The realities of being a black male in America.

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just to be a devil's advocate, I've heard blacks say the same thing about other blacks


- calling them "white"

- being suspicious of random blacks on the street etc

discuss

We tend to call these blacks 'bitches'.
They probably grew up outside the tradional African American condition of bullshit therefore by nature they are able to take traditional bullshit for granted.

Good for them, I guess. It's all irrelevant the minute it's spoken into existence.
 
This really kind of pisses me off that he will have to deal with this. This may sound odd as well, but should he worry about being treated different by other black people since he's mixed? I hope not I just want him to be accepted for who he is and makes me nervous about where I should live or send him to school. I feel like I might go Kerouac on anybody who fucks with him.

Yes, in fact, his harshest bullying will probably be coming from other black people. They'll make fun of his mixed features and anything that sets him apart from the rest of them. One of my closest friend faced this in high school, especially about the texture of her hair. She used to go home crying from the bus often and shaved it a couple times because of this.

Again though, not trying to full on scare you or anything, but it depends a lot on the kinda area you live in. These are my experience in South Florida, but I know it's not unique to here.
 
When I was a kid/teen, my dad use to tell me not to run in store parking lots. I just know understand what he was tryin' to do.
 
This really kind of pisses me off that he will have to deal with this. This may sound odd as well, but should he worry about being treated different by other black people since he's mixed? I hope not I just want him to be accepted for who he is and makes me nervous about where I should live or send him to school. I feel like I might go Kerouac on anybody who fucks with him.

It depends on your area. I have a half black half white friend. He basically got shat on by both the white kids and the black kids at school. The white kids would make fun of him for being black and the black kids would disown him and make fun of him for being "too white" and made fun of his Nordic features. You're basically just going to have to instruct him on dealing with racism like you're already going to have to.

Older elementary / middle schools kids tend to be inhuman shits in the first place

This was Nebraska btw
 
Funny how that shit works. Your black friends will disown/make fun of you for beint too white and your white friends will give you shit for not being black enough. Never ends. By time your son has finished high school, he'll be a master of wearing different "faces."

http://youtu.be/JzprLDmdRlc
 
We tend to call these blacks 'bitches'.
They probably grew up outside the tradional African American condition of bullshit therefore by nature they are able to take traditional bullshit for granted.

Good for them, I guess. It's all irrelevant the minute it's spoken into existence.

What do you know about how they grew up? I saw in another post that you have no problem giving 'uncomfortable looks' to white people. How do you know how I grew up or if I'm a "bitch" or not? Do you think all white people lived as the Brady Bunch growing up?
 
Truthfully, I hear this stuff from my mother as well even now, and I'm not even black (but I am a minority).

This is what infuriates me about white conservatives talking about how to solve the plight of the African American. They talk like they know all the solutions, but they don't know the first thing about how difficult it is to grow up in America as one.

I used to work for a non-profit organization that helped drop outs return to high school, and worked with a lot of black youth in Denver. The kind of shit they have to go through to achieve the very same thing as a white person is astronomical.
 
Anyone here ever seen the Black. White. reality tv series?
where a black family plays white and a white family plays black?

It was really interesting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBr1t6hHG6c&feature=relmfu

Black guy gets job while in white makeup
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnkJsw3mLrw&feature=channel
I just watched every episode, thanks for linking this. It was very interesting to watch. I'm not black nor white, I don't live in the US, but I live as an Asian in The Netherlands. There's a history for every race and we should learn from this history to create ourselves the best generation for everyone.
 
I grew up in the suburbs and was still taught things mentioned in the ABC news story. I still get stunned when people cross the street when I'm walking in their direction. I'm a short black nerd!
 
It's 2012. Get real. I'll dress the way society wants me to during the interview. White people have done horrible things to people in general, i should be giving them all kinds of uncomfortable looks.
Now that, sir, is the ugliest kind of racism. Blaming individuals for things "white people" have done.
 
Now that, sir, is the ugliest kind of racism. Blaming individuals for things "white people" have done.
Eh...

