>Does society embrace black women more?

Good question...I don't think so.

>obviously i am thinking condi rice who if i didn't
>know what she looks like i'd assume white male.

Speaking of Condoleeza here is an interesting articel pertaining to that subject that I just read:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Print/0,3858,4533365,00.html

>Should we be saying that we are breaking the ceiling on gender >and race if our afro centric sisters are less likely to achieve
>success unless they cut the dreads, straighten the hair,
>forget the cornrows and braids?

No. I think that some major changes need to be made with our visionof success. Why, in order to be successful, do we need to change features of our culture? I think the main problem is this white supremacist patriarchial system - this is what is luring our brothers with visions of money and power but locking them up at the same time; this is what is telling us that our culture is not good enough so we need to be like them.

>i just dont think we should comfortably state that we are
>"breaking the ceiling on race and gender", because the
>racism still does exist, we are still experiencing it as
>black women (probably more), it merely speaks volumes that
>inspite of it we are making it....

You are right! My mother works for the govt and had to file an EEO complaint a couple of years ago because they gave the job to a white woman with only a high school degree. My mother scored the 2nd highest (1st highest was a black woman) and has credits towards her masters, more experience, and is bi-lingual. She won but it is a shame that many minorities were not trying to support her. The good ol' boy system is well inplace; they alluded to that in the articel but were too scared to use the actual term.

>Woods Qn: is it our responsibility to support our men.
>she's talking about finding a man who's straight out of
>prison (who she feels society is ignoring).

Not to the detriment of ourselves.


>What are our experiences (if any) growing up without a
>father/ strong male presence.


>That said. i do look at race as a definitive part of who i
>(why dont we ever hear this debate in
>white circles?).

>we are sleeping in the same bed so i dont
>think we should be approaching our success as some sort of
>threat, or cause for 'other side' to be envious. i would
>appreciate the article more if we were talking about, okay
>so we are making it, how do we help our brothers find the
>same measure of success?

Right. That should be the next focus. The "problem" has been revealed and discussed ad nauseum. It is time to take action.