Several posters challenged my use of the word "discriminatory" to describe OBAP. Here is the definition:
ADJECTIVE:
- Marked by or showing prejudice; biased.
- Making distinctions.
Clearly OBAP does discriminate, inasmuch as their mission statement is specific to the promotion of Black pilots. Not any pilots, but specifically Black pilots. That is a distinction, setting a group of pilots apart from the general population of pilots. Here is OBAP's "Goal" from their web site:
Goals
The goals of OBAP are to motivate our youth to become educationally prepared for life, to increase minority participation in aviation through exposure, training, mentoring, and scholarships; to encourage networking among black pilots; to increase the number of black pilots hired by airlines; and to assist the black airline pilot with special needs and concerns.
Not all discriminations are bad. I belong to the "American Bonanza Society." If you own a Mooney, or Cirrus, you are welcome to join us. But you can expect us to tell you our airplanes are better, faster, bigger, etc... and you will only find coverage of Beechcraft in our magazine. We discriminate, but we do not exclude. This is kinda where I think OBAP is going with their discriminatory intent. It is a distinction with no harm being intended.
It seems many people get the word "discrimination" confused with the term "racist," which is defined as follows:
NOUN:
- The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
- Discrimination or prejudice based on race.
Again, I have no real concern about OBAP's operations. I've met some proud members who were good folks and I am grateful for their efforts to promote aviation, especially to kids that can benefit from the exposure.
I'm probably the only person on this web board who has had the Klan burn a cross in their yard. It takes forever for the grass to grow back after idiots get gas all over your lawn. I've seen racism from both sides and it is dumb and ugly regardless of who practices it.
I just kinda think "Black" as a descriptor of a ethnicity is outdated and anachronistic. As often as not, a "Black" pilot is from the Islands, Africa, Africa America, British, and from the Pacific Islands. I've flown with every sort of variation of ethnicity and nationality and none of my friends seemed to think of themselves as "Black."
I did go to college with a caucasian South African who applied, and recieved, scholarships that were not intended for him. It has hard to argue that he wasn't "African-American" since he had the papers to prove he was. Again, all of these discriminatory preferences are dumb.