Does your theme camp embrace racial diversity?

[forty_eight]

people shitting themselves and pissing themselves

radical elimination

look for my TEDx talk on this very topic ... I won't be deterred! lol

[ygmir]

You gotta remember that a moose was kind of a shock in the Middle East at that time. Hardly surprising that the proper term wasn't used.

Imagine their surprise at the flying squirrel!!

[FIGJAM]

Yes our camp "We're not a fucking camp, camp!" embraces racialy divers plug and play campers camps!!!

[Roberto Dobbisano]

.

[H.G.Crosby]

"just drive" she said.

[Dr Jet Sinister]

burning man suicides, rapes, thefts, battery, arsonists..weddings, drug busts.accidental deaths. speeding tickets, alcohol anonymous, discussions about/camps about sexual boundaries, freaky sex clubs, people mourning dead/dying loved ones at a big church, people saying 'fuck yer day' ...people abusing drugs, people OD'ing.. people having mental breakdowns..engagements, orgies. people shitting themselves and pissing themselves, hugs, happiness, sadness, arguments, yoga..... whatever the fuck else.

I love how 'weddings' is mixed in with all this horrible stuff.

[Roberto Dobbisano]

"maybe you'd like to look at this other festival instead"

[Sham]

burning man suicides, rapes, thefts, battery, arsonists..weddings, drug busts.accidental deaths. speeding tickets, alcohol anonymous, discussions about/camps about sexual boundaries, freaky sex clubs, people mourning dead/dying loved ones at a big church, people saying 'fuck yer day' ...people abusing drugs, people OD'ing.. people having mental breakdowns..engagements, orgies. people shitting themselves and pissing themselves, hugs, happiness, sadness, arguments, yoga..... whatever the fuck else.

I love how 'weddings' is mixed in with all this horrible stuff.

Lemur, I'm not sure what your point is--it seems to fit perfectly! The only things missing are boils, locusts and a constant rectal burning.

[Lonesomebri]

[media]

[heikediguoren]

I've read through this whole thread and, as far as I can tell, the only people who have contributed are white (i.e. Euro-American). Myself included.

I generally don't see camps where the dominant ethnicity is third-world. No camps whose core membership is Central Americans, Africans (except for South Africans), Southeast Asians...generally, the people out on the playa are representing nations that have more disposable income. Sweden and England, but not Romania or Bosnia.

The poverty issue is fairly obvious--people from minority ethnic groups, in general, tend to experience more lack of resources than those in the majority, in part because of their inability to blend in when participating in those social institutions that could carry them to the state of wealth and disposable income that would allow them to go to Burning Man without suffering intense family shame at having squandered precious resources that could have been used to feed and clothe their destitute relatives.

But it's not just about money--after all, there's a hefty contingent of marginalized impoverished white people who just barely scrape together the money to get out to the burn. It might be more a matter of desire for social acceptance. Those ethnicities that are more obviously "other" are, because of their inability to camouflage themselves in mainstream white society, less strongly interested in radical self-expression. When your very existence constantly marks you as a risk, and being profiled represents a real threat to your liberty, there is less incentive to participate in a culture dedicated to making yourself more unusual and anomalous. Burning Man is not about fitting in, never has been, and probably never will be, which makes it distinctly unattractive to fragile immigrant and African-American communities whose survival depends on their ability to avoid governmental scrutiny.

Then again, maybe a little scrutiny would be a good thing. Maybe it would be harder to dismiss the agonies of underprivileged races if they are able to grab some media spotlight and political dominance by using the aggressively innovative flamboyance that BRC proselytizes. If they are able to consolidate and stabilize economic power in desperate communities by enacting the principles of survival that they have studied in the desert. If they play Prometheus, and bring fire to the ghetto.

[Elliot]

I've read through this whole thread and, as far as I can tell, the only people who have contributed are white (i.e. Euro-American). ...

What is your definition of "contributed", pray tell?

[chiefdanfox]

Hmm. Maybe it is a "camping" thing, and love of therein not shared cross-culturally? Largely college-educated, unmarried, white folks go to burning man. I am guessing you see a similar demographic in backpacking, which is about as cheap a thing you can do, outside of throwing crumbs to pigeons. These "fragile communities" often spend plenty of time and money on recreational activities that they find entertaining and fulfilling, often on things that are ostentatious, such as lavish parties for children, clothes, vehicles and social events that would seemingly be outside of their assumed income level.

