Looking for fellow black nurses!

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I am looking for other black nurses (actually minority nurses) to communicate and network with. Although I come from an area with a pretty even mix of races in the nursing field there are very few other black nurses, I have dealt with many unique experiences and I would like to hear what others are going through, triumphs, successes, let downs, failures......I have looked everywhere and I can not find any group to fill this need. This is the largest nursing network on the web right now so I know that we are here!

Specializes in critical care, PACU.

AFTER ALL THAT CRAP you want to preach forgiveness and forgetfulness! wow. There is a young black man in jail RIGHT NOW, prolly 20 now, because he was adopted by white parents. Was raised white, because they could do nothing else, and being white thought racism didn't exist, like you. Allowed him at 17 to date a white girl in their neighboorhood.... only to have those parents put him in jail because the girl was 16. Any normal parents wouldn't have done that but those parents being racist put his black butt in jail. And those white parents were on CNN crying because they didn't understand why or how. LOL. I know that's horrible but blacks all over the country watching were thinking, smh. No matter who raised that boy, he's still black and has to live aware of that.... bet he's aware of that now in jail........

I dont get this anecdote. Was he jailed because he dated a white girl or because of statutory rape?

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Specializes in ER/Acute Care.
I dont get this anecdote. Was he jailed because he dated a white girl or because of statutory rape?

Really? You want to pretend you don't understand what's going on with that scenario? Its called the crime doesn't fit the punishment! This happens everyday to black men across the country. Would her 17 year old white boyfriend be jailed and charged with statutory rape? Absolutely not. Or even better, did any of your teenage friends ever date the Juniors and Seniors in high school? Were they jailed?

Lets pull our head from the sand here and cut the crap. The statistics don't lie. Black men are disproportionately charged with crimes, harassed, and profiled within our justice system. Why do you think the President commented on what happened to Mr. Gates at Harvard? Why were black people so happy to see OJ get off? I know I'm being controversial here, but really? Lets grow up and stop pretending that the world is fair. Minorities deal with the ridicule, harassment, and disparities that come with the skin color and culture every day. For absolutely no reason. No, I don't have a problem with white people. At all. But if I want to seek out the company of a colleague who genuinely understands my frustration, then who are you or anyone else who has a problem with this thread, to judge?

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Again I will ask where do you see all those white nurses??? In my class of 60 i saw only small percentage of people who were white than whites,so did my friend from other nursing school...Actually I'm almost certain that there are more minority people being train to be nurses...Actually why do I sense hostility against whites in this thread..all of the sudden I'm being called uneducated because I'm mentioning past....anyway I also had a bad experiences with some black people--you want example,how about a black man that my mom rented a room for...from the start he start making trouble with all the other roomates (example he didnt like the way his indian roomate baked pizza,is this his problem??)...he was complaining about everything and about everyone and than he pulled a race card on everyone saying that his ex-wife told him that no one likes him in the apartment cause is black,,,haha his ex wife told him that and she never even meet non of his other roomates who were minority themselves (indian,pakistani and spanish) while he was the one calling police on people for walking too loud or listening to the TV...wait the story gets better....now he doesnt want to pay the rent cause he said it is winter and he said he is aware of that is is winter time and my mom wont be able to kick him out...now my mom has to bust her behind to pay the bills while this lazy man is going to live in her apartment for free...now my mom rents this house for 10 years,this is her second time she ever rented an apartment to a black man and this is the first tenant who gave her such trouble...yes there were some problems with other tenants but not to this extent..Also black people are not so welcoming to other races as well,I experienced this firsthand....the difference is I'm not afraid to say it.

