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Permalink Reply by Ms. BoiBye on July 27, 2012 at 10:31am

I said most. You may have been the exception to the rule.  I went over a guys house I was dating for a few months to meet his folks. They were asking me about my family and background. I told her South Carolina was as far as I knew. His mom, and the rest of his family was so mean to me. She flat out told me I could not date her son because I was American and had no culture or roots. My friend from college invited me to her graduation cookout. She is first generation African American and her family told me I was from the Caribbean and I told them I didn’t know. They were rude to me the rest of the night. She later told me that her mom didn’t like me because I didn’t know where I came from. It helped because I then did an ancestry check because I really had no idea where I was from.

  I get stereotyped all the time my mom gave me a straight “white unisex name”. We all get stereotyped, but it is up to you to prove them wrong, right, or just not give a damn. It is part of American culture to not like someone who is different from you. I also noticed that is the ones who are just coming here are the meanest. It could be a way of holding on to their culture or being afraid to open up, but these are only from the few encounters that I have had.  Bonita hopefully you show me (once we have our Dc meet up that African women are cool peoples, LOL as you have been to me on BA.

 
Bonita said:

You are entitled to that hope you don't get mad when you are stereotyped. For those on BA who know me personally know am neither rude nor nasty.

Ms. BoiBye said:

I am Black. I don't like the term AA. I have never been to Africa and most of the African women that I have met are rude and nasty to me. This is my opinion and I am sticking to it, LOL.

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Permalink Reply by Slim G on July 27, 2012 at 10:39am

Ok, don't hate me, I'm playing Devil's advocate, the post says

"Personally, I am black... I have not been to Africa, and am not sure that I ever want to go."

Ok so you have never been to Africa so you don't want to be called African American, but to be called "black" would mean you are as dark as the words I am typing. I'm sure not all of you are this dark, but you would like to be called black? I'm not sure where the term BLACK came from and why we refer to ourselves as the color black but I believe it may have to do with us being out in the sun and eventually turned the color Black?????..would this have any truth to it? I just need some clarity....Honestly, It doesn't matter to me whether I am called Black or African American I am a human being.

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Permalink Reply by Sheli on July 27, 2012 at 11:02am

The term black came about b/c when "massa" crossed the waters and captured the slaves, they took the ones with the darkest skin and strongest bodies. Most of our complexions vary due to the mixing of the races (you know when massa started impregnating slave women and massa wife started getting pregnant by slave men). Now that's not to say that there wouldn't have been any lighter complected  Africans in Africa, BUT I'm willing to bet that white peen had some influence. 

When people say they are "Black" I don't think they aren't identifying with a color, they are identifying with an entire culture, that we've come to develop here in the US, because we were prevent from knowing anything about our culture back in Africa. Let's be real how many of us "African Americans" can identify truly with "African" cultures? How many of us will truly try to understand it, I mean down to the exact tribe we're from?

Slim G said:

Ok, don't hate me, I'm playing Devil's advocate, the post says

"Personally, I am black... I have not been to Africa, and am not sure that I ever want to go."

Ok so you have never been to Africa so you don't want to be called African American, but to be called "black" would mean you are as dark as the words I am typing. I'm sure not all of you are this dark, but you would like to be called black? I'm not sure where the term BLACK came from and why we refer to ourselves as the color black but I believe it may have to do with us being out in the sun and eventually turned the color Black?????..would this have any truth to it? I just need some clarity....Honestly, It doesn't matter to me whether I am called Black or African American I am a human being.

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Permalink Reply by Slim G on July 27, 2012 at 11:48am

Very well communicated explanation Sheli, Thanks for taking the time to share! I totally understand now, you lear something new everyday, especially from Baller alert! Enjoy the rest of your day! :)

Sheli said:

The term black came about b/c when "massa" crossed the waters and captured the slaves, they took the ones with the darkest skin and strongest bodies. Most of our complexions vary due to the mixing of the races (you know when massa started impregnating slave women and massa wife started getting pregnant by slave men). Now that's not to say that there wouldn't have been any lighter complected  Africans in Africa, BUT I'm willing to bet that white peen had some influence. 

When people say they are "Black" I don't think they aren't identifying with a color, they are identifying with an entire culture, that we've come to develop here in the US, because we were prevent from knowing anything about our culture back in Africa. Let's be real how many of us "African Americans" can identify truly with "African" cultures? How many of us will truly try to understand it, I mean down to the exact tribe we're from?
Slim G said:

Ok, don't hate me, I'm playing Devil's advocate, the post says

"Personally, I am black... I have not been to Africa, and am not sure that I ever want to go."

Ok so you have never been to Africa so you don't want to be called African American, but to be called "black" would mean you are as dark as the words I am typing. I'm sure not all of you are this dark, but you would like to be called black? I'm not sure where the term BLACK came from and why we refer to ourselves as the color black but I believe it may have to do with us being out in the sun and eventually turned the color Black?????..would this have any truth to it? I just need some clarity....Honestly, It doesn't matter to me whether I am called Black or African American I am a human being.

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