I just don't know when it should happen.

I went to a black college & frankly, I think they better prepare black students for life as a minority in the US both in their approach to academics & the sense of community & unity they encourage.

A think preschool and primary education is not a good place to have your child as the minority (being that we're only about 13% of the population, most likely we will be a speck of pepper in a bowl of mostly flour in an "integrated" school). Its important to remember that even when different kids are "friends" at the elementary, that changes at about 13. All the playing together in the world has little to do with the social pressures of interacting as young adults of different races (many parents change their "we are the world tune" when kids get past 13. And also, at that age kids become very aware self, racism, sexism, etc.

Probably the best time for integration is at the junior and/or high school level.

>I'm saying here is that I don't think that the
>answer is to create an isolated culture within American society, with separate schools, separate accreditation standards, separate businesses, etc.

Well at this time there already is seperate schools, seperate standards, businesses, etc. The only difference is that blacks haven't established our own so that we are a force to be reckoned with. Its impossible to negotiate from a position of perpetual weakness. I really don't see anyone how can be self sufficient if they don't have their own. A black run school doesn't assume that whites can't attend. The question is would they want too?

>I don't think that's a desirable outcome. Do you?

The outcome I'm looking for is for black people to be self determining. That can't happen if we MUST get our education, jobs, food, etc from white people (or any other people). Historically, its been shown that we can't depend on anyone's sense of fairness or good nature to be treated with respect or given equal opportunity.

>given a choice between a Black owned business
>and a whatever-owned business, I'll choose the Black-owned business, but >not because I want to
>put the whatever-owned business out of business. Instead I support the Black-owned business in order to see it thrive
>and prosper. See the distinction?

If it doesn't matter then why would you want to see a black owned business thrive & prosper? I assume that if we all support black owned businesses that eventually that money will be recycled into our own communities if we had the ability to buy & sell to our own. Unfortunately, much of what we buy (from food, clothing, shelter, services) isn't sold by blacks who live in our communities, hire from our communities, etc. My idea of a strong black nation is one where Thompson & Thompon manufactures a necessity & can hire other blacks to help make that product. Then we trade with Wong & Wong or Cohen & Cohen who manufactures something we need. Right now that ain't happening.

>I also think that this is more than a >black/white issue -- there are a lot
>of Chinese kids in my neighborhood, a lot of >Hispanic kids.

of course. But you notice that certain groups do educate their own. The elite/powerful of every group send their kids to schools which promote their own cultural heritage & value systems. Why shouldn't we?

>I don't think it's necessary for the local
>teachers to teach the Chinese kids about Chinese New Year

why not, most kids learn about Thanksgiving (for example) from a very European perspective? If we're going to abandon culture specific education, it should apply to all not just noneuropean culture. Especially in a "melting pot" society.