Why do black people self-segregate?

[Anonymous]

Any poster who writes: "all white people are ......" is a racist.

[Anonymous]

This is inferiority complex as with any self-segregation, and very commonly it manifests itself as superiority (or trying to look superior).

[Anonymous]

Sometimes I self-segregate because I find that I can relax more easily in a setting in which I don't have to explain a million little things.
For example, I was having a great time the other night with 3 friends, all of us AA females. 2 of us have natural hair. 2 don't. Our white female server immediately complemented me on my big curly afro. She then asked how I cared for it. I didn't mind a quick answer, but throughout the next 90 minutes she continued making comments and asking questions every time she stopped by. It was ridiculous.

I'd love to say that this is unusual, but I answer so many questions about basic being black stuff whenever I socialize with white people. I know some of it is the type of curiosity that could be settled by a simple Google search. It isn't my duty to educate white people about why black people do x y z. Especially since not all black people do, think, believe, love, etc. the same things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes I self-segregate because I find that I can relax more easily in a setting in which I don't have to explain a million little things.
For example, I was having a great time the other night with 3 friends, all of us AA females. 2 of us have natural hair. 2 don't. Our white female server immediately complemented me on my big curly afro. She then asked how I cared for it. I didn't mind a quick answer, but throughout the next 90 minutes she continued making comments and asking questions every time she stopped by. It was ridiculous.

I'd love to say that this is unusual, but I answer so many questions about basic being black stuff whenever I socialize with white people. I know some of it is the type of curiosity that could be settled by a simple Google search. It isn't my duty to educate white people about why black people do x y z. Especially since not all black people do, think, believe, love, etc. the same things.

Why do AA people have to explain themselves to whites or any other race? Do you think white people would subject themselves to this? Or Hispanics? Or Chinese? Best thing African-Americans can do is to smile and just move on. African-Americans owe nothing to anyone. Refer to Google. There is massive information there. It's your job to disseminate fact from fiction. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes I self-segregate because I find that I can relax more easily in a setting in which I don't have to explain a million little things.
For example, I was having a great time the other night with 3 friends, all of us AA females. 2 of us have natural hair. 2 don't. Our white female server immediately complemented me on my big curly afro. She then asked how I cared for it. I didn't mind a quick answer, but throughout the next 90 minutes she continued making comments and asking questions every time she stopped by. It was ridiculous.

I'd love to say that this is unusual, but I answer so many questions about basic being black stuff whenever I socialize with white people. I know some of it is the type of curiosity that could be settled by a simple Google search. It isn't my duty to educate white people about why black people do x y z. Especially since not all black people do, think, believe, love, etc. the same things.

Please, because other races never have this issue. I live in a AA neighborhood and I'm constantly answering questions about my hair. It doesn't mean I segregate myself, but maybe I am more then just my hair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes I self-segregate because I find that I can relax more easily in a setting in which I don't have to explain a million little things.
For example, I was having a great time the other night with 3 friends, all of us AA females. 2 of us have natural hair. 2 don't. Our white female server immediately complemented me on my big curly afro. She then asked how I cared for it. I didn't mind a quick answer, but throughout the next 90 minutes she continued making comments and asking questions every time she stopped by. It was ridiculous.

I'd love to say that this is unusual, but I answer so many questions about basic being black stuff whenever I socialize with white people. I know some of it is the type of curiosity that could be settled by a simple Google search. It isn't my duty to educate white people about why black people do x y z. Especially since not all black people do, think, believe, love, etc. the same things.

Please, because other races never have this issue. I live in a AA neighborhood and I'm constantly answering questions about my hair. It doesn't mean I segregate myself, but maybe I am more then just my hair.

The problem is that I AM more than my hair. I probably answer 1 or 2 questions a day from other AA about my hair and usually it's not ALL the other person can come up with as a topic of conversation over an extended period of time.

I've also been bombarded with questions about college from whites who assumed I went to a HBCU (I didn't) and then, when I correct them, assume my family was either rich (nope, wrong again) or I got a full-ride for athletics (not that either). This just doesn't happen when I'm in an all-AA setting.

[Anonymous]

Give me one reason blacks should hang around white people.

[Anonymous]

Some of these posts on this thread have been very peculiar to me. It's difficult for me to self-segregate because my family and friends resemble the United Colors of Benetton. I couldn't imagine having a segregated life and limiting myself to all that the world has to offer. My house always look like a UN Convention. I will never understand why people self-segregate themselves. There are so many wonderful cultures and people in our world. It's 2014, and people are still living like it's 1914 is very strange to me. WOW, I'm just amazed that a city where the people profess to be so liberal and open-minded that it's really provincial and close-minded. The ghost of south is definitely rooted into the culture of the people in DC.


Signed,

A black woman who has traveled the world and has a diverse group of friends

[Anonymous]

Brown people hang with non-brown people, especially the real ones. Brown people dont always do phony white-speak so easily, and it can be draining by the end of the day

[Anonymous]

Black woman here... I have several white friends and of all of those friends I am their only Black friend. Speaking for myself, I often get tired of the questions about my hair, my children's hair, what I think about various Black issues and the surprise that comes when you reveal something not stereotypical about yourself.

I mentioned that I played a particular sport for a really long time and my white friend said, "OMG. You're so interesting!" Really! Were you that surprised that now all of a sudden I'm interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I genuinely feel if we were to reinstate slavery today most of you would sell me up or down the river.

Lol. This is a sad kind of funny, but I have to agree with PP. maybe that's what it comes down to. I have to wonder if it were legal, would you still try to own me?

+100 to both quotes. I just always think white folks have an ulterior motive. Just don't trust them at all & for some reason I always feel like white people just can't accept the fact that Black aren't what is portrayed on the 6pm news; no matter how much we accomplish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I genuinely feel if we were to reinstate slavery today most of you would sell me up or down the river.

Lol. This is a sad kind of funny, but I have to agree with PP. maybe that's what it comes down to. I have to wonder if it were legal, would you still try to own me?

+100 to both quotes. I just always think white folks have an ulterior motive. Just don't trust them at all & for some reason I always feel like white people just can't accept the fact that Black people aren't what is portrayed on the 6pm news; no matter how much we accomplish.

*people

[Anonymous]

I am white, and I have 4 good black friends. It appears, however, as though each one is my only black friend b/c none of them know each other. So if I have gatherings, usually one will be there b/c each is part of a different circle of friends.

The one time I had a housewarming where they were all invited, none could come. (One lives in NYC.)

I have never asked about hair b/c it's a conversation we all have. (My black pals admire my "natural" hair, which is gray. lol) And as far as colleges are concerned, we all went to different ones - UMCP, UMAB, and a small liberal arts college in VA.

And I don't get why you were surprised that suddenly your white pal found you interesting. Maybe she thought you were interesting all along . . . maybe not. But I don't expect any of my friends to tell me how interesting I am. Why should they? maybe if I found a cure for cancer?

I think you're overreacting, imo.

Anonymous wrote:Black woman here... I have several white friends and of all of those friends I am their only Black friend. Speaking for myself, I often get tired of the questions about my hair, my children's hair, what I think about various Black issues and the surprise that comes when you reveal something not stereotypical about yourself.

I mentioned that I played a particular sport for a really long time and my white friend said, "OMG. You're so interesting!" Really! Were you that surprised that now all of a sudden I'm interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Black people prefer to be with their own people. White people can't do that. It's racist.

+1000

Except that white people do it all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Give me one reason blacks should hang around white people.

Give me one reason whites should hang around black people.