Or maybe it isn't the kind of place to bring a family? Maybe a lot of these "fragile" folks are focused on their children, and to them, going to a thing like Burning Man is their definition of hell? "Come on out! Hang out with white people on drugs! Freeze, boil, starve, crap in a porta potty, deal with fuckos calling you darkwad and tourist! It is fun, FUN, F U N! Burning Man. We put the FU in FUN!"

http://afterburn.burningman.com/10/census/index.html

[forty_eight]

^ thanks for new sig

[batman2013]

On the one hand I love these "white guilt" attitudes b/c with white women it makes them "easier" than they might otherwise be. On the other hand I'm a good looking BLACK male and I dont need CHARITY. LOL

[littlebird]

Oh heikediguoren, heikediguoren; I don't even know where to begin. I'm not sure that I even want to begin.

Take a look at the picture to the right of this post. Do you see that woman kissing the dog? That's me. No, that's not a really terrific tan; I'm black. I first contributed to this thread way back on page 2 or so and continued to contribute several pages after. In fact, I'm the one who first asked how racially diverse BM is, and did so out of sheer curiosity, as I've never been. I did not give a rat's ass about what the answer would be. I suspected that it would be "it's mostly a bunch of white folks," and I was correct. There you go.

But that's neither here nor there. The main reason why your post is incredibly off-putting is that it's so utterly patronizing. Did you happen to just take a college class titled Ethnic and Cultural Diversity In America 101 or something like that? If so, what the professor taught you is complete horse shit. Unless you're a racial minority in this country, you'll never fully understand what it's like. And that's not to say, "oh, poor us"; it's to say that you have no idea what you're talking about. And I'll never fully understand what it's like to be white. Who gives a shit.

I don't know whether chiefdanfox is black, white, orange, green, or purple, but his post is incredibly spot on. Furthermore, I imagine that most black people haven't even heard about BM. Hell, most white people have never heard of Burning Man. Give a general description of it to a person of any race and you're likely to get a response along the lines of, "That sounds like a goddamn nightmare."

Those ethnicities that are more obviously "other" are, because of their inability to camouflage themselves in mainstream white society, less strongly interested in radical self-expression.

Are you fucking kidding me? Seriously, just stop.

If they are able to consolidate and stabilize economic power in desperate communities by enacting the principles of survival that they have studied in the desert. If they play Prometheus, and bring fire to the ghetto.

Wow. I originally planned on writing a lengthy rebuttal to this, but I'd rather go and do something that doesn't make me want to bang my head repeatedly against a wall. Cheers.

[lemur]

If they are able to consolidate and stabilize economic power in desperate communities by enacting the principles of survival that they have studied in the desert. If they play Prometheus, and bring fire to the ghetto.

Wow. I originally planned on writing a lengthy rebuttal to this, but I'd rather go and do something that doesn't make me want to bang my head repeatedly against a wall. Cheers.

as youve been voted the official awesomest eplaya newcomer of 2013 (sorry, other new people) I think youre entitled to respond to it without any rebuttal but the one that has become near and dear to the hearts of many long time burning man participants..


proper rebuttal is: FUCK YER DAY.



that is all

[littlebird]

ignore, posted when I didn't mean to!




Oh, lemur posted! Thank you for your kind words, lemur.

[Elliot]

Wait-a-minnit! Isn't "Fuck your day" Burning-Man-speak for "Have a nice day"?

[batman2013]

Also - this topic is STUPID, it's like asking how diverse a golf game is/ country club. Didn't stop OJ 30 years ago from and it wont stop me.

[Savannah]

Wait-a-minnit! Isn't "Fuck your day" Burning-Man-speak for "Have a nice day"?

It's the eloquent "Aloha" of the Playa.


ChiefDan and Littlebird are (in my opinion) correct. The demographics of the event are affected by socioeconomic and cultural factors, but this is also an event that does not advertise and (aside from videos in recent years) has gained new attendees primarily by word-of-mouth. And SF remains Burner Central. It's not the closest city to the Burn, but it started there, and everyone told their friends. Many of whom are in a similar demographic.

How did I find out about Burning Man? From a friend.

