Support NeoGAF

[Ninja Scooter]

Have you ever tried to tan? Can you get sunburn?

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Because people from Caribbean are Caribbean not African. If you are white and born in the US you don't say I'm (for example) English-American. You say you are American. The first nation IMO assumes that you have a familarity with that nation/continent.

Yeah, I can see where it's bullshit but then again, our identity has been so construed, trampled, demonized, etc, that we have to hold onto something. In our past, we were giving far too many names with negative meaning. At no point before the late 1960s were we called anything close to being similar to 'American'. Negro was supposed to be better than Negroid which was supposed to be better than Nigger. Our history is lying at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. We were sold and stolen from our home countries, made an end run thru South America and the Carribean and ended up being slapped around in South Carolina for a few hundred years. So African American will go down in history as a 'special exemption'.

It was and still is a force and tool that we use to break free of all of our previous names. Coon, porch monkey, nigger, blackie, negroid, negro...all thrown away at a time when America, as a whole, still refused to accept us as American in action. We are now, American but still sometimes, only on paper. Either way, to me, it's not a stupid idea, when identity means so much to a race of people.

 

[Truelize]

Nice. My question about the chicken gets ignored.

Is it because I'm white?

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Have you ever tried to tan? Can you get sunburn?

Haha, a girl from school asked me this a few years ago. I knew it wasn't malignant and I had to take into account that she was from not too far from Pittsburg..meaning Pittsburg is already a hick town and an hour outside of it is damn near Alabamian. Actually, I kid cuz when I spent some time out there, the people were the nicest people I've met in awhile. It was actually a shock to come back to all the assholes here in Philly.

 

[bishoptl]

I have a black friend here in Calgary and he just told me that Iginla is gonna resign with the Flames. He also said you must be getting your info from the wrong fried chicken outlet.

What's up with black people being so heavily associated with fried chicken?

Sorry dude, I thought your question was already answered, chicken being cheaper and all.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Why are black men automatically attracted to white women with red hair?

Curious to see if the drapes matches the carpet.

 

[Renegade]

Why are Black men so intimidated by Strong Black Women such as myself? Does my success make your faces purple with envy?

 

[bishoptl]

...

Vagabond, I'm gonna change your name back in a minute.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

aren't you really more brown than black?

 

[bishoptl]

Ninja Scooter: Yeah, it is more brown (on average) than dark Wesley Snipes midnight black.

 

[The Faceless Master]

ok, so SOME black people love Wayne Brady as much as white people.

and they probably like orlando jones too...

 

[Renegade]

Do you have Paypal

 

[The Faceless Master]

Have you ever tried to tan? Can you get sunburn?

yes, if you are out in the sun in good areas alot (like say in the caribbean or south florida) you get darker... and yes, anyone can get sunburned... you just don't see it as easily...

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

Yeah, I can see where it's bullshit but then again, our identity has been so construed, trampled, demonized, etc, that we have to hold onto something. In our past, we were giving far too many names with negative meaning. At no point before the late 1960s were we called anything close to being similar to 'American'. Negro was supposed to be better than Negroid which was supposed to be better than Nigger. Our history is lying at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. We were sold and stolen from our home countries, made an end run thru South America and the Carribean and ended up being slapped around in South Carolina for a few hundred years. So African American will go down in history as a 'special exemption'.

It was and still is a force and tool that we use to break free of all of our previous names. Coon, porch monkey, nigger, blackie, negroid, negro...all thrown away at a time when America, as a whole, still refused to accept us as American in action. We are now, American but still sometimes, only on paper. Either way, to me, it's not a stupid idea, when identity means so much to a race of people.

I totally agree with your well thought out point. However, I think that we have been spending time trying to equate ourselves to white people with finding an "identity" that is acceptable to them and us. I love being Black, there is power in Black, their is pride in Black, there is strength in Black. Maybe that's just how I was taught. Maybe, that's what I believe, that's what I know to be true. I don't have to add "American" to my identity ingrain myself into the White man's culture. Hell, I've been part of his culture for 400 years. I've farmed his fields, nuresd his children, tended to his mother, I've allowed him to live a life of luxury, I've given him a since of pride in being superior. Hell, if I'm not American no one is.

 

[firex]

Who's the best black leader: Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois or Martin Luther King, Jr.?

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

why are you still answering questions? havent you exhausted all you inherently know about what it's like to be black?

