Ask the BLACK WOMAN!!!!! nothing is too ignorant......i hope.......

In My Humble Opinion
81

I’m white, and Australian. I have never met an African-American for that reason (the Australian part, not the white part).

While I appreciate that you’re trying to be frank and open here, I find myself wondering how you’d react if I waltzed in and said some things about black people like you have about white people. Would I be considered racist by the rest of the board? I think so.

I’ve watched Ricki Lake, and seen some skanky people on their of all colours. If I was to draw conclusions from the black women on that show, I would say that black women are easy (for the record, if I was to draw a conclusion about white women from that show, it would be the same conclusion). So if I came in and said that I think white men like black women because they’re easy, would I be misguided, or racist?

Ok, so black people have suffered at the hands of white people. Black people have had to put up with racism and terrible treatment. That doesn’t mean all white people are responsible, and that doesn’t mean that black people can speak about white people in a manner that would be considered racist if the tables were turned.

That aside, I’m enjoying getting a slightly different perspective on things. I also enjoy seeing the kinds of questions that white people want to ask black people when they have the chance :smiley:

82

Yes, I have noticed a cultural difference-in that, there is an idea that blacks speak ebonics, dress a certain, etc etc.

BUT…I still hate the term “acting black/white”. I’ve read of people being scorned for “acting white” and being a “traitor”, etc etc…

Stereotypes=bad.

83

I have to agree with this part of Biggirl’s post. Similar threads on this issue have been an honest attempt to fight ignorance, proving cites when possible. vivian, on the other hand, is merely promoting her own brand of ignorance and is not willing to examine her own racist attitudes. Here thread title should have been “I have opinions about black people, ask me what they are.” See my questions and her respose regarding her prejudice against black men dating white women. While she has sometimes included the IMO disclaimer, her tone suggests she feels she represents the black community and I sincerely hope this is not the case. I’m tempted to start a pit thread but I don’t have the energy.

84

You should really stop digging now. That hole already looks kinda deep.

85

Argh, that should have been similar threads along these lines … but I think the meaning was clear enough.

86

Vanessa Williams looks white to you?? that’s interesting…
But anyways…if you were white looking and called yourself black, you’ll be accepted, but discrimination exsists amongst black people too. i guess it goes back to the slave days when lighter skinned people were treated better because they looked more white. The thing is, the 1/64th thing is a US government thing. It’s not something Blacks in the US decided they were going to do.

87

Damn Fubu and their stereotype that blacks (over a large group) want different clothes than those found at J.C. Penny. Since all stereotypes are wrong (morally and factually), I’m sure they’ll be out of business quickly.

Correct stereotype: An ebonics (or AAVE, or whatever it is currently being called in academia) speaker is either black or someone who grew up in a predominately black area.

Incorrect stereotype: A black person, or someone who grew up in a predominately black area will speak ebonics.

The stereotypical Ethiopian is black. I don’t think it is wrong to work on this assumption while recognizing that there are surely white Ethiopians.

The stereotypical Jew is white (or at least not black). I don’t think it is wrong to work on this assumption while recognizing that there are certainly black Jews.

The stereotypical clover has three leaves, even though there are four-leaf clovers.

It is wrong to deny that a white is Ethiopian, a black is a Jew, or that a four-leafed plant is a clover simply because they don’t fit the stereotype.

You have to be aware that you are stereotyping and remain cognizant that stereotypes don’t apply to individuals but to groups. But neither are stereotypes inherently wrong or immoral.

You can not speak of groups without stereotyping, it just takes too long otherwise.

Catholics are anti-abortion.

vs.

The official Catholic position is anti-abortion. However, there exist differing opinions within the practioners of the faith, particularly in America where adherence to Papal decree is weaker. Mary Stewart of Oronok, Maine, feels that abortion should be allowed during the first trimester and to save the mothers life after that. Glenn Smith of Pasadena feels that abortion should only be allowed in cases of alien implantation or when he is the father. Marcia Plesniak of Wichita, Nebraska, thinks that . . .

The latter is certainly more correct, but it doesn’t mean the former can’t be used with the understanding that at the individual level differences remain.

I’m not saying that some of the stereotypes in this thread aren’t wrong. I’m not saying that stereotypes can’t be used maliciously. But the equation stereotypes = bad is way too simplistic.

88

You know what…i’m on here to answer genuine and sincere questions from people who’ve always wondered whatever about black people. i happen to be one black woman who is willing to answer the questions. if you don’t like the answers, fine. call me whatever you want. post whatever you want. people are asking some very interesting questions and i am trying to answer them as best as i can. the name of the thread is ‘ASK A BLACK ** WOMAN **’. not ** women **.
if you are willing to walk in the shoes i’ve walked in all 24yrs of my life, then you can answer the questions the way you want.

89

well…i think i would be Black first. Only because people tend to stereotype me Black first and a woman second. But then again, i truly think there is a different catogory. Black man/Black woman. why? both genders go through experiences that most White males/females will never go through. Just my opinion.

90

LOL…you know, i don’t know why they like you…maybe it’s like the gay-dar thing…they just know you’ve been with other black women…so they know you’re attracted to them.

91

  1. Thanks for the clarification.

  2. http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/jumpstart/ . Robb Armstrong (who draws Jump Start) would be the Bill Cosby to Aaron McGruder (Boondocks)'s Chuck D.