Its not that simple. I'd be great if it was though.

edit: to expand on that... you can't expect all people to take the high road all the time. "turn the other cheek" isn't really a common response or a healthy method of dealing with things. its not right at all, but it shouldn't be a shocking revelation that resentment still resides in some.
 
Yes, in fact, his harshest bullying will probably be coming from other black people. They'll make fun of his mixed features and anything that sets him apart from the rest of them. One of my closest friend faced this in high school, especially about the texture of her hair. She used to go home crying from the bus often and shaved it a couple times because of this.

Again though, not trying to full on scare you or anything, but it depends a lot on the kinda area you live in. These are my experience in South Florida, but I know it's not unique to here.

I'm from Missouri. I don't really know what to expect. I'll just do my best.
 
Eh...

Its not that simple. I'd be great if it was though.

edit: to expand on that... you can't expect all people to take the high road all the time. "turn the other cheek" isn't really a common response or a healthy method of dealing with things. its not right at all, but it shouldn't be a shocking revelation that resentment still resides in some.
It's not even an issue of "turn the other cheek", it's an issue of generalizing the things individuals have done to an entire color of skin. I am simply not responsible, and in no way deserve retribution, for the horrible things "white people" have done. It is simply a ridiculous concept on its own, and has nothing to do with whether one ought to take a "high road". It makes no more sense than if a black man were to kill the rest of my family, and in turn I came to your house and killed you for "retribution" because you also happen to be black. No one would accept this as any kind of reasonable thinking, and it does not work otherwise when applied to white people. That many white people were involved in doing horrible things to black people does not thereby follow that all white people were involved (certainly, many were on the side of blacks gaining freedom, after all).
 
I say "nigga" 100 times every day. Keeps my teeth white.


I grew up in the suburbs and was still taught things mentioned in the ABC news story. I still get stunned when people cross the street when I'm walking in their direction. I'm a short black nerd!

You're the scariest kind! I bet you have a weapon. Pootie Tang belt or some shit.
 
I often feel like this is just as much about mannerisms and dress as it is about race. When I'm walking down the street, guess which one of these makes me the most nervous?

cotton-cashmere-cardigan_081009.jpg

l.jpg


I'm not saying that racism is non-existent in this country, but people ought to look at how they dress and act. When five black guys dressed like the dude in my second picture are coming my way, I get a little nervous, but not because they are black. How people dress and act are indicative of the kinds of behavior they'll engage in.

For anyone curious, I'm a white guy living in south Chicago. It's a dangerous place to live. The Subway 2 blocks from me has boarded windows because someone shot through them and the owner can't afford to replace the glass, and every window has bars on it that make you feel like you're living in a prison.

I can understand that.

I was in a gas station on New Years and this crazy guy (who was black) dressed kind of gangsta was yelling at the clerk about something and throwing his hands around and then finally stormed out of there and the clerk locked the door. I was just wanting a damn milky way bar so I was at the candy rack kind of crouched over waiting until he gtfo. I felt like I was going to witness a gunpoint robbery or something.

I think if anyone, whether black or white, was dressed like that and throwing a fit, it would have annoyed/freaked us out. If the guy didn't look sketchy and didn't throw a tantrum, no one would have paid any attention.

But as for the OP, I didn't know that they tell black men that. Interesting.
 
Here is the video

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/trayvon-martin-moms-afraid-black-teens-15991002



Across the country Trayvon Martin’s death has touched a raw nerve in the African American community. It was stunning when a young, black, unarmed teenager was gunned down, having committed no crime other than walking through a gated community to get Skittles and iced tea.

Concern has spread across the country from ordinary citizens, to celebrities, even the president of the United States. President Obama said on Thursday, “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”

Although this story has exploded onto the national scene, for women with African American sons, it is a conversation all too familiar.

“I don’t want to be like Trayvon Martin’s mom, burying my child,” said Racine Tucker-Hamilton, a suburban mom with two teenage sons.

Tucker-Hamilton and fellow suburban mom, LeGreta Dennis, told ABC News that they have given their sons specific instructions for survival even though they are honor roll students.