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Specializes in ER/Acute Care.
Again I will ask where do you see all those white nurses??? In my class of 60 i saw only small percentage of people who were white than whites,so did my friend from other nursing school...Actually I'm almost certain that there are more minority people being train to be nurses...Actually why do I sense hostility against whites in this thread..all of the sudden I'm being called uneducated because I'm mentioning past....anyway I also had a bad experiences with some black people--you want example,how about a black man that my mom rented a room for...from the start he start making trouble with all the other roomates (example he didnt like the way his indian roomate baked pizza,is this his problem??)...he was complaining about everything and about everyone and than he pulled a race card on everyone saying that his ex-wife told him that no one likes him in the apartment cause is black,,,haha his ex wife told him that and she never even meet non of his other roomates who were minority themselves (indian,pakistani and spanish) while he was the one calling police on people for walking too loud or listening to the TV...wait the story gets better....now he doesnt want to pay the rent cause he said it is winter and he said he is aware of that is is winter time and my mom wont be able to kick him out...now my mom has to bust her behind to pay the bills while this lazy man is going to live in her apartment for free...now my mom rents this house for 10 years,this is her second time she ever rented an apartment to a black man and this is the first tenant who gave her such trouble...yes there were some problems with other tenants but not to this extent..Also black people are not so welcoming to other races as well,I experienced this firsthand....the difference is I'm not afraid to say it.

*sigh*

It has been stated over and over again that this thread was intended to be a networking and experience sharing venue for minority nurses and anyone else who cares to contribute to the discussion positively. I can see that I'm wasting my energy try to explain that over and over again. But, I'm stuck in a city away from my family because of the blizzard in the Midwest, so I'll going to try while I have nothing else to do.

You mentioned that there are more minorities in nursing than whites? Check this out:

http://www.minoritynurse.com/minority-nursing-statistics

4.2% are Black or African American (non-Hispanic); 3.1% are Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic); 1.7% are Hispanic or Latino; 0.3% are American Indian or Alaska Native; and 1.4% categorize themselves as two or more races and non-Hispanic.

I don't see how approximately 10% of the total minority nursing force trumphs approximately 90% the white nursing force. But maybe your math is better than mine.

If you believe that your story about your mother's roommate being annoying and not paying his rent justifies any hatred and discrimination against black people in general (which is how I took it, please correct me if I'm wrong), that's really sad.

As for your honesty, it's appreciated. I always appreciate people who let their intentions be known.

Good for you. :yeah:

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Specializes in Med Surg; OB.
*sigh*

It has been stated over and over again that this thread was intended to be a networking and experience sharing venue for minority nurses and anyone else who cares to contribute to the discussion positively. I can see that I'm wasting my energy try to explain that over and over again. But, I'm stuck in a city away from my family because of the blizzard in the Midwest, so I'll going to try while I have nothing else to do.

You mentioned that there are more minorities in nursing than whites? Check this out:

http://www.minoritynurse.com/minority-nursing-statistics

4.2% are Black or African American (non-Hispanic); 3.1% are Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic); 1.7% are Hispanic or Latino; 0.3% are American Indian or Alaska Native; and 1.4% categorize themselves as two or more races and non-Hispanic.

I don't see how approximately 10% of the total minority nursing force trumphs approximately 90% the white nursing force. But maybe your math is better than mine.

If you believe that your story about your mother's roommate being annoying and not paying his rent justifies any hatred and discrimination against black people in general (which is how I took it, please correct me if I'm wrong), that's really sad.

As for your honesty, it's appreciated. I always appreciate people who let their intentions be known.

Good for you. :yeah:

I agree with you. I to am in the Midwest. Blackheartednurse just doesn't understand and she could not possibly. She thinks that since she was not in the majority in her nursing program/clinicals that she has experienced racism or have been discriminated against. PLEASE! YOU HAVE NO IDEA! And thing about her mother's renter what does that have to do with anything. Nothing at all. Yes we are defensive because it happens to us on a daily basis.

Eventually the mods are going to close this thread because of the back and forth negativity and that was not the OP's reason for starting this thread. If blackheartednurse has a problem with this thread then maybe she not post here as suggested by another poster.

HAPPY HOILDAYS everyone!

Blaquediamondz RN,BSN

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.
Really? You want to pretend you don't understand what's going on with that scenario? Its called the crime doesn't fit the punishment! This happens everyday to black men across the country. Would her 17 year old white boyfriend be jailed and charged with statutory rape? Absolutely not. Or even better, did any of your teenage friends ever date the Juniors and Seniors in high school? Were they jailed?

Lets pull our head from the sand here and cut the crap. The statistics don't lie. Black men are disproportionately charged with crimes, harassed, and profiled within our justice system. Why do you think the President commented on what happened to Mr. Gates at Harvard? Why were black people so happy to see OJ get off? I know I'm being controversial here, but really? Lets grow up and stop pretending that the world is fair. Minorities deal with the ridicule, harassment, and disparities that come with the skin color and culture every day. For absolutely no reason. No, I don't have a problem with white people. At all. But if I want to seek out the company of a colleague who genuinely understands my frustration, then who are you or anyone else who has a problem with this thread, to judge?

