PhantomHound
Banned
Wasn't this topic kind of covered in the "Dear White People" thread? There's a line in that movie that says that "Black people can't be racist"
Black people can't be racist?
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It's an academia thing to attempt to redefine an existing word for the purposes of writing on CRT and sociology (among other pursuits).
It's a tumblr thing because it's been adopted by the parts of the internet as an undeniable truth, which is laughable. This shit ain't math.
EDIT: also, threads like these make me think we're getting closer to a totally sincere "I met a black person today..." thread
Vermillion
Banned
Just to make sure... do you mean a biological sense or a sociological one?
Or to clarify further: Are you saying that people who see race are racist?
RastaMentality
Banned
This is how it is for a lot of minorities. I've had a teacher ask me how the "black community" feels on this colorism issue we were disucssing in this random book. My feminist and openly gay friends will get asked how their "communities" feel about certain issues too. It's ridiculous since nobody can speak for everybody in any given group apart from the basic textbook definition shit.
Why do you say I'm "South of 'Smart?'" If somebody called be a "nerdy black boy" and it was meant in a derogatory manner I wouldn't really appreciate it, so I wouldn't say that to some who's white. It's about intent.
Something I've noticed being white is describing strangers by race/color when they aren't white. Other white friends or whatever will say:
"Did you see that black dude? He was ripped."
"Yeah, that Asian guy Adam knows is pretty cool."
Don't know if its this way for non white people, but its a interesting and odd human tendency. White people pointing out other white people isn't based on color I feel like.
vas_a_morir
Banned
Over a century ago, it was. It was a scientific theory that the genetic differences in some branches of humanity were so great that they were to be classified as different races. It was often used to excuse mistreatment of other ethnicities because they were more or less 'sub-human.' The term, obviously, carries a wider connotation beyond scientific schools of thought today, and so I don't think it the argument about what the meaning of the word 'racist' means really matters anymore. (not to mention, the scientific community has for the most part moved well past that idea, outright dismissing it as hogwash and unscientific.)
This tbh.
What appears to have happened is OP called out a black woman (mistake number 1) on saying something racist when it could have been a perceived characteristic not directly attributed to race at all (mistake number 2)
Black woman, in return, takes the bait, inadvertently admits her comment was racist out of shock to OP's comment (?) and lobbies for ethnic equality to express racist remarks.
Of course, this does not excuse her if she really is racist, but it seems this incident simply got blown out of proportion.
I even knew a black dude that was racist TO black dudes =P
"white nerdy boy" is as racist as "male bathroom" next to "female bathroom" is sexist.
They separate by terms of race/sex but they are not the .... bad kind of sexist or racist, so therefore they are praticaly not sexist or racist as the words are used normaly
"white nerdy boy" is as racist as "male bathroom" next to "female bathroom" is sexist.
They separate by terms of race/sex but they are not the .... bad kind of sexist or racist, so therefore they are praticaly not sexist or racist as the words are used normaly
PhantomHound
Banned
This is how a lot of my college professors were. Even with exchange students they would ask questions like, "How does Germany feel about this issue." The students always made some blanket statement that could never indicate the scope of how every person of that group felt, but the professors ate it up.
Some evolutionary biologists argue that race doesn't exist
http://wupa.wustl.edu/record_archive/1998/10-15-98/articles/races.html
Race is therefore a social thing.
User 73706
Banned
"Nerdy black boy" wouldn't be racist. "Thuggish black boy" is more equivalent to something like "Racist white boy."
PhoenixDark
Banned
I knew it would rustle jimmies heh. It's a horrible term but the point is that when you think about the "blacks can't be racist" argument it really borders on self-approval of some ugly stereotypes about black people. There are more than a few black people with "power" of a variety of things - we aren't a collective bunch of helpless, powerless rubes. If you're a business owner who refuses to hire x race due to their race/stereotypes...you're racist. No matter what color you are.
When I get around to requesting a username change in 5 years, I have to remember [hobo ramblings].
Last retail job I worked during college, my manager confessed to being absolute biased against Mexicans. Every Mexican customer that came in he treated like absolute shit.
Dude was Mexican, I was Mexican, half the god damn staff was Mexican. It really doesn't matter, people can be angry at pretty much anything for a variety of reasons.
I think the OP has said about three times now that this girl likely meant it as a racist comment. Also the OP is black.
You people miss so much shit during these conversations. That's why threads get stuck in some shitty loop for like three pages before you move on to the next thing you missed. This thread is BARELY about what was said.
You people miss so much shit during these conversations. That's why threads get stuck in some shitty loop for like three pages before you move on to the next thing you missed. This thread is BARELY about what was said.
TheLostBigBoss
Banned
Except races do exist.
If you read the OP completely you would know that I was asking if anyone else believed that black people can't be racist for similar reason.
