Why do black people self-segregate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll be honest. I find it difficult to relate to and to fully trust white people. I feel like I have to watch my every word around you, lest I be judged or bring down judgement on my entire race. When a white person does something foolish, they represent no one but themselves. When a black person does something foolish, its attributed to the whole race, because there are usually only a few of us. I have a bad day and I a black woman with an attitude. I make a grammatical error, and I speak ebonics. I wear a shirt with a bold print, its ghetto fab. I wear my natural hair down, its unprofessional.

When I'm around white people, I feel like I'm on stage. In my free time, I want to be comfortable and myself, so my close friends tend to be other minorities, or white people that I've known for a long time and have made clear that they accept and understand me.

This makes a lot of sense to me, OP. Take this pp's post to heart.

As a white woman, I rarely know how this feels. I do remember one day going to a supermarket on Sunday in NE (before gentrification) to pick up a couple of things while I was in the neighborhood. I was the only white person there (except for one white store clerk). I did my usual rushing through the store and then realized I needed to slow down among the Sunday shoppers in their church clothes. Because that morning I wouldn't be seen just as a person in a hurry, or a pushy person, but as that pushy WHITE person. That was the first time I really grasped the experience of black people who are constantly seen as representatives of their race. It was humbling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
"Predominantly white spaces can be exhausting to navigate. I have to consciously be aware of what I am saying, of who is around me, of what I am wearing, of what I am doing, of what others are saying and doing. In critical ways, I cannot let my guard down for a moment. Because -- and even as I write this I recognize how paranoid this may sound to people unfamiliar with the experiences I refer to -- at any point I may be forced to defend myself, defend my presence.

In stark contrast, when I am at home, or at my wife’s church, or with my fraternity brothers, or at the club listening to house music, I am at home. I am not a statistic. Not a threat. Not an outsider. Not an anomaly. I am safe to “be.” I can be the “representative for the race.” I can be the one black person in the room. But I don’t have to be. . . . I can, in those spaces, breathe. "

Lester K. Spence-Assistant professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University.

Thanks for posting, pp! Very nice explanation.

[Anonymous]

It's SES for the most part.

We live in a section of Mo Co that's mostly white. People around us make good money. We are the poor folks on the block!

Now, I'll say that there's a very wealthy neighborhood about 6 miles down the road that mainly upper class minorities. It's a well known spot. So there is self-segregation on both sides - but it's also by SES, as many of the wealthy minorities (we know three families in that area who could buy us out 3 times over) would never think of moving to an area where people weren't "professionals" who send their kids to private.

Anonymous wrote:

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:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like I said, don't care what you think, PP.

Yes, you do - or else you wouldn't have posted twice.

You need serious help. Get some before your insecurity rubs off on your kids.

It's me again-- AA mom and professional. Clutch the pearls -- why can't y'all just process that some black folks just aren't into you? You want to write off black people who don't care about you as insecure and needing help, which I find comical. It's because I or someone else just don't care. It's that simple. Let that think into your self-centered head.

+1

[Anonymous]

why are black politicians so corrupt?

yes, I know there are a lot of crooked politicians of all stripes, but it seems that almost all of the black politicians get taken down eventually. why is that? why does it attract the bad apples?

[Anonymous]

White man robs a liquor store with a sawed-off shotgun it may raise a minor stir and people say, "Eh...look out for him."
Black man picks up a nickel off the sidewalk its an all points bulletin and people are screaming, "Get that n#gger!!"

Same in politics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:why are black politicians so corrupt?

yes, I know there are a lot of crooked politicians of all stripes, but it seems that almost all of the black politicians get taken down eventually. why is that? why does it attract the bad apples?

And corrupt white politicians don't exist. I remembered one not so long ago that lead this country into war.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

+1

Black woman here who that agrees with the both of you.

I have very close white friends (20 year friendships) and they've never asked me questions about my hair. However, I do think that people who didn't grow up with a diverse group of friends tend to have misconceptions about an individual base solely on race. Some people refuse to get to know an individual person. They tend to approach people base on their own biases. For instance, most black people assume that because I'm black that I'm religious when in fact I'm Agnostic. That's why it's best to get to know an individual and not assume that every black, white, etc. person that you encounter is a representation of their entire race. That's why I prefer to deal with people who have a diverse group of friends, are cultured, world traveled, and those who can accept me as an individual and not try to characterized me or other races into some stereotypical box. Unfortunately, individuals with cultural biases come in all races. DC could really benefit from some type of inter-cultural and multiracial alliance organization which promotes diversity and focuses on bringing people together in this city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:why are black politicians so corrupt?

yes, I know there are a lot of crooked politicians of all stripes, but it seems that almost all of the black politicians get taken down eventually. why is that? why does it attract the bad apples?