“Basically, once they started looking like men, which is about 14 or 15, even though they’re children, I basically told them, now you’re perceived as a black man in society,” said Dennis. “You know how they say, ‘buyers beware,’ it’s like young men beware.”

This conversation in many black households is a non-negotiable. Even a simple trip to the grocery store is not routine.

“I tell them, always you have to keep your hands out of your pocket because people perceive that as threatening or they may think that you’ve stolen something,” said Tucker-Hamilton. “And if you are in public, and the noise level starts getting a little high and a little loud, you need to tone it down.”

Both women are keenly aware of how their sons could be perceived in public, advising their children on nuanced aspects of their dress and behavior. They have to remember that some view them as “under suspicion.”

“If you walk in a building and you have your hood on from being outside, take that hood off. If you’re in a store and you buy something, always put your item, even if it’s a pack of gum, get it in a bag and get your receipt so they’ll be no issue there,” said Dennis.

The moms say to always remember to smile and don’t stand too close to people, particularly woman. They caution their sons to be aware of their behavior around police officers if they are pulled over while driving.

Dennis said, “Don’t reach for anything, roll down the window, be respectful, ask the officer if you could please call your parents. I want to be on the phone to hear the conversation.”

The teenage boys also feel the pressure.

Adam, Tucker-Hamilton’s son, said, “Sometimes when I’m riding in the Metro, I’ll walk right by somebody and they’ll kinda tighten up.”

“You do become conscious of it when you realize that employees of the store start looking at you a certain way,” said Marcus, Dennis’ 16-year-old son.

Dennis’ older son, Brandon, a 17-year-old wearing glasses and a polo shirt said, “It is frustrating. I get kinda angry, I’ve got to admit.”

The mothers’ concerns are supported by research. A Justice Department study found that black males were three to four times more likely to have police threaten or use force against them than their white counterparts.

Until something changes, Tucker-Hamilton admits, “It’s painful, but it is our reality. The bottom line is, at the end of the day, I want my sons to come home alive.”

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/03/trayvon-martin-african-american-moms-warn-teen-sons/
 
This really kind of pisses me off that he will have to deal with this. This may sound odd as well, but should he worry about being treated different by other black people since he's mixed? I hope not I just want him to be accepted for who he is and makes me nervous about where I should live or send him to school. I feel like I might go Kerouac on anybody who fucks with him.

He'll be accepted for who he is, and things will be fine for him; don't worry about it.
 
He could be accepted, or not. But either way, don't worry about it. Just be there for him when he needs you. React to what you can do, don't worry too much about what you can't control.

If he isn't accepted, it could be something as simple as trying a different group of friends. I wasted too much time as a kid trying to get everyone to like me. If my future self could have gone back in time to tell me how many of those people were assholes, I would have had a more fun time growing up.
 
I'm going to sound like a completely ignorant racist here, but what's up with the pants below the ass thing? Like, I understand the baggy pants thing. What I don't get is the baggy, baggy, baggy pants where the pants are at like thigh level. Is that comfortable? Is even asking this racist?

No it's not. I'm black and I don't get it either.

However, my theory, offensive though it may be, is that in prison, in order to avoid being raped, you'd take a dump in your pants to ward off predators, but the moisture and mass of the shit would make it uncomfortable to have it pressed on you, so you'd drop your pants a little. This would also waft the odors more to enhance your ability to repel Bubba.

So aspiring gangsta rappers who were in such a situation had to figure out how to turn this into a positive, so they decide to say that yeah, they chose to drop their pants and show their buttocks since girls love it and it shows how hard they are and it's easier to hide a gun in the extra space.

And that is how sagging came to be.


















Also because prisoners were given pants without belts so they wouldn't be able to strangle one another, fling messages or hang themselves with the belts but my prison bitch theory is so much more vile, go with it.
 
White kids in this thread saying they've been taught this stuff too? Well I can say I haven't. In fact I've been taught by my hippie parents never to take a bag if you can help it, save a tree/some petroleum etc.