[Elderberry]

....
But it's not just about money--after all, there's a hefty contingent of marginalized impoverished white people who just barely scrape together the money to get out to the burn. It might be more a matter of desire for social acceptance. Those ethnicities that are more obviously "other" are, because of their inability to camouflage themselves in mainstream white society, less strongly interested in radical self-expression. When your very existence constantly marks you as a risk, and being profiled represents a real threat to your liberty, there is less incentive to participate in a culture dedicated to making yourself more unusual and anomalous. Burning Man is not about fitting in, never has been, and probably never will be, which makes it distinctly unattractive to fragile immigrant and African-American communities whose survival depends on their ability to avoid governmental scrutiny.

Then again, maybe a little scrutiny would be a good thing. Maybe it would be harder to dismiss the agonies of underprivileged races if they are able to grab some media spotlight and political dominance by using the aggressively innovative flamboyance that BRC proselytizes. If they are able to consolidate and stabilize economic power in desperate communities by enacting the principles of survival that they have studied in the desert. If they play Prometheus, and bring fire to the ghetto.

Your ignorance and lack of insight and understanding is jaw dropping.

[Sic Pup]

Oh heikediguoren, heikediguoren; I don't even know where to begin. I'm not sure that I even want to begin.

May I have your child, pretty please?

(((littlebird)))

[mulch]

On the one hand I love these "white guilt" attitudes b/c with white women it makes them "easier" than they might otherwise be. On the other hand I'm a good looking BLACK male and I dont need CHARITY. LOL

If more black guys knew this guys secret insight, BM would be more diverse.

Also, you don't see as many black guys who like EDM, Raving, Tripping, and as mentioned, camping in general. Not that you have to do such things at BM, but its the same mindset I would imagine.

[DrewDubious]

Wow. I originally planned on writing a lengthy rebuttal to this, but I'd rather go and do something that doesn't make me want to bang my head repeatedly against a wall. Cheers.

as youve been voted the official awesomest eplaya newcomer of 2013

I hope it's not cause she is black

[theCryptofishist]

Didn't stop OJ 30 years ago from and it wont stop me.

.

[heikediguoren]

Thank you for your candid responses to my post. Like the rest of the participants in this thread, I am trying to get a better grasp on the significant problem of racial monoculture at Burning Man. And I recognize that because I don't often express my views about this topic--I can't stand the heat, and so I rarely venture into the kitchen--I am not very intellectually agile on this topic, and I address it in a way that does not have enough sensitivity for your taste. I appreciate your willingness to call me out on this, as it is the only way that I (and we, as a collective) will learn how to properly handle this issue. I believe in my ideas and, as I wish to achieve a world in which life, liberty and property are free from violation, I yearn to depict my thoughts clearly.

[quote="littlebird"]
But that's neither here nor there. The main reason why your post is incredibly off-putting is that it's so utterly patronizing. Did you happen to just take a college class titled Ethnic and Cultural Diversity In America 101 or something like that? If so, what the professor taught you is complete horse shit. Unless you're a racial minority in this country, you'll never fully understand what it's like. And that's not to say, "oh, poor us"; it's to say that you have no idea what you're talking about. And I'll never fully understand what it's like to be white. Who gives a shit.
[/quote]

Regardless of whether or not I will "fully" understand what it is like to be a racial minority in the U.S., I am trying to do so as best I can, using whatever resources are available to me, under the assumption that I will be more ethical in racial matters if I have a clear understanding of the perspectives of everyone involved. But your response raises the question: will social equality be achieved more quickly if I think about how you feel, and work to see things from your perspective, or does that interfere with the process of constructing justice because it's very costly if I get it wrong? Perhaps too abstract for ePlaya, but this is the philosophy section...

I'd like to address this issue with honesty, because I think we're doing something wrong if non-white people think that "Burning Man is a white folks thing." But I want to do so in a way that encourages positive discussion with a reasonable level of snark; how do you recommend that I proceed?

[DrewDubious]

Regardless of whether or not I will "fully" understand what it is like to be a racial minority in the U.S., I am trying to do so as best I can

Theres yer prollem. Nobody understands anybody else, period. Regardless of race, age or sex. People are not meant to understand other people, they are meant to understand themselves.

[tatonka]

[Lonesomebri]

I get all my minority reports from asking Paul Mooney.

[Elderberry]

...ethnicities that are more obviously "other" are, because of their inability to camouflage themselves in mainstream white society, less strongly interested in radical self-expression....

I suggest you just ponder this one sentence for awhile.