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[Instigator]

That is really my point. Genetically, were are arguing over nothing more significant than eye or hair color. But culturally, these are the things that set us apart. To be honest, a lot, if not most African-Americans, Blacks, or what ever term you want to use, have much more in common with "European Americans" than they do people who acutally live in Africa today.

Identity is in part a choice, certainly in a diverse and mixed population. One can choose to identify with whoever they want. Recent history doesn't force African Americans to identify with their former white masters and they can choose instead those distant cousins a continent away.

 

[Blackace]

Identity is in part a choice, certainly in a diverse and mixed population. One can choose to identify with whoever they want. Recent history doesn't force African Americans to identify with their former white masters and they can choose instead those distant cousins a continent away.

what? hahahah Black Americans don't really have much choice who they can indentify with... recent history? Well on my father's side we can trace our family back to a plantation in Louisiana and that's it. We are Americans, we cannot go back to Africa because there is no way at all to know where we came from. I am not saying that I by any way, shape or form want to go back. But saying that American blacks can simply decide to indentify with Africans if they want to is pretty narrow minded way of thinking. The blacks that were slaves were a part of Culture genocide. Therefore, we are Americans and can be nothing else.... (Expect me who will be Japanese one day...) :lol

 

[Instigator]

Choosing an identity from mixed heritage doesn't mean you abandon the US or move to Africa.

 

[DarienA]

I don't feel like you people are properly respecting my identity choice of Viking...

 

[Blackace]

Choosing an identity from mixed heritage doesn't mean you abandon the US or move to Africa.

I never said that... But Africa has so many cultures and different heritages it isn't really possible to find where we came from...I guess that is the point. A person from Mali has a completely different background than a Zulu...

 

[Blackace]

I don't feel like you people are properly respecting my identity choice of Viking...

You go with your bad self... :lol :lol

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

What about Cliff Huxtable? They went really heritage towards the end of the Cosby show. Was that just the white networks pushing what they thought was a wholesome message, or one powerful Black man using his visibilty to push what he believed in?

Cliff Huxtable is a made up character. Bill Cosby can push what ever agenda he wants to makes no difference to me. I don't have to agree with everything Bill Cosby says because we are both Black.

Again in my circle of family and friends we refer to one another as Black. That's about it. As it was stated African has no context as far as identity.

Without adding to the chatterbox, I am in 100% agreement with Blackace.

For example what race is Bishoptl? Is he African-American? And how does African-American differ from African-Canadian?

 

[DarienA]

Cliff Huxtable is a made up character. Bill Cosby can push what ever agenda he wants to makes no difference to me. I don't have to agree with everything Bill Cosby says because we are both Black.

Again in my circle of family and friends we refer to one another as Black. That's about it. As it was stated African has no context as far as identity.

Without adding to the chatterbox, I am in 100% agreement with Blackace.

For example what race is Bishoptl? Is he African-American? And how does African-American differ from African-Canadian?

Hey, I'm down with you! You east-coast? I Far-east Coast!

 

[bishoptl]

I've stayed out of this thread because, dammit, I've seen this thread repeat itself way too many times over the years. But I will pop in just to say that the term "African-American" is fucking asinine. I could always pull a Tiger Woods "Cablinasian" and refer to myself as a
"Jamascottican" - it'd be a hell of a lot more accurate than "African-American", or "Afro-Canadian" which seems to be the alternative on this side of the border.

"Black" works for me. It works for a lot of black people. I like it a little better than "colored", and a whole lot more than "nigger". So Black it is. In the immortal words of Schoolly D:

Am I black enough for ya, America?
I don't need no ice until this hair is cut
All I need is, my blackness
Some others seem to lack this
Black joy, and my black vibe
Gonna be a black man til the day I die
I'm just, rough and tough, and takin no stuff
All I really wanna know y'all.. am I black enough?

 

[karasu]

...The above is a dumb statement considering what I've already said in this thread, but I believe I see what you are trying to say so....

Yes and we have black business owners, black millionaires, etc.... which doesn't change the fact that on the whole %-wise the majority of blacks in American still aren't doing very well, in school, in college and in the workforce. More whites are on social services... but I believe a HIGHER percentage of the blacks relative to the total black population is on social services... that's an indicator to me... and not a good one.

As for me being the only one? No... but I'll tell you in the architectural firm I work at? There are FEW black men here. VERY few.

Yeah but things are getting better, that's the point. In a way poor people are still fucked, because well, they're poor. It's a process though, so while things may not happen as fast as we would like, it doesn't mean that things aren't happening at all. Another indicator of change is that people are asking for change! Not too long ago the only place I heard blacks telling other blacks to get on the ball was in 90's hip hop. Now the middle class is starting to chirp a bit.

 

[Xenon]

They should have taken a hand count vote at the million man march.

 

[DarienA]

Yeah but things are getting better, that's the point. In a way poor people are still fucked, because well, they're poor. It's a process though, so while things may not happen as fast as we would like, it doesn't mean that things aren't happening at all. Another indicator of change is that people are asking for change! Not too long ago the only place I heard blacks telling other blacks to get on the ball was in 90's hip hop. Now the middle class is starting to chirp a bit.

Is the middle classing making noise?

Only if you count them complaining about what Bill Cosby is saying in his speeches....

 

[tt_deeb]

Well, I usually just say "black" in real life but when I write Social Studies essays I like to substitute it with "African americans" every now and then just so I'm not using the same words. I'm sorry

 

[Shouta]

Don't worry deeb, we'll just call you ass-slapper.

 

[levious]

I don't care to discuss race in general, but I find it odd that no one on the yearbook staff knew the name of the ONE black member of the National Honor Society, or that her name was that hard to track down... sounds like they were just lazy.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

I don't care to discuss race in general, but I find it odd that no one on the yearbook staff knew the name of the ONE black member of the National Honor Society, or that her name was that hard to track down... sounds like they were just lazy.

Either that or they just hated Black people. One or the other.

 

[Desperado]

I don't care to discuss race in general, but I find it odd that no one on the yearbook staff knew the name of the ONE black member of the National Honor Society, or that her name was that hard to track down... sounds like they were just lazy.

like i said, not everyone on the yearbook staff works on every page.

when i was in yearbook...we were all lazy mofos. most of us anyway.

 

[Justin Bailey]

like i said, not everyone on the yearbook staff works on every page.

when i was in yearbook...we were all lazy mofos that hated black people. most of us anyway.

fixed

 

[Matlock]

I don't feel like you people are properly respecting my identity choice of Viking...

Looks like the clock around your neck needs another battery.