# Black people and stereotypes **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 6, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964 "2003-09-06T18:35:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/41 "2003-09-07T07:26:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by buttonjockey308 \* > This is amusing and all, but the reality is that the reply by MLS is spot on, all of the music and clothing and assorted bling are merely passing trends, designed to bilk the already cash strapped wanna-be player out of money he or she cannot afford to spend, on things he or she doesn’t need. You can’t design clothing to do anything other than protect you from the elements. The media and corporations are simply responding to an innate human desire to demonstrate success. Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren used to be marketed to rich preppy white folk. I still don’t see any gansta rappers in their displays at Lord & Taylors. THis whole bling bling thing is relatively new. A few years ago, Snoop Doog was running around compton in his videos, not taking trips to Rio. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by buttonjockey308 \* > The rich black man, keeps the poor one down (if I may be so un-PC) by going on TV, and telling him he needs a $90 Sean John Shirt, and $100 Timberland Boots, and $120 FuBu Jeans, and enough gold to tie up a battleship. He needs to drink Cristal, wear a Rolex, roll in a Bentley, and carry a glock. Meanwhile, he’s having a hard time keeping up the rent at his mothers house, and the mother of his child is forced to take state aid. It’s easy to blame corporations and rich people. The reality is that people have a desire to impress others. They have a need to express their ‘individuality’ by wearing the exact same thing as all their friends. The “bling bling” rap culture is a direct result of many rappers being raised in an environment where there is no money. All of a sudden they go from broke to rich beyond their wildest dreams so they start throwing money around to show how wealthy they are. It’s a nuevo riche attitude along the lines of a lottery winner who is broke again in a year. That would be fine except that poor black youths don’t grow up in an environment where most people get wealthy (or at least comfortible) by becoming lawyers, accountants, programmers, and other professionals. All they see is all their black neighbors are dirt poor except the drug dealers and rappers on TV. They have no one to tell them that $1000 extra bucks might be better spent taking college courses instead of buying chains and car speakers. And here’s a little somthin for da homez. I bet you dance very well - but only to hip hop. I bet you own 30 Jordans and giant oversized FUBU jeans and a big puffy down jacket. I bet you’ve worn the combination of the above during the hottest days of summer. I bet you really love either rap or hip hop. I bet you love KFC and watermellon. I bet a hockey stick, tennis racket or ski pole has never touched your hand. I bet you look your nose down on people who wear suits, fitted cotton Dockers and Polo golf shirts. I bet you live in some sort of assisted housing. I bet you live in a broken household with a single mom and twelve brothers and sisters. I bet at least one of your friends knocked up some hizzo and another is in jail. I bet you don’t know what a 401k is or what it does. I bet you talk like “fo-shizzle my nizzle!” like all black people. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/42 "2003-09-07T12:46:28Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by mrsmith537_ > I bet you dance very well - but only to hip hop. > I bet you own 30 Jordans and giant oversized FUBU jeans and a big puffy down jacket. > I bet you’ve worn the combination of the above during the hottest days of summer. > I bet you really love either rap or hip hop. > I bet you love KFC and watermellon. > I bet a hockey stick, tennis racket or ski pole has never touched your hand. > I bet you look your nose down on people who wear suits, fitted cotton Dockers and Polo golf shirts. > I bet you live in some sort of assisted housing. > I bet you live in a broken household with a single mom and twelve brothers and sisters. > I bet at least one of your friends knocked up some hizzo and another is in jail. > I bet you don’t know what a 401k is or what it does. > I bet you talk like “fo-shizzle my nizzle!” like all black people. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by CanvasShoes_ > imho? It’s just kids trying to be “individuals” and perhaps “shock” their parents and other adults. Little do they know that not only am I not “shocked,” I nearly pee my pants laughing every time I see those “full toddler diaper” looking baggie jeans. I’m with **CanvasShoes** on this one. At least 7 of the 12 “items” on **mrsmith’s** list would apply to most people under the age of 21 in my neighborhood, regardless of the color of their skin. ---
**Author:** ![Sinful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Sinful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinful)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/43 "2003-09-07T12:55:04Z")
Perhaps the point of this thread became misconstrued at some point in the posting. I am not saying that black people should change thier stereotype or stop acting or dressing like rappers. It does not offend me, or bother me when they do that. I was