.
Yeah she's being stupid and a hypocrite going by her own definition.
This is spot on. Could have really done without saying reverse racist though. lmao
On the other hand, I laugh at everyone who catches feels off the term "nerdy white boy". Get a grip.
Damn, I would have missed that question on the SAT.
nerdy : white :: thuggish : black
RastaMentality
Banned
Foreign exchange get asked that shit a lot and what's worse is that some of the kids in the class will take that newly found out information about [x group] and use it in arguments or other discussions.
PhantomHound
Banned
Schweinehund
Member
What she said is wrong, but I don't see how "nerdy white boy" is racist. Unless the person in question didn't appear nerdy at all and she's insinuating all white people are nerdy. In that case it sounds more like stereotyping than racism, or at the very least casual racism.
ONE HOUR OF APPLAUSE FOR THIS MAN, HALLELUJA.
Dem parallels, man. Only on GAF.
I also wonder why the fuck random black people are representatives for all of us. That shit drives me crazy.
I would imagine have we were speaking of the US or at least some primarily English speaking country given the terminology. But valid otherwise, yes.
ElectricBlanketFire
Member
Holy crap.
vas_a_morir
Banned
I dunno. There are some nuances that complicate the idea of 'racially offensive' language..
Nerdy white boy. Racist?
Nerdy black boy. Racist?
Thuggish white boy. Racist?
Thuggish black boy. Racist?
White boy. Racist?
Black boy. Racist?
I suppose it depends on the connotation that generally associated with the phrase. Intent and context, nowadays, really doesn't matter anymore it seems.
IMO, I would not consider any of those phrases racially offensive to white people. As for if they are racially offensive to black people? That's not for me to decide.
Lol church preach tabernacle
PhantomHound
Banned
Yeah, it's a viscous circle. I get that we should learn from others experiences, but the way it's presented in the classroom, without an opposing or accompanying source, creates a horrible learning environment based on hearsay.
But to answer the question. I think you're friend is wrong but this isn't the first time I've heard of such an opinion. I do also thing that "racist" has taken on a bit of a different meaning these days. Though your friend used the correct meaning according to your story, I'm curious what she really meant by "racist".
She may have been saying that white people are the only race that can be called out as "racists".
She may have been saying that white people are the only race that can be called out as "racists".
TUROK
Member
According to many people, no. Racism, according to them, is something that is done from a position of power, and seeing as how whites are the most advantaged group, only they can be racist. Other races can be "racially prejudiced" but not racist, because racism is oppression from a position of power.
This is something I've seen espoused here many times before. I don't think I need to tell you how pants-on-head insane it is.
This is something I've seen espoused here many times before. I don't think I need to tell you how pants-on-head insane it is.
samus i am
Member
A lot of time people that we label as racists are actually bigots.
I got sucker punched in the face in Harlem (broad daylight on 125th Street, no less) for walking down the sidewalk and not getting far enough out of the walkway from some asshole walking towards me. His curse-riddled "fuckin white boy" rant after he socked me in the mouth meant race played some part in his being pissed off.
No, I don't feel the oppression or blahblah. Dude's punch was weak as shit, didn't even bust my lip open, left me with nasty canker sores on my lip instead.
Anecdote only shared to note that yes, anyone is capable of being a racist cockbag and yes it can hurt people (...if dude the took some boxing classes anyway).
Working in Harlem was awesome otherwise tho.
I love you, man. No fucks given ever.
I mean I don't think identifying a person by their race or nationality is bad, depending if your just describing somebody, but if you mean it in a demeaning way on purpose . Black guy, white girl etc. Not bad. I don't think nerdy is a "white trait" either. It may not be a nice name to call somebody but I don't think there's any difference between saying nerdy white guy and nerdy black guy.
loaf of bread
Member
Would "stupid black dude" be a racist comment?
Argument seems to boil down to the fact that our language doesn't really have a good way of distinguishing the sort of large systematic racism that really is exclusively suffered by minorities from smaller-scale personal bigotry. Both arguments are right, depending on how you define racism. If racism is a system of oppression, then yes, a white person can never be the victim of it. If racism is just racially-motivated hatred, then anyone can be a target.
User 73706
Banned
Not all racists are bigots, but all bigots are racists. It's really splitting hairs at that point and seems like roundabout reasoning towards "X isn't racist, X is just a bigot. Therefore X is not racist."
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If using racism loosely, sure. Like really loosely and just not acknowledging the attached context to that conversation.
Which does not tie into this situation at all really.
I would love if someone could answer this.
Black people are somehow always assumed to be some hivemind.
PhantomHound
Banned
Huh, are you suggesting OP isn't black and he's a racist?
Ah I see...... So every racist is a bigot, but not every bigot is a racist?
Alligatorjandro
Banned
Of course they can't.
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