.” What did that mean? You’ll get your ass kicked, whitey? Impulsive, threatening comments like that do not help make your case. With comments like that you should understand why white women clinch their purses when they pass you by, as black men often assert.