Ask HN: How many YC companies have African American founders?

Re:Ask HN: How many YC companies have African American foun... by SwellJoe on Thursday December 26, 2013 @02:35PM (#6967618)

"We need to stop fetishizing race in particular."

Who is "festishizing race"? And, what does that phrase mean in this context? Do you believe I'm fetishizing race? Or OP? Or some other comment in this thread?

I'm merely saying that to insist that race not be part of the conversation is a passive approach to maintaining the status quo. Or, to quote Elie Wiesel: "We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim."

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: How many YC companies have African American foun... by ricardobeat on Thursday December 26, 2013 @02:50PM (#6967690)

But this is not a fight, or it shouldn't be. There is no need to "take sides". The pattern of under-represented ethnicities can be seen all over, should it be brought up in every conversation? It is a reflex of beliefs and behaviours in our society that we want to get rid of, not perpetuate. Encouraging people to discriminate based on race would be the status quo, ignoring it is the exact opposite.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: How many YC companies have African American foun... by SwellJoe on Thursday December 26, 2013 @03:02PM (#6967753)

"The pattern of under-represented ethnicities can be seen all over, should it be brought up in every conversation?"

In every conversation? No. In a conversation about the under-representation of minorities in tech? Yes.

"Encouraging people to discriminate based on race is the status quo, ignoring it is the exact opposite."

Ignoring oppression is not the opposite. It is the tacit approval of oppression.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: How many YC companies have African American foun... by ricardobeat on Thursday December 26, 2013 @03:17PM (#6967834)

> Ignoring oppression is not the opposite. It is the tacit approval of oppression.

I agree wholeheartedly. And you should fight the opressor.

I understand the need to relate by example, but am I wrong to insist on a reality where race/ethnicity has jack to do with success in tech entrepreneurship?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: How many YC companies have African American foun... by jacalata on Friday December 27, 2013 @03:48PM (#6972555)

Wrong to want reality to be like that? No. Wrong to say that reality is like that today? Maybe, where's your evidence?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: How many YC companies have African American foun... by JoeAltmaier on Thursday December 26, 2013 @02:56PM (#6967718)

status quo? Are you talking about your parents' generation? I don't recall such an incident in my experience in the last few decades. Maybe I'm just sheltered or something; make up your own excuse to ignore me. But I think there's a generation who's made real progress. I would think the conversation would change; but I guess its easier to just repeat the same diatribe than draw from your own experiences or statistics or something solid?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: How many YC companies have African American foun... by ricardobeat on Thursday December 26, 2013 @03:04PM (#6967762)

Just following the parent's train of thought. I agree.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: How many YC companies have African American foun... by javert on Thursday December 26, 2013 @02:57PM (#6967727)

You are taking an irrelevant afterthought to my main point and focusing on it. By "fetishing" I mean "treating as extremely important in a way that reality does not justify."

> I'm merely saying that to insist that race not be part of the conversation is a passive approach to maintaining the status quo.

I'm fine conversing about race. But I don't think that you are actually advocating simply for more conversation. I think you are trying to oppose what I am advocating.

I am advocating that as individuals, we should treat other individuals in a colorblind way. I do not think that that would maintain the status quo, I think it would significantly improve the status quo over time.

[ Parent | on HN ]