“We know all too little about the factors that affect the attitudes of the peoples of the world toward one another. It is clear, however, that color and race are at once the most important and the most enigmatic.”
-John Hope Franklin
Now, let it be known that growing up, I attended a grade school [meaning k-8] where diversity was more or less non-existent. In fact, I could probably count the number of minorities on two hands[and that's being generous]. I don't really blame my school for it's lack of diversity, I mean...I liked it, enough...I suppose. However I digress and this, is not the main reason for my blog, though background information is necessary.
So, I graduated from grade school. Nine years, with the same 50 people or so was interesting, to say the least. But now, for me it was time for bigger things, and thus I entered high school. As I went from a graduating class of 50 to a graduating class of 300 I learned a lot about myself and society [since high school is something like a microcosm of the real thing...sort of... hardly... but lets roll with it]. My transition to small to large I thought was going pretty well until one day one of my new peers addressed me with something, and the conversation went something like this:
peer: Why do you talk like that?
me: Like what?
peer: Like a white girl?
and later down the road this conversation would follow:
peer: Why do you act like that?
me: Like what?
peer: Like a white girl?
and finally statements like:
You, are the WHITEST black girl I know!
hmmm...just think about that for a second....
OK, so even though I'm black I speak & act white?
WHAT?
Last I checked, one cannot act or speak a color, and from that moment on conversations, and comments like these would always be my biggest pet peeve! Not only are comments like these ignorant but they're grammatically incorrect [leave it to me to look at the grammatical aspect]. Black & White, are adjectives...not verbs!
OK, so now that I've attacked the English viewpoint lets go back to the ignorance of statements like these. I wondered, and often still wonder what this is supposed to mean. If I am black [I'd much rather say African American, but I'm making a point so I'll let it slide], then by default don't I "act it", and thus "speak like it"?
But no, what these peers of mine were really saying was: Since I use correct grammar often, fail to incorporate slang in my everyday language, articulate my words as I speak, throw in a large word here and there, and not listen to excessive amounts of rap, then I am less black. So, in the way that I carry myself I hold characteristics of that of a white person?
Hold on... So to act white is, in a way is to act educated. That's a provocative, and controversial statement. So, If I offended I'm not going to apologize. I'm just going to say think about how many times you've heard someone say that, and not just "act white" but the vice versa as well to "act black". Statements like these are outrageously offensive and should spark conversation and thought.
And with that being said: I act not white nor black. I act like me because that's who I was raised to be. And to suggest anything other would just be a fallacy. Do not forget this because I WILL correct you.
-John Hope Franklin
Now, let it be known that growing up, I attended a grade school [meaning k-8] where diversity was more or less non-existent. In fact, I could probably count the number of minorities on two hands[and that's being generous]. I don't really blame my school for it's lack of diversity, I mean...I liked it, enough...I suppose. However I digress and this, is not the main reason for my blog, though background information is necessary.
So, I graduated from grade school. Nine years, with the same 50 people or so was interesting, to say the least. But now, for me it was time for bigger things, and thus I entered high school. As I went from a graduating class of 50 to a graduating class of 300 I learned a lot about myself and society [since high school is something like a microcosm of the real thing...sort of... hardly... but lets roll with it]. My transition to small to large I thought was going pretty well until one day one of my new peers addressed me with something, and the conversation went something like this:
peer: Why do you talk like that?
me: Like what?
peer: Like a white girl?
and later down the road this conversation would follow:
peer: Why do you act like that?
me: Like what?
peer: Like a white girl?
and finally statements like:
You, are the WHITEST black girl I know!
hmmm...just think about that for a second....
OK, so even though I'm black I speak & act white?
WHAT?
Last I checked, one cannot act or speak a color, and from that moment on conversations, and comments like these would always be my biggest pet peeve! Not only are comments like these ignorant but they're grammatically incorrect [leave it to me to look at the grammatical aspect]. Black & White, are adjectives...not verbs!
OK, so now that I've attacked the English viewpoint lets go back to the ignorance of statements like these. I wondered, and often still wonder what this is supposed to mean. If I am black [I'd much rather say African American, but I'm making a point so I'll let it slide], then by default don't I "act it", and thus "speak like it"?
But no, what these peers of mine were really saying was: Since I use correct grammar often, fail to incorporate slang in my everyday language, articulate my words as I speak, throw in a large word here and there, and not listen to excessive amounts of rap, then I am less black. So, in the way that I carry myself I hold characteristics of that of a white person?
Hold on... So to act white is, in a way is to act educated. That's a provocative, and controversial statement. So, If I offended I'm not going to apologize. I'm just going to say think about how many times you've heard someone say that, and not just "act white" but the vice versa as well to "act black". Statements like these are outrageously offensive and should spark conversation and thought.
And with that being said: I act not white nor black. I act like me because that's who I was raised to be. And to suggest anything other would just be a fallacy. Do not forget this because I WILL correct you.
6 comments:
I agree... completely, which is wierd still, but its something that I can't ignore.
Jess!
A. I'm so proud of you and your blog. Never for a moment did I doubt that you would do everything in your power to achieve all your dreams.
okay... now that that's out of the way...
B. I love this blog... as I'm sure you know, I have this battle on almost a daily basis with my students... I think people forget that we're all human, incapable of acting the color or our skin - since the outside doesn't really impact who we are on the inside.
You rock! keep up the good work!
-t.wood
Ha, things like this have been said to me. My friend is trying to teach me slang and its going horribly because I feel weird using it and I pronounce some of the words he's teaching me incorrectly.
read Caucasia if you haven't already trust me great book!
"You are not Black." That's what my black best friend from High School said to me the one day she saw me donate some change for some charity thing. She said Black people are basically selfish and would NEVER do what I had just did. How does one respond to a comment like that I wonder?
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