I do remember when I was on a school trip to Ghana. Most of my class was female except me and this other guy who was a doctor from neighboring Nigeria. Probably the waethiest and most educated in our class really and a very nice guy. When we were walking out of a supermarket the security pulled him aside because they assumed he as a local trying to follow our group,steal from the store, you know the worst. He went ballistic in th store, normally really gentle and nice guy, and demanded an apology from the store management.

It must suck to go back to your freakin home country and deal with this kind of stuff. But let's face it, he really is an exception. How many black MDs with a group of non black women and a white guy come through there supermarket in a given month?
 
I'll just add that the only people I have a real problem with are those who treat white people as one big monolithic entity that deserves "punishment" for crimes that most contemporary whites had nothing to do with. And yes, these people do exist.

This is to say nothing of modern institutionalized racism, of course.
 
White kids in this thread saying they've been taught this stuff too? Well I can say I haven't. In fact I've been taught by my hippie parents never to take a bag if you can help it, save a tree/some petroleum etc.

I do remember when I was on a school trip to Ghana. Most of my class was female except me and this other guy who was a doctor from neighboring Nigeria. Probably the waethiest and most educated in our class really and a very nice guy. When we were walking out of a supermarket the security pulled him aside because they assumed he as a local trying to follow our group,steal from the store, you know the worst. He went ballistic in th store, normally really gentle and nice guy, and demanded an apology from the store management.

It must suck to go back to your freakin home country and deal with this kind of stuff. But let's face it, he really is an exception. How many black MDs with a group of non black women and a white guy come through there supermarket in a given month?

Yeah, it's really sad that they picked him out of the group to harass purely because of the colour of his skin. I definitely agree with the sentiment that black people are treated as 2nd class citizens.

Where purely the concentration of melanin in your skin cells makes you a "suspicious person".
 
I'll just add that the only people I have a real problem with are those who treat white people as one big monolithic entity that deserves "punishment" for crimes that most contemporary whites had nothing to do with. And yes, these people do exist.

This is to say nothing of modern institutionalized racism, of course.
To help you out, "white people" is, and has always been for the most, an entity.

Its a label. Not the prettiest, and that sucks, but that entity has stirred up a lot of shit and expecting people the world over to go "well, its in the past! :D" is not realistic at all.

Its fucked up, but if you're going to talk about that issue - it only makes sense to talk about the entire issue.
 
To help you out, "white people" is, and has always been for the most, an entity.

Its a label. Not the prettiest, and that sucks, but that entity has stirred up a lot of shit and expecting people the world over to go "well, its in the past! :D" is not realistic at all.

Its fucked up, but if you're going to talk about that issue - it only makes sense to talk about the entire issue.

I don't agree with you here. You can't hold an entire ethnic group culpable for what certain segments of it do. Is it wrong to blame all Jews for Zionism? All Germans for Nazism? All North Africans for Spain? etc.
 
I don't agree with you here. You can't hold an entire ethnic group culpable for what certain segments of it do. Is it wrong to blame all Jews for Zionism? All Germans for Nazism? All North Africans for what happened in Spain?

Let me know if I'm off base, but this is what I'm gathering from your post.
Your scale is still very much off.

But saying that "people shouldn't be mad anymore" isn't a fix.
 
I don't agree with you here. You can't hold an entire ethnic group culpable for what certain segments of it do. Is it wrong to blame all Jews for Zionism? All Germans for Nazism? All North Africans for Spain? etc.

Bringing up the people who actually feel like all of white kind has slighted blacks is like when people bring up misandrist feminists to me. We're talking about such an insignificant minority that it's just deflection and derails discussion about issues that are actually substantial and discriminatory. If you're not racist or perpetuating problems that still affect blacks you don't need to assume that when they speak of white people being racist, they ever mean you personally.
 
To help you out, "white people" is, and has always been for the most, an entity.

