Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about my race and what it means to have so much melanin pigmenting my skin this brown-red color. I’m more than proud to be what I am and I claim it to the fullest. I love the culture and learning about my ancestry. However, I was really conflicted when I was younger. I’d grown up in a predominantly black community, but I always felt different from my peers. They would listen to rap music and watch reality TV with their families, while I listened to Katy Perry and watched anime at night. It didn’t just stop at peers either. I remember going to family gatherings and somewhat feeling a little set apart from everyone else. My aunts would comment on how I talked like a little white girl and as I grew older and developed my own sense of style, they talked about how I dressed like one, as well. It was all poking fun but after a while, I became irritated because I couldn’t be me without seeming not black. I felt kind of self conscious cause I didn’t act black.
How the heck does one act a color though? I wasn’t aware that you could cause if that were the case, I’d definitely act blue. That is one cool color. Literally. I hate to break it to people, but, you can’t. It is not humanly possible to act a color. Acting a race is just another form of saying act your stereotype. Is that really what people want to say? I don’t think so. This isn’t just an issue in the black community, but in many others. A lot of this happens in minority communities and children become conflicted because they feel like they don’t belong in that community unless they listen to certain music, dress a certain way, or talk or certain way. They become misguided and believe that those things actually define their culture. Now, let me say this. There’s a fine line between following your culture and following a stereotype.
For example, using slang is not culture. So when someone speaks properly, it is not that they’re being “white”. They’re simply just speaking English. It’s so irritating that communities will make members feel cast out or different, whether it be intentionally or unintentionally, just because they don’t fit into the typical stereotype of that ethnicity or race. No. One. Can. Act. A. Color. You can only act a stereotype. Not matter what your race is or the pigment shown on your skin, everyone is different in their own way. We are not meant to be the same. We’re allowed to have our own style or speak our own way. There are no specific standards that we are meant to meet when it comes to being ourselves. So, no. I am not acting white when I speak properly, and he’s not acting or trying to be black when he listens to trap music. We’re just not being a stereotype.
Thank you for saying this because you have no idea how many times I’ve heard “You act like a white girl” or “You talk like a white girl.” I’ve been described as an Oreo before: black on the outside, white on the inside. It’s definitely more of stereotyping, but I can’t deny that I follow a few of the general stereotypes like black people can’t swim or that they love fried chicken and watermelon. But that’s just a coincidence mostly, and if I happen to use proper English and can actually tell the difference between there and their, than I guess I’ll just be the odd one out.
This is powerful, especially the fact that you choose not to connect the color of your skin to a race of people. Takling racism at several different levels- I appreciate it.
It’s weird that I agree and disagree at the same time. I think it’s because I’m so versatile. I’m more classy than anything, but as far as music and stuff goes, I listen to a lot of different people. I’ll listen to some Trick Daddy, then turn around listen to Rachelle Ferrell. So..I don’t know, lol.
I really like the honesty of this.