Blatant Racism: Maple Flatbush..wondering why.

PLG?

Prospect Lefferts Gardens

Remember this is both a Crown Heights AND Prospect Lefferts Gardens list and this particular thread was about the latter. Circumstances are somewhat different south of Empire Blvd, something you might have considered. If you don't actually know the neighborhood I don't think you have anything of substance to add to the discussion.

I'm curious, MHA - when were you elected as a mouthpiece for all Black people? I mean, I know you were away from the site for a while, but I didn't think that it had been *that* long...

Bob: I am curious about what you think the relevant differences are between Crown Heights and PLG.

Never mind all the rest. Hey MHA. Can you explain to us how history rationalizes physically threatening a pregnant woman?

I suppose the rationale is as follows:

White man threatens pregnant white woman- white man at fault.

Black man threatens pregnant black woman- white man at fault for creating the environment that strips the black man of self-control and responsibility.

Black man threatens pregnant white woman- white man at fault for choosing to fall victim to gentrification (another creation by the white man) and move into black neighborhoods where they are not wanted

Am I right or am I right MHA? Why take responsibility when we can lay the blame of our burdens and transgressions on whitey... even if it takes novels of nonsense to do so? It makes me sad that you haven't seemed to learn anything over your hiatus. A grown man unable to grasp the concept of personal responsibility. Its sad

WhyFi said:

I'm curious, MHA - when were you elected as a mouthpiece for all Black people? I mean, I know you were away from the site for a while, but I didn't think that it had been *that* long...

I nod my head when I hear leaders (be them elected or self-appointed) state "do not engage in stereotypes and discriminate against a group of people based on their race".

However, I then scratch my head when I hear the same elected or self-appointed leaders claim that everyone in the group they purport to represent thinks only one way.

To answer photogirl's question about what I think are the relevant differences between PLG and Crown Heights:

The histories of the two neighborhoods are very different and, indeed, PLG is unique among Brooklyn brownstone neighborhoods:

§ a sizable part of PLG has single family covenants written into the deeds

§ because of this, houses were not broken up into SROs like in many other neighborhoods, therefore the neighborood id not deteriorate

§ the neighborhood started to become integrated in the early 50s and, although the white residents initially reacted with the same racist nonsense as elsewhere, they were ultimately more accepting of their new neighbors (very likely because the newcomers were also middle class)

§ the neighborhood was able to resist block busting, by unscrupulous real estate brokers and, therefore did not become "resegregated"-- i.e.: many white people remained, so that the neighborhood remained integrated, abeit with a black majority

§ since the early days of the "brownstone revival, in the mid-60s, PLG continued to attract new-comers of all races

§ PLG never "needed" gentrification (a term I hate which, like much imported British terminology, doesn't really work here)

§ thus there is far less racial tension here than in Crown Heights, the rest of NYC, and the rest of the country

§ my neighborhood could be a model for the rest of the country--something I've believe since moving here in the early '70s

whynot_31 said:

I nod my head when I hear leaders (be them elected or self-appointed) state "do not engage in stereotypes and discriminate against a group of people based on their race".

However, I then scratch my head when I hear the same elected or self-appointed leaders claim that everyone in the group they purport to represent thinks only one way.

It only seems contradictory because you are not black. Therefore you don't have the historical frame of reference or the right to eschew meaningless oppressive white concepts like "logic", "individuality" and "personal responsibility". Never mind the granularity of humanity. To the white man even identical twins may have obvious differences in personality & development. But ultimately, the only thing that defines who we are is our history. And from our relationships & actions in history, regardless of our actions, thoughts, accomplishments, mistakes as individuals born and living in 2011, is where our construct is born. There is no moving on from the past because our past- and not our past, but the past of ancestors hundreds and thousands of years ago- is all that defines us. And every black person thinks this way, even when they claim they don't. Am I right MHA?

popcorn is in the microwave! At last some great summer entertainment!

tsarina-

I hope Louis Farrakhan makes an appearance. I love it when his tiny, crazy organization claims to represent the views every black person.

I must admit the pies are pretty good though.

Hey Bob Marvin, I agree with you on your description of PLG, except for Flatbush Ave and deadend streets are like a whole separate entity from the other side streets. (I lived in the Patio Gardens for 5 years.) It was like a rodeo, wild west town and then there was the genteel blocks off to the side. The event of the ranting street person is no way surprising. It happened to me. But it is clearly very much an exception to the norm.

