Nkredyble

I'm a (Black) macro social worker and future doctoral student doing diversity and inclusion related work at a major private university, and this is a subject I'm trying to create a 101 training for. People these days are becoming more aware of the social construction of race, but they don't really know this history behind it, and behind the creation of the idea of "whiteness". It's really really interesting stuff, and it makes it difficult to see the U.S. in particular quite the same way again.

Sure! Here's a quick and (highly generalized) dirty expansion:

Prior to the late 17th century, classifications were primarily drawn around other group factors like religion and ethnicity/nationality (where are you and your family from). In the US, this can particularly be seen in how tightly knit lower class black and white indentured servants were at the time, with interracial socialization and marriage not having stigma attached to it, and blacks being able to buy freedom and land. One large reason for the shift away from these classifications was Bacon's Rebellion in 1676, where poor white and black servants rose up in an armed response to the oppressive nature of Virginia's governor at the time. This rebellion sparked several smaller ones in other colonies, and while they were ultimately defeated, it shook the ruling class. This led to measures aimed at separating the black and white lower class, particularly the enslavement of lineages of blacks, and stripping away their rights to obtain freedom, participate in business, etc. Blacks were made out to be "destined" for slavery as the children of Ham, and inferior to the Europeans in every way. The ruling class essentially used this to pull lower class whites away by saying "Hey, you're different than them, you're better, and even if you're dirt poor and starving, at least you're not black!" This separation of the lower class led to the creation of "whiteness" as a concept, much as it led to the creation of "blackness." Both are social constructions, however, and the definitions can change over time (i.e., the classification of Southern Europeans and Irish as white was a debate into the mid 19th century, Mexicans used to be white by virtue of Spanish settlers, and Asians were considered black until a new classification was deemed necessary).

Of course, there's a whole lot more and I left a lot out, but that's the general idea. Race was literally created to keep us from uniting and overthrowing an oppressive system that works against the majority.

If you'd like to read more, there's a great book on the subject called "Racial Formation in the United States" by Michael Omi and Howard Winant.

Edit: obligatory "thanks for the gold kind stranger"!

I had $60k in undergrad as an out of state student that I picked at and deferred for like 10 years. In that time I got married, had kids, got a house, got car payments to transport the kids, etc etc. My wife and I then get the idea to go back for our masters degrees, because we'd both hit the ceiling in our fields. We both end up losing our jobs a year before completion, but managed to limp through with extra loans and three part time jobs. Three years later, we're $300k in the hole for loans, + still having mortgage, car payments, child care, etc.

You, my friend, are absolutely BLESSED with your 25k.

I haven't, but the synopsis sounds interesting. I'll give it a read!

Well the more detailed explanation is that my wife had already purchased a house when we met, so it became our house upon marriage. Wasn't a conscious "I'm in debt and decide to purchase a house anyway" thing, but a combining of two people thing.