 

[OG_Original Gamer]

Who's the best black leader: Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois or Martin Luther King, Jr.?

I would say MLK.Jr, Malcolm is considered one of them also. Malcom after his visit to Mecca his views were changed about (white)people so it gave us a better understanding of the world and that all (white)people are not the same.

Tupac also but he was a little conflicted, he was drawn to the fast life.

The other guys weren't really leaders, they were scholars.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

Who's the best black leader: Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois or Martin Luther King, Jr.?

Probably King. His Jesus like fostering of non-violent resistance is probably the catalyist for the most powerful revolution in the history of the planet. DuBois and Douglass simply worked within the world they were given. King actively attempted to change it.

 

[Phoenix]

I've farmed his fields, nuresd his children, tended to his mother, I've allowed him to live a life of luxury, I've given him a since of pride in being superior. Hell, if I'm not American no one is.

Those things don't make me an American. I'm an American because I believe in this country and its people and its potential. My past doesn't make me an American. The struggle made me who I am as a black man, but one can easily be a citizen of this country and not believe or want jack with respect to what the country stands for.

I am an African-American and Black. The two, in my mind, are not the same. I am of African heritage and American nationality - and that is who I am proud to be.

 

[Dice]

Why do black people have their own churches everywhere?

The battle for freedom from slavery and equality had strong religious influences in the way God created us, yet there is still such lack of unity in the church? I understand how this could happen in the south where ignorant dry-religion folk wouldn't treat you right, but my own state of Illinois has always been very progressive concerning racism and there are still black churches everywhere. My own church only has one black family, and they are really cool.

 

[Miguel]

Do all blacks get cold really easily?

I was at work today and I had at least 4 co-workers come up to me and start bitching about how cold it was...all of them were of course.....male. Oh, and black.



Yes, this is my "stupid contribution to your thread" bish. Answer plz.

 

[firex]

Which is the best black actor: Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman, or Denzel Washington?

And has there ever been a part of black culture that you wish white people would steal so you could get rid of it?

 

[Phoenix]

Why do black people have their own churches everywhere?

The battle for freedom from slavery and equality had strong religious influences in the way God created us, yet there is still such lack of unity in the church? I understand how this could happen in the south where ignorant dry-religion folk wouldn't treat you right, but my own state of Illinois has always been very progressive concerning racism and there are still black churches everywhere. My own church only has one black family, and they are really cool.

Visit a black church and see if there are differences in the way worship is handled (99.9% sure there will be). This will be the answer to your question. Its almost like asking why there is R&B when there are white musicians that make slow music.

Heck you can ask any arbitrary Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic, etc. that same question.

 

[Dice]

Do all blacks get cold really easily?

I was at work today and I had at least 4 co-workers come up to me and start bitching about how cold it was...all of them were of course.....male. Oh, and black.

I can tell you the answer to this is no. I've seen some around town (WALKING to their destination no less) wearing a t-shirt and shorts in the middle of winter with snow blowing around and all. And they looked fine too, no bitter expression on their face or anything.

 

[Phoenix]

Which is the best black actor: Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman, or Denzel Washington?

And has there ever been a part of black culture that you wish white people would steal so you could get rid of it?

I would personally say Morgan Freeman because he has such incredible stage and film presence. Rarely have I seen Freeman in a role where I just didn't believe he was the character he portrayed, and he has had to portray some very diverse characters. Sidney coming in right behind him.


Yes, black on black crime. You can have it.

 

[Dice]

Visit a black church and see if there are differences in the way worship is handled (99.9% sure there will be). This will be the answer to your question. Its almost like asking why there is R&B when there are white musicians that make slow music.

Heck you can ask any arbitrary Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic, etc. that same question.

Ok, I understand your first point and it's well noted, but denominations have much more serious reasons for being separate than different styles of worship.

 

[Phoenix]

Ok, I understand your first point and it's well noted, but denominations have much more serious reasons for being separate than different styles of worship.

At the end of the day, not really. I would doubt seriously if a person in a Baptist church could even tell me the denominational differences between a Baptist church and a Methodist church. My mother is Methodist, my dad Baptist, and I grew up going to Catholic and Jesuit schools all my life so I've ended up experiencing them all. Very rarely outside of some of the ceremony of worship (particularly in the catholic church) is there a real pronounced, discussed, or recognizable difference.