simply asking the question “why do black people complain about the stereotypes placed on them, and then turn around and fufill them.” of course not all black people do this. I was just simply trying to answer the question to the blatant hypocracy of a black person saying “I’m not like that, I’m not like that, I’m not like that, now watch me be like that.” I was simply hoping for an answer to the question. I don’t live in the suburbs, I live in the dorms. mayonaisse is ok, only on sandwiches though, and not a lot too. Heavy metal and country can blow my ass. Can’t dance well? There are THOUSANDS of dances out there. Of course I’m not going to be good at the “ritualistic sacrificial dance of the Congo tribe” or whatever…what standard is this based on? I myself wear semi-baggy pants. Not the ones that turn into parachutes mind you, but the loose fitting ones. (and yeah, bandannas are pretty stupid…almost like wearing a visor upsidedown and backwards…it’s a spoiler for your head! Again I am trying to reiterate that I do not want or desire black people to change thier dress, or behavior, or what have you, I am simply pointing out the hypocracy of black people always complaining about how they are stereotyped against…and yet some perpetrate the stereotypes almost to the “T”. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/44 "2003-09-07T13:20:49Z")
> [@](#): > > _Sinful_ > Again I am trying to reiterate that I do not want or desire black people to change thier dress, or behavior, or what have you, I am simply pointing out the hypocracy of black people always complaining about how they are stereotyped against…and yet some perpetrate the stereotypes almost to the “T”. Get the idea of “black people” out of your mind and maybe everything will make sense. I hear white people complain about the Democrats all the time, then I see some go around and vote for them. The hypocracy! Plus, those three little stereotypes you listed are not “the” stereotypes, especially the one about dress. Believe it or not, blacks in different regions of the country dress and talk differently, and I don’t see any bandannas or gold chains around here. And a person who talks in the theater can resent being thought of as a violent criminal without being hypocritical. They’re two entirely different stereotypes, and he doesn’t have to be expected to avoid them all. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/45 "2003-09-07T13:46:20Z")
_Again I am trying to reiterate that I do not want or desire black people to change thier dress, or behavior, or what have you, I am simply pointing out the hypocracy of black people always complaining about how they are stereotyped against…and yet some perpetrate the stereotypes almost to the “T”._ Maybe I’m a mayonnaise-loving, khaki-wearing fool, but I think you’re mixing up two different things. In my experience, the majority of stereotypes that people raise objection to are the ones like “black people are criminals and you have to clutch your purse madly to your chest if a black person is standing in line behind you.” I don’t think anyone would be overly concerned with the basic stereotype of “black people like to wear bandanas tied in a HUGE knot on their heads”\* **if not for the fact** that the unspoken, implied reference is often that there is a connection between this headwear and committing crimes. You talked about both in your OP as if there were some relationship between the two. \*especially seeing as it’s not particularly true, as it’s already been pointed out that many black people do not, and many of the people who do wear bandanas are not even black in the first place. But let us move forward on the premise that _some_ people wear bandanas and _some_ of these people are black. I think you’re mixing up “complaining about stereotypes” with “not really caring what you think about current fashion,” and that many people both A. speak out against stereotypes and B. couldn’t care less about your opinion of their bandanas is **not hypocritical** in the least. For discussions about people talking in movie theaters and yakking on their cell phones, check out the wealth of Pit threads on these topics – these are grave problems in our society that know no racial bounds. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/46 "2003-09-07T14:28:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Monstro, I would take issue with your idea that white people generally speaking, create or perpetuate black stereotypes. Um, I didn’t have a “idea” back there that should elicit this response. My point to **Sinful** is that white people have their own stereotypes and they continually perpetuate them. The fact that most of the white people on this thread didn’t even know they were stereotypes is also my point: most young black people aren’t purposefully fulfilling stereotypes. They are wearing the “uniform” of their peer group. I said nothing about white people perpetuating anything. However, I disagree with you. The stereotypes weren’t created by blacks. A stereotype by definition is taking traits possessed by a visible portion of a population and generalizing them across the whole population. For instance, American are stereotypically viewed as arrogant, stupid, and loud by non-Americans. Did Americans create this stereotype? No. Individuals may knowingly or unknowingly perpetuate it, but it takes an outsider (a non-American) to believe that this stereotype