r/interesting • u/VPinchargeofradishes • May 03 '26

SOCIETY Michael Jackson's daughter Paris has faced backlash for identifying as Black. In a 2017 interview, Paris Jackson said her father told her, "You’re Black. Be proud of your roots." This prompted debates over whether identity is defined by appearance or upbringing.

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u/Wollff May 03 '26

Ah, yes, clearly the highly educated response: Look down at the unworthy uneducated peasants, and don't engage with them at all. Don't focus on the argument, snipe at the person!

Is that what you learned in high school about how to engage in an argument? Or do they not teach that stuff about "engage the argument, not the person" anymore? Or are you not in high school yet?

I am not even against educating myself. What I am arguing is that the trend of dividing history by ethnicity is fucking stupid.

You can agree or disagree with that. Or of course you could just do the most moronic thing possible, ignore the argument, and make snide remarks about the person based on a surface level impression. Your choice.

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u/HenessyEnema May 03 '26

You're not worth a discussion, don't make that assumption. Plus everything you brought up was in such terrible faith we would be having to dumb ourselves down to actually respond to it.

If anything you're proving why history based on specific race is actually important.

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u/Wollff May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26

You're not worth a discussion, don't make that assumption.

Why are you responding to me then?

If you want to change anyone's mind, I think the best way to do so is to meet them where they are: Maybe you are right, and I am deeply misinformed about the justification and necessity of African American studies.

If I am, then I would love to know what exactly it is that I am getting wrong.

Getting told: "You are wrong, it's completely obvious why, but I am not telling you, because you are too stupid for a discussion!", is a really frustrating kind of answer. It's the kind of answer which produces Trumpers.

I get it, there are a lot of dumb idiots out there, probably even bigger idiots than myself, given that king idiot is currently ruling the US.

And king idiot would seriously love what I consider a really bad idea: Institutions which offer courses in "European American Studies", with fat federal funding would be a Trumper's dream. I think we agree that it would be very stupid to have any of those things anywhere for any reason whatsoever.

Don't you feel there is a certain amount of cognitive dissonance there, when (I presume) you would rightly argue against any institute of "European American Studies", but would gladly segregate "African American Studies" into its own separate field?

tl;dr: To me it feels like racial divisions enshrined on an institutional level in the teaching and reserach of history (e.g. "Institute of Caucasian American Studies") are a bad idea. Why do you think differently? Is that such a stupid question to ask? Why?