And corrupt white politicians don't exist. I remembered one not so long ago that lead this country into war. [/quote

Pres Bush certainly was not corrupt

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
"Predominantly white spaces can be exhausting to navigate. I have to consciously be aware of what I am saying, of who is around me, of what I am wearing, of what I am doing, of what others are saying and doing. In critical ways, I cannot let my guard down for a moment. Because -- and even as I write this I recognize how paranoid this may sound to people unfamiliar with the experiences I refer to -- at any point I may be forced to defend myself, defend my presence.

In stark contrast, when I am at home, or at my wife’s church, or with my fraternity brothers, or at the club listening to house music, I am at home. I am not a statistic. Not a threat. Not an outsider. Not an anomaly. I am safe to “be.” I can be the “representative for the race.” I can be the one black person in the room. But I don’t have to be. . . . I can, in those spaces, breathe. "

Lester K. Spence-Assistant professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University.

Thanks for posting, pp! Very nice explanation.

I am a white person. I feel like this simply by being out in public. All of us do. It is natural to feel more relaxed among your friends and your family. It has nothing to do with race, in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
"Predominantly white spaces can be exhausting to navigate. I have to consciously be aware of what I am saying, of who is around me, of what I am wearing, of what I am doing, of what others are saying and doing. In critical ways, I cannot let my guard down for a moment. Because -- and even as I write this I recognize how paranoid this may sound to people unfamiliar with the experiences I refer to -- at any point I may be forced to defend myself, defend my presence.

In stark contrast, when I am at home, or at my wife’s church, or with my fraternity brothers, or at the club listening to house music, I am at home. I am not a statistic. Not a threat. Not an outsider. Not an anomaly. I am safe to “be.” I can be the “representative for the race.” I can be the one black person in the room. But I don’t have to be. . . . I can, in those spaces, breathe. "

Lester K. Spence-Assistant professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University.

Thanks for posting, pp! Very nice explanation.

I am a white person. I feel like this simply by being out in public. All of us do. It is natural to feel more relaxed among your friends and your family. It has nothing to do with race, in my opinion.

+1. Exactly. It wouldnt be a bad idea for the assistant professor above to conduct some serious research to identify some good insights rather than talking blah blah--no matter how poetic-sounding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:why are black politicians so corrupt?

yes, I know there are a lot of crooked politicians of all stripes, but it seems that almost all of the black politicians get taken down eventually. why is that? why does it attract the bad apples?

And corrupt white politicians don't exist. I remembered one not so long ago that lead this country into war. [/quote

Pres Bush certainly was not corrupt

You're right. Corruption implies some sort of low-level crime that probably doesn't impact the lives of many, although it damages the fabric of whatever level it touches. Bush was guilty of war crimes by virtue of lying us into war. That goes way beyond corruption. But this is way off the topic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
"Predominantly white spaces can be exhausting to navigate. I have to consciously be aware of what I am saying, of who is around me, of what I am wearing, of what I am doing, of what others are saying and doing. In critical ways, I cannot let my guard down for a moment. Because -- and even as I write this I recognize how paranoid this may sound to people unfamiliar with the experiences I refer to -- at any point I may be forced to defend myself, defend my presence.

In stark contrast, when I am at home, or at my wife’s church, or with my fraternity brothers, or at the club listening to house music, I am at home. I am not a statistic. Not a threat. Not an outsider. Not an anomaly. I am safe to “be.” I can be the “representative for the race.” I can be the one black person in the room. But I don’t have to be. . . . I can, in those spaces, breathe. "

Lester K. Spence-Assistant professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University.

Thanks for posting, pp! Very nice explanation.

I am a white person. I feel like this simply by being out in public. All of us do. It is natural to feel more relaxed among your friends and your family. It has nothing to do with race, in my opinion.

And of course your experience invalidates his. How insightful of you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:why are black politicians so corrupt?

yes, I know there are a lot of crooked politicians of all stripes, but it seems that almost all of the black politicians get taken down eventually. why is that? why does it attract the bad apples?

You know all black politicians?
You cannot be that myopic!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Black people don't like white people.

Black people don't TRUST white people.