is the norm. The idea that blacks are criminals existed way before hip-hop existed. Black people did not create this stereotype. The idea that black people like fried chicken has existed for a long time too. Again, black people did not create this stereotype. White people are the ones who jumped on these images and blew them up, not black people. Now, black people could stop perpetuating stereotypes. I think if the crime rate suddenly dropped and young black males stopped going to prison at the rate that they did, we would see the blacks-as-criminal stereotype go into decline. However, we aren’t talking about something as serious as crime. We’re talking about fads. I don’t think anyone should stop dressing the way they do simply because their style is associated with an ethnicity or culture or stupid stereotype. I would also express my fatigue with every fad that comes out of urban (black) culture being associated with gangs and violence. Most of the kids I see around here in Newark aren’t violent. They wear long white t-shirts and baggy jeans because that’s the “uniform” around here. What kid doesn’t want to fit in? I only have a problem when I see grown men dressed like this. I think when someone reaches 20, they should stop buying into fads and stop dressing like they’re in middle school. I don’t know what they should wear, but basketball jerseys that stop at the knees is like seeing a dude in a dress emblazened with giant numbers. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/47 "2003-09-07T19:56:39Z")
Personally, I’d like to know how the HECK the fried chicken and watermelon thing started. I know very few people (except of course vegans and vegetarians) that don’t like good fried chicken. And most people like watermelon don’t they? I’ve seen so many people, both white and black make fun of this stereotype. But I just don’t get it. How on earth did a food item that common come to be associated with what black people like to eat? I could somewhat understand if it were some item that could reasonably be attributed to a specific race/nationality, like Borscht is to Russian taste buds, or real bratwurst (from the Black Forest region, my German aunt sends it to me, YUM :D) is to Germans, but chicken? Now you guys have got me hungry. I am going to have to go to “Carrs” and get some fried chicken now. (sulks off to get her shoes and car keys) ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/48 "2003-09-07T20:24:49Z")
**CanvasShoes** , deep frying in oil was a skill that slaves brought over from West Africa. Fried chicken is a southern thing because of it. Furthermore, during Jim Crow, black people on the road (or on the train) couldn’t eat at diners and restaurants, so the need for portable, good-tasting food was a necessity. Fried chicken fit the requirements. The tradition is still around. When my sister and I used to take long Greyhound trips to Chicago, my mother would pack us a brown paperbag full of fried chicken (so there we were, fulfilling a stereotype!). My mother fries up a good chicken, so growing up I automatically assumed everyone could. But most of the white people I know don’t know how to do it. They go to KFC if they want fried chicken. Which I find funny, because KFC ain’t got nothing on homemade, Crisco-laiden, fry-it-up-in-a-black-skillet fried chicken. I love fried chicken, but I don’t like watermelon (except for watermelon-flavored candy). ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/49 "2003-09-07T22:00:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CanvasShoes \* > \*\*Personally, I’d like to know how the HECK the fried chicken and watermelon thing started. > \*\* [I once wondered the same thing!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=150886) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/50 "2003-09-07T22:09:18Z")
Re: this thread. Don’t be hatin’! ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/51 "2003-09-07T22:49:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by monstro \* > **I bet you fufill stereotypes about white people. > I bet you can’t dance very well. > I bet you own a pair of raggedy docksiders and khaki cutoffs. > I bet you’ve worn the combination of the above during the cold of winter. > I bet you either really love heavy metal or country music. > I bet you like mayonaisse. > I bet a collard green has never touched your lips. > I bet you look your nose down on people who wear big baggy jeans and bandanas tied around their head. > I bet you live in the suburbs. > I bet you live in a middle class household. > I bet you don’t have any black friends. > I bet you don’t know what “Dark-n-Lovely” is or what it does or how it smells. > I bet you’re a big nerd like all white people.** Can’t dance worth a damn. I own a pair. Nope. Thought about it though. I rather like country music. Only a little on sandwiches. Not to much. Never had tried that stuff. Until last weekend, I’d never seen it. For the most part, I do. I wish. Nope, an appartment. I have, I think, two. Know clue what that is. I am a big nerd. Dude, appearently, I’m white. I did not know that. I wish my parents would have told me. Oh well, at least now, I’ll be able to get me a white woman. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/52 "2003-09-08T00:08:16Z")