I actually, genuinely, was confused by the wording of your response, but thank you for your undue hostility.

I didnt say the world is fair. Not so sure how you judged my views of the world by the one sentence response I gave you.

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Specializes in ER/Acute Care.
I actually, genuinely, was confused by the wording of your response, but thank you for your undue hostility.

I didnt say the world is fair. Not so sure how you judged my views of the world by the one sentence response I gave you.

Really? You want to pretend you don't understand what's going on with that scenario? Its called the crime doesn't fit the punishment! This happens everyday to black men across the country. Would her 17 year old white boyfriend be jailed and charged with statutory rape? Absolutely not. Or even better, did any of your teenage friends ever date the Juniors and Seniors in high school? Were they jailed?

Lets pull our head from the sand here and cut the crap. The statistics don't lie. Black men are disproportionately charged with crimes, harassed, and profiled within our justice system. Why do you think the President commented on what happened to Mr. Gates at Harvard? Why were black people so happy to see OJ get off? I know I'm being controversial here, but really? Lets grow up and stop pretending that the world is fair. Minorities deal with the ridicule, harassment, and disparities that come with the skin color and culture every day. For absolutely no reason. No, I don't have a problem with white people. At all. But if I want to seek out the company of a colleague who genuinely understands my frustration, then who are you or anyone else who has a problem with this thread, to judge?

I dont get this anecdote. Was he jailed because he dated a white girl or because of statutory rape?

People who talk about living in the past are uneducated. Sorry. I admit that statement is offensive and harsh. And I'm sorry. But I just gotta say it. what is the old quote out there, those who ignore their past are doomed to repeat it? Something like that.

It's not old news, it's still out there. It was only a couple of years ago those white men dragged that handicapped black man down the road right?!

I think there are some people in this world who are racist and who aren't. I think that white people who ask my opinion and listen, aren't. I think white people who push ANNOYINGLY to FORGET, and nothing else ARE. I know that is jumping to conclusions but I'm friends with enough white people to stand by it.

True white friends of mine, never ask why I say the n word and they can't. They never tell me how blacks need to get over slavery. They are just friends. And when I vent because someone was racist to me, they listen, because they are my friend.

Whites who do that, I believe inside are.

And of course other minorities are mean and predjucided to each other. I've seen that as well. That, however, doesn't preclude whites from racism.

And see the fact that I need to explain this to you after MLK was shot and killed not more than 60 years ago for preaching equal rights, Malcom X killed as well, all the stupid movies explaining ad nauseum the effects of slavery and how it is passed on from generation to generation, willie lynch letters, million man marches, black history month.... ETC

AFTER ALL THAT CRAP you want to preach forgiveness and forgetfulness! wow. There is a young black man in jail RIGHT NOW, prolly 20 now, because he was adopted by white parents. Was raised white, because they could do nothing else, and being white thought racism didn't exist, like you. Allowed him at 17 to date a white girl in their neighboorhood.... only to have those parents put him in jail because the girl was 16. Any normal parents wouldn't have done that but those parents being racist put his black butt in jail. And those white parents were on CNN crying because they didn't understand why or how. LOL. I know that's horrible but blacks all over the country watching were thinking, smh. No matter who raised that boy, he's still black and has to live aware of that.... bet he's aware of that now in jail........

After all these situations it's offensive that you would be upset that any minorities are searching for each other. Do you get mad at gays when they search each other out too?

maggiofliore,

If your question was based on genuine curiosity, and not sarcasm (as I sensed when I responded), then I sincerely apologize. That story has been in the news for a few years and your response seemed off collar. The original post was by tiffanybaybaby, and not myself, as you implied.

Yes, the young man was arrested and charged with statutory rape. He's serving something like a 5-10 year sentence. He'll also be required to register as a sex offender when he's out. He was a 17 year old black boy with his 16 year old white girl friend. Literally, two teenagers in love and dating. Only he was charged with a crime because her parents didn't like the fact that their daughter was with a black boy. I'm sure you've observed similar situations with white teen couples with no similar consequence in your own life. I know I've observed them.

