Blaming Whitey

[molly bloom]

I would suggest you do some research on slang history, language history, different cultures, world history and american history. Specifically the history of poor people, subcultures and minorities in any country. It might broaden your perspective.

I agree- any subculture or immigrant community has a language of its own with which its members refer to each other. A Jewish friend of mine referred to his skullcap as his 'yidlid' and laughed when he saw the shocked look on my face. I've never called any Jewish person a 'Yid' and don't intend to, because of my upbringing- if I'd said 'Yid' or used any other kind of racist epithet I knew what the result would have been.

Even the word n..... has different uses and has changed- as I was discussing with a friend last week when we talking about The Last Poets and their song 'Wake Up N..... - which is rather different in its use of that word from many of today's songs.

When Africans come here, they behave and communicate at the level of society they come into.

And they probably came or come from countries where they happen to be the majority, have a sense of their own history, and aren't routinely discriminated against on the basis of their skin. All of which helps bolster self-esteem...

[molly bloom]

Anyway......ever been to jail? got a felony conviction? did you drop out of school? did you grow up fatherless?
have many children with different mothers? got a decent paying job? have a job? do drugs?

.

Odd, when poor whites do this sort of thing, it isn't usually correlated with their skin colour. There have been (in the 20th Century history of the United States alone) white Jewish, Irish and Italian criminals and Irish and Italian and Jewish enclaves that could all be reasonably described as ghettoes.

Take drugs ? What, you mean like hopped up President Richard Nixon and that saint of the 'latter day Camelot', John F. Kennedy ? Do cocaine, which only turned into a problem worth serious attention when white middle class folks started being affected.

IMHO, black Americans are there own worst enemy.

Not when there are still people like you around who judge them on and because of their skin colour.

I'm first to admit I don't understand black Americans

Abundantly obvious.

I'm not ashamed to admit it

You know what they say about having a problem...

[molly bloom]

i thought monkeys had white skin

Shaved monkeys. A good name for a group or record, or possibly an enigmatic independent film or gnomic short story, like a Raymond Carver, but on hallucinogens.

[Docfeelgood]

things are actually improving http://blackdemographics.com/

TY

[Uncle Sparky]

Maybe we can all agree that males under 25 are all probably evil, lazy, and stupid regardless of race?

[Pax]

I don't buy into that stereotypical view of black people. I'm just trying to understand the mentality of the majority of the black community today. Where did we go wrong? How do we fix it? Can we fix it? What can I do?

Yes, it was demanded more than once to say African/American rather than black. I guess that is where I get that impression from.

I apologize about the " excuses" thing.
I have come off sounding harsh. It's difficult for me to have a conversation over a message board. I am much better speaking in person.
I thank you for attempt at educating me. I will read the play.

things are actually improving http://blackdemographics.com/

[Uncle Sparky]

You sound pathetic, like you have something that you have to prove.

I have nothing to prove. I've played villains before, and always received good review. And you?

[Berzerker]

africans coming here typically want to get ahead, africans before that didn't have the choice and we still carry the baggage of 2 centuries of slavery

[Docfeelgood]

My black friends all think I'd make an exceptional Klansman. I've never polled my gay, Jewish, or 1st nations friends, but I wouldn't be surprised if they would think I'd make a singular bigot.

You sound pathetic, like you have something that you have to prove.

[Uncle Sparky]

My black friends all think I'd make an exceptional Klansman. I've never polled my gay, Jewish, or 1st nations friends, but I wouldn't be surprised if they would think I'd make a singular bigot.

[Docfeelgood]

I built a little fire to keep you warm, Doc. I have been told that it is an iconic bit of white American culture.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]174096[/ATTACH]

I think this is more iconic of white American culture than anything you've mention is indicative of a black American culture.

from Pax - I enjoyed Cry Thy Beloved Country, but really like the play Master Harold... and the Boys.

This is what I mean when the topic of black people is brought up. Uncle Sparky is an ******* that would make a good closet Klansman.

[Docfeelgood]

Read the play.
Africa is actually a continent. Either way African Americans refer to themselves as that because we don't know exactly what part of Africa we come from. I.E. language and culture lost.
Did somebody walk up to you and demand to be called African American? I wake up black and go to sleep black. In between that time, I spend very little to none of my time trying to blame whitey, make white people called me African American, get welfare checks and etc.. Nobody is pushing anything on you. Black people in America do not walk around demanding to be called X Y or Z. The subject of being black in America was brought up by you. My family is black (African American) with very few people marrying outside of that. Some of us are successful and productive. Some are not. Surely every white person in america is not productive and successful. I have sons, nephews and cousins that I try to lead and push to be productive good members of society. In my job, I reach out to other youth to try to push them in the right direction.
I don't know that African Americans need to assimilate. I think African Americans can have a subculture and still exist and flourish in the mainstream. Many years ago, I met a black secretary at her job. When I called her at home she sounded totally different. She like many other African Americans basically speak two languages. Just like your African friends.
Its hard to impossible to have a conversation with a person that calls your responses and point of view "excuses"

I don't buy into that stereotypical view of black people. I'm just trying to understand the mentality of the majority of the black community today. Where did we go wrong? How do we fix it? Can we fix it? What can I do?

Yes, it was demanded more than once to say African/American rather than black. I guess that is where I get that impression from.

I apologize about the " excuses" thing.
I have come off sounding harsh. It's difficult for me to have a conversation over a message board. I am much better speaking in person.
I thank you for attempt at educating me. I will read the play.

[Pax]

I also liked Master Harold and the boys.

[Uncle Sparky]

I built a little fire to keep you warm, Doc. I have been told that it is an iconic bit of white American culture.



I think this is more iconic of white American culture than anything you've mention is indicative of a black American culture.

from Pax - I enjoyed Cry Thy Beloved Country, but really like the play Master Harold... and the Boys.

[Pax]

I would also recommend cry thy beloved country. I recommend these books/plays because they are not about African Americans but show that the views you have are typical views that people have of the "other" whether it be race, religion, class, sexuality or etc.