I'm an African American. Ask me anything.

[Anonymous]

What are your thoughts on aggressive AAs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should specify in your thread title whether you are a woman or a man.

How much time/effort/money do you spend on dressing and grooming yourself? I find that most of the black men I have known or met are very metro.

Man 43. I was more like what you describe in my 20s except "metro" wasn't invented yet. Now just a suit for work and sweats at home. Jeans for casual wear. Pretty basic.

[Anonymous]

I am white and grew up in the south. I went to a school that was 98% black from elementary through high school. Almost all of my friends were black growing up. It was... strangely... my culture. But I could never imitate it, which was a strange dynamic. Anyway, with the exception of Facebook where I am still friends with them, since moving to DC I have had a really hard time making friends with black peers. I have several and I love them, but I am kind of kept at arm's length.

Is the fact that I'm white just going to forever mean that I will be an outsider? Or have I just not found the right friends? What I'm asking is, is it the fact that I'm white or the fact that I just haven't found people that I have enough in common with?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am white and grew up in the south. I went to a school that was 98% black from elementary through high school. Almost all of my friends were black growing up. It was... strangely... my culture. But I could never imitate it, which was a strange dynamic. Anyway, with the exception of Facebook where I am still friends with them, since moving to DC I have had a really hard time making friends with black peers. I have several and I love them, but I am kind of kept at arm's length.

Is the fact that I'm white just going to forever mean that I will be an outsider? Or have I just not found the right friends? What I'm asking is, is it the fact that I'm white or the fact that I just haven't found people that I have enough in common with?

You'll never be as close to new friends as you were with the people you grew up with. Yes, race probably plays a factor in that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are your thoughts on aggressive AAs?

Same as my thoughts on aggressive whites, Asians, etc. They are aggressive and need help. I try to avoid them all.

[Anonymous]

OP here, just asked DW what mumbo sauce is. She looked at me like I was crazy and said its that shit they put on chicken wings in DC. You learn something every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What type of environment did you grow up in? Neighborhood?

Not OP, but another Black poster This is a funny question, but I think that many ppl believe that all AA/Black ppl grow up in the inner city. I grew up in an upper middle class neighborhood in the South. I had many other upper middle class families of color - Black and Asian - in my community.

[Anonymous]

Do black people always say hi (or another greeting, even a nod) to every black person they pass by? It seems like whenever I'm walking with an AA friend or colleague they do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do black people always say hi (or another greeting, even a nod) to every black person they pass by? It seems like whenever I'm walking with an AA friend or colleague they do this.

OP here, pretty much yes. Don't be "that guy" who doesn't speak.

[Anonymous]

What are the best and worst things about being AA?

[Anonymous]

Do you know how to swim? Do you know many AAs who participated in lacrosse, golf, tennis, crew, etc? Do you have problems with ingrown facial hair?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are the best and worst things about being AA?

I never actually thought about that one. There are some best and worst things about being me but I don't really attribute them to my race.

[Anonymous]

Do you have children? If so, do you talk differently with them about race than your parents did with you?

[Anonymous]

Do Black men struggle with the skin color divide as much as Black women?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you know how to swim? Do you know many AAs who participated in lacrosse, golf, tennis, crew, etc? Do you have problems with ingrown facial hair?

Swim team in high school. Lax wasn't big in the Midwest. Played lots of golf and tennis until 2 years ago (fatherhood). I respect the shit out of rowers. Also played basket, foot, and baseball growing up.