Can you explain? As a white person there are some dramatic differences within white America. For example, as a Catholic Italian Northerner I feel no sense of cultural identity with Protestant Scotch-Irish Southerners. I won't deny the "White Card" exists though. So even though white American isn't monolithic it's sometimes hard to tell unless you really start to talk to people. Consequently, those things that "benefit" white people benefit all white people regardless.

to OP:

Black people in the US clearly get the shaft. I've never met a black person who hadn't been seriously harassed by police at some point. In my Criminal Procedure Police class literally every black person in it had a serious story about how the police subjected them to illegal searches and stops. I won't even go into the statistics of inequality... Anecdotally, I hear presumably educated white people say completely racist shit all the time. Constantly. I will say though that it seems that amongst educated white people racism is more common with wealthy and conservative (shock!).
 
Yeah my parents taught me this stuff when I was little. I live in Colorado now so it's nowhere near as bad as Louisiana but it still sucks especially since I don't really have any black friends because I "act too white".
 
Can you explain? As a white person there are some dramatic differences within white America. For example, as a Catholic Italian Northerner I feel no sense of cultural identity with Protestant Scotch-Irish Southerners. I won't deny the "White Card" exists though. So even though white American isn't monolithic it's sometimes hard to tell unless you really start to talk to people. Consequently, those things that "benefit" white people benefit all white people regardless.
I mean, you kinda explained it to yourself there in some areas....

The "White Card" isn't really what I'm going at though. Its more of the general Anglo-saxon body of work and what all that has meant through history.
 
I'm a 21 year old black male living in Florida, but I'm kinda skinny and where glasses most of the time when in public. Don't get bothered too much.

I did have one older white woman stop me and try to check my receipt after buying some games at WalMart a few years back. Lol.
 
I mean, you kinda explained it to yourself there in some areas....

The "White Card" isn't really what I'm going at though. Its more of the general Anglo-saxon body of work and what all that has meant through history.

I'm not sure this is a fair statement (although I'm still a little confused on what you mean by "body of work"). Not all white people are Anglo-Saxons.... Technically, only the English are Anglo-Saxons. So Scotch-Irish (the majority white ethnic group in the US) aren't even that. People do seem to use that term to describe all of white American culture though, but it's not terribly accurate. My ancestors didn't have anything to do with the American Revolution or the Civil War (what seems to me to be the two benchmarks of American culture). I don't look back at those people and see them as my own. Maybe what people describe as "Anglo-Saxon" is the dominant white American culture, but I don't think it's the only one. But again, the "White Card" is pretty real.
 
Oh clearly black people in America should just get over themselves, what a terrible post.

Well, I'm not lying. You can come down here an try to live in a 3rd world country for a year.

Obviously USA is still a very racist country, not only to black people but to latinos, chinese people, etc. Amazingly, Latin America is more open minded about this issue... I just recently got that calling someone black (negro) is something awful in the USA/England.

I don't really get why. Is just like calling blondie to someone. Obviously it could be used in a racist way, but blondie could be used like that too.
 
Well, I'm not lying. You can come down here an try to live in a 3rd world country for a year.

Obviously USA is still a very racist country, not only to black people but to latinos, chinese people, etc. Amazingly, Latin America is more open minded about this issue... I just recently got that calling someone black (negro) is something awful in the USA/England.

I don't really get why. Is just like calling blondie to someone. Obviously it could be used in a racist way, but blondie could be used like that too.

"Well it's worse elsewhere" is not how you solve problems.
 
Well, I'm not lying. You can come down here an try to live in a 3rd world country for a year.

Obviously USA is still a very racist country, not only to black people but to latinos, chinese people, etc. Amazingly, Latin America is more open minded about this issue... I just recently got that calling someone black (negro) is something awful in the USA/England.

I don't really get why. Is just like calling blondie to someone. Obviously it could be used in a racist way, but blondie could be used like that too.

I guess when I get unjustly followed and searched for no reason other than being black I should think to myself, "I shouldn't be mad, it could be a lot worse! I could be starving in a 3rd world country! That cops racial profiling isn't that bad." I'll make sure to take your advice from now on.
 
I hate those somebody somewhere has it worse people. It does nothing to help a persons situation.

Your living with cancer? Well try being in a coma get over yourself!
 
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