WOW! Thanks **monstro**! I always felt like an idiot for not understanding this, since everyone but me seemed to (but figured it was better to simply keep my mouth shut, you know, it’s better remain silent and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt?? :D) ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/53 "2003-09-08T01:17:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*originally posted by \ ***Monstro** > > The stereotypes weren’t created by blacks. Cite? > [@](#): > > \*originally posted by \ ***Monstro** > > A stereotype by definition is taking traits possessed by a visible portion of a population and generalizing them across the whole population. I’ll buy that. > [@](#): > > \*originally posted by \ ***Monstro** > > For instance, American are stereotypically viewed as arrogant, stupid, and loud by non-Americans. Did Americans create this stereotype? No. Individuals may knowingly or unknowingly perpetuate it, but it takes an outsider (a non-American) to believe that this stereotype is the norm. I’m an American, and I believe we did create this stereotype by our actions. Does it mean **all** of us Americans act this way? Of course not. But when I visit abroad, I am ocassionally embarressed by Americans helping to perpetuate the stereotype. > [@](#): > > \*originally posted by \ ***Monstro** > > The idea that blacks are criminals existed way before hip-hop existed. Black people did not create this stereotype. Again, cite? It’s automatically the white man’s fault this stereotype exists? Re-read the second quote I quoted you on. > [@](#): > > \*originally posted by \ ***Monstro** > > The idea that black people like fried chicken has existed for a long time too. Again, black people did not create this stereotype. White people are the ones who jumped on these images and blew them up, not black people. Goddamn white people! ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/54 "2003-09-08T01:56:57Z")
Oh, fun game 😃 I bet you fufill stereotypes about white people. - I bet I do too I bet you can’t dance very well. - True I bet you own a pair of raggedy docksiders and khaki cutoffs. - Docksiders are shoes, right? No, don’t own any. But I do have Khaki cut-offs. I bet you’ve worn the combination of the above during the cold of winter. - Hell no. Have you ever _been_ to New Hampshire in the winter? I bet you either really love heavy metal or country music. - Hate country and can take or leave heavy metal. I bet you like mayonaisse. - It’s marginally better than dry bread, yes. I bet a collard green has never touched your lips. - Being as I have veggies, it’s a safe bet. I’ve never eaten brussel sprouts either, though. I bet you look your nose down on people who wear big baggy jeans and bandanas tied around their head. - No, but I worry their pants are going to fall right off. I bet you live in the suburbs. - In order for there to be suburbs in this state there’d need to be cities. I think there are 4 or 5 with more than 30,000 people, and I’m not near any of them. I bet you live in a middle class household. - Yep. I bet you don’t have any black friends. - Currently, no. Like the majority of friendships I had growing up, most of those with black friends didn’t last past college graduation either. I bet you don’t know what “Dark-n-Lovely” is or what it does or how it smells. - Not a clue. I bet you’re a big nerd like all white people. - No, I’m a small nerd, I never did grow to become very big. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/55 "2003-09-08T13:29:45Z")
Well, let’s see, ms mith: > [@](#): > > And here’s a little somthin for da homez. > > I bet you dance very well - but only to hip hop. The only I dancing I do is with my kids to the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song and to the song that comes on at the end of Dora the Explorer. > [@](#): > > I bet you own 30 Jordans and giant oversized FUBU jeans and a big puffy down jacket. Jordans are ugly. All of them. I wouldn’t be caught _dead_ in anything by FUBU. I ain’t gots no big puffy down jacket, neither. > [@](#): > > I bet you’ve worn the combination of the above during the hottest days of summer. See above. [quote] I bet you really love either rap or hip hop. [quote] Yep. I also _love_ nu-metal, heavy metal, alternative, jazz, big band, swing and early punk. > [@](#): > > I bet you love KFC and watermellon. Nope to both. > [@](#): > > I bet a hockey stick, tennis racket or ski pole has never touched your hand. I’ve played field hockey and tennis but I’ve never skiied. > [@](#): > > I bet you look your nose down on people who wear suits, fitted cotton Dockers and Polo golf shirts. Suits I like. You bet your sweet bippy I look down on people who wear the Dockers-braided belt-deck shoes-polo-style shirt combination. It’s boring and suburbanite. > [@](#): > > I bet you live in some sort of assisted housing. Nope. Never have, either. > [@](#): > > I bet you live in a broken household with a single mom and twelve brothers and sisters. Yep. My mom divorced my dad when I was a little over two. She remarried when I was six and divorced him when I was eleven or so. She only had two kids, though, both with her first husband. > [@](#): > > I bet at least one of your friends knocked up some hizzo and another is in jail. Well, a few of my friends have knocked up their wives but no hizzo, at least not to my knowledge. I have no incarcerated friends. > [@](#): > > I bet you don’t know what a 401k is or what it does. I do and I do. > [@](#): > > I bet you talk like “fo-shizzle my nizzle!” like all black people. I say fo-shizzle my nizzle whenever I see Snoop on TV. I can’t help it. Ooops, I gotta run. I gots to go shine my gold teeth, biatch. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/56 "2003-09-08T14:15:51Z")
