Once again, the ignorance monster has reared it's ugly head.
Today as I sat in my fifth period class, I heard that oh so familiar phrase that will not seem to die: "acting black."
A white girl who was greeting a black friend of hers made some comment that I guess had some ghetto or hip hop terminology or something like that. So another hispanic girl said as a joke "I love it when white people try to act black. Ha haha."
I'm not even going to beat around the bush. I'm just going to get right to the point. I am sick and tired of hearing this comment. I'm sick and tired of hearing "acting white."
Somebody PLEASE answer this: what does it mean to "act" black and what does it mean to "act white?"
I know all of you who either live in diverse areas, attend multicultural schools or even are Black have heard these phrases more than once before.
Allow me to address my own questions. Listening to hip hop, using hip hop vernacular, dressing urban does not equate with being a black person. Although I know some people out there probably are thinking, "Well, mostly Black people do those things so it is acting Black. What's so offensive about saying that?"
The problem with this phrase and the thinking behind it is that it lumps all Black people into one category, it is stereotypical. All Black people don't listen to one type of music, speak the same way, act the same way, or dress the same way.
The overarching problem here goes deeper than stereotyping is wrong. We all know that and would attest to that.
It's always easier to judge someone else's flaws or bad behavior. But when we reflect inward, what do we see? The question is how much do YOU believe stereotypes about groups that are different than you? Do you perpetuate stereotypes or even think them? Do you sometimes think of certain groups "they're all the same" or "most of them are like that." Can any of us honestly say we've never believed a stereotype or spoken one or two out of ignorance?
I know I have and I'm making the effort to stop. It's never bothers you when some other group is categorized. But when it's yours, that's when it becomes a problem.
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