-Myron

92

I was born in Ghana, West Africa. Immigrated to Canada with my parents when i was 3yrs old, been in Canada all my life. I live 45 minutes away from the US border.
From my experiences in Canada, racism is a little more subtle, more covert. I think its just the climate in Canada. People here in general aren’t as …the best word i can come up with, confrontational. So here, if a Black man were to get into an elevator with a white woman (JUST AN EXAMPLE), she would probably smile, apologize profusely and then clutch her purse.

It’s true about the African thing, esp. in Canada. Here, the Black people are from the West Indies, Africa etc,. But normally, we can all tell who’s from where. Especially Africans.

93

ALL Black women have that problem. But it’s the same problem all people face when finding a new hairstylist. but because you asked me from a black woman’s perspective…hell yes! When you find the one who can do your hair right without burning you, hair dropping out and not have to tell them step by step how you want your hair…you praise the Lord.

94

Why do darkskin black women show such animosity towards lightskin black women who have more anglican features?

95

MY OPINION is that many dark skin women are made to feel ugly. i know there were times when i certainly felt that way. back in the 80’s, it wasn’t cool to be dark skinned, nappy haired AND African. The lighter skinned girls normally had the more white features and were seen on tv, ads music videos etc. Also it goes back to the Slave days…the lighter you were, the less work you hard to do, more opprotunities if you could pass for white…list goes on and on. It’s sad how it still goes on today. But it’s mostly amongst blacks themselves.

96

Hello, vivian. Welcome. I applaud your mission to eliminate ignorance in regards to this topic. While you night recieve some flak for your views, your heart is in the right place. That said, I have a question.

I understand that the word “nigger” is about as offensive to a black person as you can get. Coming from a white person’s mouth, anyway. So why do black people refer to each other that way?[sup]*[/sup] Would a black friend of mine possibly be insulted if I, a white male, called him that in a gesture of brotherhood? Is there a preconceived notion that any white person who utters this word is automatically deemed a racist?

[sup]*As George Carlin once said "Take the word ‘nigger’. There is nothing wrong with that word in and of itself. It’s just a word. It’s the racist asshole that’s using it that you oughta be concerned about. We don’t get upset when Eddie Murphy or Richard Pryor use it. You know why? Because we know they’re not racist.[/sup]

97

**

As Uke pointed out, I’m from Brooklyn. This is not anywhere near unusual. O.K., it is unusual for anyone to come up to me personally and say “Yo baby, you lookin’ fine.” Backwards baseball caps, baggy clothes and everything else you mentioned is not an indication of “blackness”. This is not a description of how “black people act.” It is a stereotype of how some people believe black people act.

Black people, as celestina has already pointed out are not monolithic. If you are going to note cultural differences then note cultural differences and not lump all black people together a nebulous “act black” mode of operations. There is a “street corner culture” for lack of a better description. It is not black culture and black culture is not it.

No, this example is not true. It is also not indicative of any culture that I know of. Please give an example of what you know black people do that you would not ascribe to an individual black person. I mean a valid example.

**

BINGO! We have a winner. The perfect example of the stereotype at work.

98

Vivian-
You said the women on the elevator irritated you because
you were not a dog or a stuffed animal ( something like that.) Did you perceive that they meant to make you feel
that way, or were just genuinely curious? Does it have anything to do with them being white? What if they were black or Asian? I’d just like to know more about where you’re coming from in that situation.
Also-EVERYONE has been tiptoeing around this and not saying
anything because they are afraid of being seen as insensitive or being kicked off the SDMB. It’s driving me
crazy, because our society is skewed in such a way that
white people are not allowed to express opinions on the issues in this thread. However, black people are seemingly
free to say whatever they want about whoever they want.
For instance, the post earlier about white people being
“fake nice?” Well, I’m not fake nice, I’m just me, but I can see how that can happen. We have the fear of God put into us about not offending black peers-no WONDER we have to be so pleasant-otherwise we risk the “racist” label.
Sorry to ramble.
Anyway, back to my point, yes, some white people do think black people smell. Not ALL black people, and not ALL the time. SOmetimes certain black people smell musty and unclean. I have honestly always thought that our hygiene standards were just different. I have heard from many of the black women I work with that they wash their hair infrequently, which is a foreign notion to white people as a whole. I thought maybe black people bathed less frequently too. I dont know if this
is the case or not, but its interesting to hear that black
people can “smell” white people too.
It must be some cultural/diet thing, or maybe even something physiological? Very interesting. Thanks
for the perspective!

99

I grew up in Pittsburgh and now live in Atlanta, so I’m not saying it’s unusual. I see a lot of it, too – That wasn’t my point. I don’t know if you are trying to put words into my mouth or if I wasn’t clear, but I never said (or meant to imply) that was “how black people act”.

You say that “It is a stereotype of how some people believe black people act.”

I can counter with “It is a fact that that some black people do act like that” (And, some white people imitate it)
So, if I am getting you right, Biggirl, you have never once in your life ran into someone who was white who you thought was trying to be or act black, and you have never come across an “Uncle Tom” black person, becasue these things just don’t exist at all?

100

Your right mouthbreather, I’m not understanding you. I understood your question as: If you see a white person wearing A and saying B, don’t you think to yourself “he’s trying to act black?”

My answer was no. I also added that wearing A and saying B is not indicative of any type of blackness.

If I put words in your mouth or misconscrued your meaning, I’m sorry. Please clarify.