 

[Dice]

Weird, I can tell you that's definitely not the case in my town. Maybe with the kids, but the parents know whats up for sure, especially with many churches having orientation/confirmation type classes if you want to be a member. But I dont want to derail this thread too much so I won't get into it, lol.

 

[Late Stage Marxist]

My parish is predominantly white, but our priest is from Africa. He lived in apartheid, so he's a very politically and socially conscious person. His masses are much more energetic and musical than the masses of other priests I've known prior.

 

[Dice]

This brings up another question, why are black people so groovin?

 

[Late Stage Marxist]

 

[Phoenix]

This brings up another question, why are black people so groovin?

Now that is a good question

I don't even think I could compose a reasonable answer for it. According to psychologists, music that 'reaches' you is music that is in tune to your body's own rhythm. Perhaps that accounts for some of it.

 

[DCharlie]

When is someone going to win the 100m Breast stroke and prove all the white folk wrong?

 

[Raxel]

I've got a music related question. Considering the roots of blues music, why aren't there many black artists singing the blues in todays music? Are artists like B B King, Muddy Waters and so on irrelevant to the black youth of today?

 

[Blackace]

I've got a music related question. Considering the roots of blues music, why aren't there many black artists singing the blues in todays music? Are artists like B B King, Muddy Waters and so on irrelevant to the black youth of today?

I have two words for you... Bling Bling... Blues just doesn't have it.. Damn shame... Blues is a dying breed of music...

 

[Blackace]

When is someone going to win the 100m Breast stroke and prove all the white folk wrong?

Once we decide to stop owning almost all major sports....

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

I am an African-American and Black. The two, in my mind, are not the same. I am of African heritage and American nationality - and that is who I am proud to be.

I agree but, the question is why is it us that has to our ethnic background tied to the obvious? There aren't any others that have to prefix their nation of origin to their current nationality. To me John Kerry's wife is more African-American than I could ever be.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

I have two words for you... Bling Bling... Blues just doesn't have it.. Damn shame... Blues is a dying breed of music...

Since the early 20th century American Black music has always been trend setters of popular culture in the US. That being said the tip of the spear in popular culture is Rap. I'm sure 40 or 50 years from now that some other form of music will be the standard bearer and someone will wonder why black's don't rap like they used to.

 

[karasu]

rap will go the way of rock.

 

[Phoenix]

I agree but, the question is why is it us that has to our ethnic background tied to the obvious? There aren't any others that have to prefix their nation of origin to their current nationality. To me John Kerry's wife is more African-American than I could ever be.

Native-American
And though some people really don't even know what it means Anglo-Saxon British (though this term has become deprecated over the years just as native American and african american will be).

 

[karasu]

At the end of the day what difference does it make?

 

[MIMIC]

To me, 'black' and 'African-American' are synonymous. I use 'black' when being informal, and 'African-American' when formal (usually).

Yes, black on black crime. You can have it.

lol.

(I was going to make a side comment, but it would have probably came off as kinda racist. :/)

 

[demon]

Most black people in the US are as "african american" as I am "dutch american", but I don't see any "dutch american" boxes to check on forms.

 

[karasu]

blame the government.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

when are you guys gonna bring back the high top fade? High top>>>>corn rows. The high top fade was like the golden age of black people. C'mon!! BRING IT BACK!

 

[Incognito]

How come black girls are so loud?

 

[firex]

What do black people think when they see white/asian kids wearing FUBU?

 

[karasu]

I don't think they're trying to be black, I just think they're into hip hop. It's not like black people are innately hip hop-ish. Whites/Asians sometimes dig the cullture and naturally they try to be a part of it, just like some blacks do.

 

[Son of Godzilla]

An old roommate of mine was black. He ate chicken wings (Only wings) every night at around 2 am, went through toilet paper at an astonishing rate (I started saving the tubes, somewhere around 40 in 3 months), claimed to be homeless to get foodstamps, turned the heater on and up to 90 before going to bed, and invited every guest he had over to a nice cup of pudding. He also listened solely to a mix of Dona Summer and that goddamn Step In The Name of Love song. Are any of these quirks common amongst black people? I knew the chicken was such a stereotype, and I guess the cheapness posted above explains it, but I never actually thought it was true. Come to think of it, he also loved those damn fruit drinks.

Also I know there was just a huge discussion on this, but what do you think of the Confederate flag?

 

[lexy]

Why are black people treated as a collective group that thinks and behaves one way more so than other races?