define: empowerment

Nothing like a good women's empowerment class to get a girl riled up.

It's not women's empowerment I'm talking about; rather, empowerment of a whole range of minorities and where prejudices come from. 

Question of the day: are stereotypes perpetuated from the marked people themselves, or are they helplessly caught in a vicious cycle of missed opportunities because of who they are? In class we had this discussion: is it structural or behavioral? More importantly, is it the choices people have or the choices people make that affect the outcome of their lives?

In these terms, structural means systemic forces such as the economy that bring about a lack of jobs -- aka what choices they have, while behavioral means self-destructive life choices or personal habits that keep someone from getting said jobs -- aka what choices they make.

In the New York Times article, Breaking the Silence by Henry Louis Gates Jr, this topic is debated. For example, do African-Americans hinder themselves from economic success because of the estimated 50% chance they will be a high school dropout or the possible 64% of black teenage females that get pregnant (statistics from the New York Times article), or are they innately incapable of snatching a good job because of where or what socioeconomic class they were born into? Can these kids break out of that high school dropout statistic if they are born into a lower class - even if they try??

The article quotes Michelle and Barack Obama (printed in August, 2004 ... foreshadowing much?) as saying that if we know of this problem, why do people sit back and allow it? Why are one-third of black children born into poverty, and what kind of detrimental affects does it have on their options later in life?

(Barack was reported saying that "Americans suffer from anti-intellectualism, starting in the White House..." If only he knew five years later he'd be the one setting up shop at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue...)

This question goes for all minorities. Do women accept their inconsistencies by taking a considerable pay cut from a man; even under the same job title? Does the gay community accept the characteristics that stain their reputation such as flamboyant or effeminate and do nothing to stop those flagrant rumors; rather live them up to their fullest? 

OR, is there truly no wiggle room? Are the stereotypes so firmly rooted into society that even the - loudest of feminists, the most vocal gay-rights activists or even the vision of the first black man to sit in our oval office - can't change what people think? How people act?

Sorry to be so debby-downer today, but let's be honest ... what's with all the stereotypes in our country and where do they come from!? 

Have you done anything to stop them?