My response was aggressive because I'm growing tired of defending this thread and ultimately myself from the ignorance that pervades our society. Your question hit a nerve and I assumed some things that may not be true about you, but are true about some of the people who have posted on this thread. People argue back and forth about this because its a touchy subject. As a black woman, I experience racism almost everyday. I experienced it during my travels in an attempt to get home to my family this weekend, and I experienced it when I was 7 years old and buying a goldfish for my birthday. That's my first memory of experiencing outright racism. It gets old to have to defend these experiences to people who want to claim they don't happen.

I got a little off topic with my reply, but I want to offer a sincere apology. I hope I cleared up any confusion you had about the "anecdote." Feel free to PM if you have any other questions. :specs:

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Specializes in L&D, Mom/Baby, LTC, Rehab.

If I've learned nothing in my experiences with racism/prejudice, I have learn that sometimes you cannot teach an old dog new tricks. We can explain our situation with well thought out replies until we're blue in the face, but some people will never understand. I don't believe that the OP intended for this thread to be a defense of the way we feel, just a way for us to network with others who have similar experiences or are just concerned and compassionate about our experiences. When we engage someone like Blackheartednurse, it only ends in everyone being frustrated because she just doesn't get it. We can preach to that choir over and over again, or we can keep it moving in the way that the OP intended. Just my 2 cents

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Merry Christmas everyone I am so glad so see so many people respond! a couple of things:

1. I sent a message about a seperate thread, I was told it would be brought up at the next staff meeting so mabey if others on here will make the request in support it will be taken seriously...and to the non-minority poster who commented that this is the general board we could request our own...please make the request as well.

2. It is time to stop defending ourselves we are doing nothing wrong. This is the largest nursing board on the web and we are here, Lets eat drink and be merry in a sense I am so happy to have met all of you we are wasting time feeding into the ignorance and they will shut the thread down if we continue to stand up for ourselves (uppity lol get it...JK!)

3. Please friend each other so we can keep contact if they close the thread.

4. To everyone with something positive to say thank you so much, To those who just want to argue that is not what we are here for THIS BOARD IS NOT TO FACILITATE HOSTILITY!

5. Last of all can you guys come up with other topics you would like to discuss so that if we do get our own thread we can get it moving and keep it organized!

I am really hoping this works out if it is decided that we are not welcome here or cannot gather here do not worry if this is something people are interested in (which seems to be the case) just remember where there is a will there is a way!

Just a comment about minority nurses I have been there and checked it out but honestly it dosnt have the reach that this site does...This is an excellent nursing site and has resources for all nurses and I dont want to be seperate I just want to help create another powerful resource that some of the members of this site need.

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Ok Thanks for the excellent news JtMonique-this could be a possibility!!

In the meantime folks, let's not feed into the ignorance anymore as jtmonique well-mentioned:) I promise not to do so, myself. I really don't want to see this thread shut down, so let's overlook the negative vibes and keep things into perspective. I plan to make my request for a separate thread as well. Everyone-please support!

I agree with jtmonique that this website is a powerful tool-and very unique from other sites. I hope we can keep in contact with one another on here.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

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Specializes in OR.

I think there are two issues going on here (but maybe I'm wrong):

1) Even though our society has tried to take great strides dealing with this issue, minority nurses are still feeling the sting of discrimination and racism. This is unacceptable and needs to be dealt with.

2) A lot of white nurses are tired of feeling like the finger is always pointed at them.

My view? I'm white, and I feel I have been blessed with a great life so I can't get mad at someone who has had a difficult time in life because of their race and need to vent. Race is a very touchy subject, and there will always be people offended when bringing it up, it's inevitable.

:icon_hug:I love all my nurses!

Jess

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
Blackheartednurse-- Ps. Also this is a general nursing forum so if someone is bothered my a non-minority nurses responses it doesnt hurt to ask moderators to create a seperate forum for minority nurses.

Because hopefully we're big boys and girls who can be gracious and polite without having our mommies, sitters or other authority figures force it on us. Oh, never mind. . .:hdvwl:

To those who've tried to counter the thoughtless and unreasoned with reason and thoughtfulness-- thank you. We all learn from your posts even if the intended recipient doesn't seem to.

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