# What is "the talk" for black kids?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-talk-for-black-kids/618486>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 11, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-talk-for-black-kids/618486 "2012-04-11T19:18:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-talk-for-black-kids/618486/1 "2012-04-11T19:18:27Z")

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I’ve heard reference to “the talk” as something given by black parents to their children; I gather it explains how the parents feel the children should conduct themselves around white people.

After having read [The Talk: non-Black Version](http://takimag.com/article/the_talk_nonblack_version_john_derbyshire/print#axzz1rk64Lwxd) (which got its author fired), I’m curious, and so my factual question:

What is the content of “the talk” given to black children?

Googling for it this afternoon seems to bring up nothing but news related to the above-linked Derbyshire article.

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**Author:** ![luvtinayothers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@luvtinayothers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luvtinayothers)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-talk-for-black-kids/618486/2 "2012-04-11T21:12:13Z")

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There’s an excellent thread on this question here:

> **[What is "The Talk" for black kids?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=648056)**
>
> I have heard reference to “the talk” given to black children by their parents. I gather it has something to do with how these parents feel their kids ought to handle future interactions with white people. After having read The Talk: the Non-Black...

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-talk-for-black-kids/618486/3 "2012-04-11T21:37:33Z")

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The above is a link to a 3-post thread which links to [this earlier thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=646441).

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-talk-for-black-kids/618486/4 "2012-04-11T22:51:46Z")

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I’ve reported the duplicate.

And if I heard of a black parent giving a kid “The Talk”, I would assume that it meant the one about the birds and the bees, same as for folks of any other color.