Whynot-

Why shouldn't he? The white devils are here. We are all one. And we are all one in our love of pies!

tsarina said:

Whynot-

Why shouldn't he? The white devils are here. We are all one.

Tsarina-

I keep missing the monthly meetings. Where are they held?

MHA said: He forgot rule Number One: Never let the Whiteman drive you crazy.

I guess it's too late for you, huh?

Maybe it was MHA the OP had a run-in with.

At the Armories silly! You know we had to get a bigger place to rally all the troops for our giant white conspiracies.

tsarina said:

At the Armories silly! You know we had to get a bigger place to rally all the troops for our giant white conspiracies.

But I find it impossible to agree with anyone on everything.

....and I find that I want nothing to do with idiots with whom I merely share a hue. Similarly, I find I want nothing to do with idiots that do not share my hue.

This must be why I was not invited.

If you were invited, I suspect it was in error.

whynot_31 said:

But I find it impossible to agree with anyone on everything.

....and I find that I want nothing to do with idiots whom I merely share a hue. Similarly, I find I want nothing to do with idiots that do not share my hue.

This must be why I was not invited.

If you were invited, I suspect it was in error.

Well its true I don't fit in anywhere. And they looked at me kinda funny at the last meeting, And I rarely want to belong to a club who would have me as a member, but we are all white so we all have to think as a group hence I disagree with you as to my being invited. Its all so confusing. I like it better when they send the newsletter and tell me what to think!

I find that when I am among only people who look like me, the food is horrible. For some reason, they only eat cabbage, potatoes and corned beef when they get together.

I sometimes sneak out for Chinese food.

Hey speaking of newsletters that try to tell you how to think, I tired to get a copy of The Final Call, from one of those guys selling pies at the Brooklyn Bridge, but he said it wasn't for me.

It came as surprise to me that people still wear bow ties.

whynot_31 said:

I find that when I am among only people who look like me, the food is horrible. For some reason, they only eat cabbage, potatoes and corned beef when they get together.

I sometimes sneak out for Chinese food.

Hey speaking of newsletters that try to tell you how to think, I tired to get a copy of The Final Call, from one of those guys selling pies at the Brooklyn Bridge, but he said it wasn't for me.

It came as surprise to me that people still wear bow ties.

I only eat the potatoes and cabbage if they are certified organic, and the corned beef if it is grain fed, free range. But that is only the weeks when I'm not being vegan. What other kind of food is there?

Regarding that newsletter - try taking your hood off next time. Those guys will take all your money for the newspaper and the pies, they don't care what color you are as long as the money is green.

As for the bow ties - my architect is a bow tie totting architect.

That is fabulous news!

I will be sure to let them know that their sense of fashion is shared by an architect.

I imagine they get tired of being compared only to bow tie wearing characters like Krusty the clown.

I must say that everyone who judges someone by thier hue reminds me of a clown, regardless of whether they are wearing a bow tie or hood.

Sounds like the crazy crap that went down in SF's mission district as the neighborhood got overrun with young tech bubble types back in the late '90s.

Knife, meet beamaer tire.

Except in this case I think you were just dealing w/ a crazy man.

PLG, which has been integrated for 50+ years, isn't really comparable to some trendy gentrifying west coast neighborhood "senator." IMO you ARE right about the crazy part.

I'm not sure what the mission district being in the West Coast has to do w/ it. Are you aware of the striking similarities b/w the southern half of SF (Mission, Hayes Valley, Dolores Park, etc) and much of brooklyn?

But if I'm to take your point, are you saying that the incident the poster experienced in this case was far more out of the ordinary because the neighborhood has been well integrated and it should be no surprise to anyone living there that a white woman would be hanging w/ her pooch?

Speaking of crazy, I needs must now return to consuming 24/7 coverage of the doomsday debt ceiling!

I was last in SF in 1964, so I'm not at all aware of what's going on there, but yes, I did mean that "the incident the poster experienced in this case was far more out of the ordinary because the neighborhood has been well integrated and it should be no surprise to anyone living there that a white woman would be hanging w/ her pooch". PLG has been integrated for over 50 years. Many white people remained, despite attempts at "block busting" of the kind that re-segregated most neighborhoods after they were first integrated in the '50s and '60s so white people are not automatically new-comer gentrifiers and their presence shouldn't be an issue to any rational person of any race. The original incident was very likely an anomaly caused by either a deranged person, or someone so blinded by ideology that they were functionally deranged.

sorry, i was away working ever so hard on the debt ceiling deal, and am now on 5 week recess as the FAA falls to shambles.

I understand now what you were saying.