What’s a hizzo? Is it related to a hippo? ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/57 "2003-09-08T14:44:34Z")
It depends on how big she is, monstro. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/58 "2003-09-08T15:14:58Z")
Can I play too? > [@](#): > > bet you dance very well - but only to hip hop. Depends on who you ask. > [@](#): > > I bet you own 30 Jordans and giant oversized FUBU jeans and a big puffy down jacket. I’ve gotta a puffy coat. Never owned a pair of Jordans, or FUBU, I’m a cheapskate 😃 > [@](#): > > I bet you’ve worn the combination of the above during the hottest days of summer. Nope. > [@](#): > > I bet you really love either rap or hip hop. I’ll take old school rap (oh you might not know what that means, google Run DMC,). > [@](#): > > I bet you love KFC and watermellon. You misspelled Popeyes, I rarely eat watermelon. > [@](#): > > I bet a hockey stick, tennis racket or ski pole has never touched your hand. O for 3, I’ve done all of these. Maybe that’s why I get called oreo hmmm… > [@](#): > > I bet you look your nose down on people who wear suits, fitted cotton Dockers and Polo golf shirts. Oops, you just described most of my wardrobe. > [@](#): > > I bet you live in some sort of assisted housing. Mine has handicapped parking, that count? > [@](#): > > I bet you live in a broken household with a single mom and twelve brothers and sisters. Well I do have a large family. Mom was divored twice though. > [@](#): > > I bet at least one of your friends knocked up some hizzo and another is in jail. Got me there. > [@](#): > > I bet you don’t know what a 401k is or what it does. I used mine to open a business. > [@](#): > > I bet you talk like “fo-shizzle my nizzle!” like all black people. Why you frontin? ---
**Author:** ![Mdm.President](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@Mdm.President](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdm.President)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/59 "2003-09-08T15:28:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by msmith537 \* > \*\* > That would be fine except that poor black youths don’t grow up in an environment where most people get wealthy (or at least comfortible) by becoming lawyers, accountants, programmers, and other professionals. All they see is all their black neighbors are dirt poor except the drug dealers and rappers on TV. They have no one to tell them that $1000 extra bucks might be better spent taking college courses instead of buying chains and car speakers. \*\* This is such bull. I get so tired of hearing this responsibility denying excuse. You mention TV. Then they see black lawyers, accountants, programmers and other professionals’ ‘spending that $1000 extra bucks on education’ just like I saw. Their dirt-poor neighbors are an example of what will happen if they DONT get the hell out. Drugs = money (until jail or a ‘capped ass’), rapping = money (maybe), college = money (with hard work). They see their choices and choose the easiest ones (by ‘they’ I mean anyone who grows up to be a dealer and/or most who try to be rappers). ‘Poor blacks youths’ go to high school just like I did. Are they not told by their teachers of all the scholarships they could get JUST for being black or poor and especially for being both, just like I was told? Is it a stereotype to say that ‘black people comment the most crime’ if it’s true? Does anyone know the stats? What bothers me is that none of this has to do with SKIN COLOR. “Black” folks don’t live, dress, act, or commit crimes like they do because their skin is darker. It has nothing to do with malignan. It’s all culture. And if 8 out or 10 poodles are mean to me I’m not gonna like poodles. If 8 out of 10 people wearing a certain clothing and talking/walking a certain way are mean to me I’m not gonna like them either. Wether their skin is chocolate or cream. It’s not ‘black’ people its hip-hop culture. This of course doesn’t mean I’m going to go around kicking poodles, at least not until after they bite me. And before anyone tries calling me a racist…think for a second, you have no idea what color my ‘skin’ is. But lets just say I admit to being prejudice over a ‘culture’. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964/60 "2003-09-08T16:59:49Z")
While a higher percentage of blacks commit (I’m assuming you meant commit when you typed comment) more crimes than white, make no mistake about it, MDM. President, whites commit more crimes in this country than blacks. Why? Because there are many more white people in this country than black people. Take your stats and apply them to people living near or below the poverty line and you’ll see it applies to people of all colors. There are many poor white youths that don’t attend college, too. I’m sure their teachers just didn’t get the newsletter re scholarship(s) + college = a way out. Then again, there are a few poeple on this board who are college educated and not doing well at all. By the way, racists and bigots come in all ‘skin’ colors. Whoops, almost forgot, fo’ shizzle my nizzle. I gots to bounce and go pick up my welface check. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-people-and-stereotypes/199964.md?page=4)