I am a white woman. Ask me anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:did you or will you allow your child to cry it out?

have you ever clutched your purse in fear of a black person? crossed the street to get away from a black man?

Another non-OP white woman.

Yes, used CIO, and it worked great.

I've clutched my purse in fear of a black person. I've also clutched my purse in fear of a white person. It depends more on the context -- if I'm on the metro and it's late at night, and the car's pretty empty, and someone is making the back of my neck prickle (almost always a young male with aggressive body language), I'm going to clutch my purse. Race really doesn't enter into my calculus, or if it does, I'm not aware of it, and I make a real effort to try to be aware of it. I'd estimate that I've "clutched my purse" in response to Caucasian males more often than AA males.

I've never crossed the street to get away from a black man. I've crossed the street to get away from a white man.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:did you or will you allow your child to cry it out?

have you ever clutched your purse in fear of a black person? crossed the street to get away from a black man?

Another non-OP white woman.

Yes, used CIO, and it worked great.

I've clutched my purse in fear of a black person. I've also clutched my purse in fear of a white person. It depends more on the context -- if I'm on the metro and it's late at night, and the car's pretty empty, and someone is making the back of my neck prickle (almost always a young male with aggressive body language), I'm going to clutch my purse. Race really doesn't enter into my calculus, or if it does, I'm not aware of it, and I make a real effort to try to be aware of it. I'd estimate that I've "clutched my purse" in response to Caucasian males more often than AA males.

I've never crossed the street to get away from a black man. I've crossed the street to get away from a white man.

I agree with this - I have clutched my purse/crossed the street etc. based on context, not race. And I would agree I've been nervous/scared around many caucasian males - probably more times than AA males.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:did you or will you allow your child to cry it out?

have you ever clutched your purse in fear of a black person? crossed the street to get away from a black man?

Another non-OP white woman.

Yes, used CIO, and it worked great.

I've clutched my purse in fear of a black person. I've also clutched my purse in fear of a white person. It depends more on the context -- if I'm on the metro and it's late at night, and the car's pretty empty, and someone is making the back of my neck prickle (almost always a young male with aggressive body language), I'm going to clutch my purse. Race really doesn't enter into my calculus, or if it does, I'm not aware of it, and I make a real effort to try to be aware of it. I'd estimate that I've "clutched my purse" in response to Caucasian males more often than AA males.

I've never crossed the street to get away from a black man. I've crossed the street to get away from a white man.

I agree with this - I have clutched my purse/crossed the street etc. based on context, not race. And I would agree I've been nervous/scared around many caucasian males - probably more times than AA males.

I live on Capitol Hill, and if I'm walking down a sparsely populated street, and three AA teenagers are coming the other way, you're damned right I'm going to cross the street. There's sporadic juvenile crime in my neighborhood, and sadly, that's what it looks like.

[Anonymous]

Do you wear underwear? If not, why? Especially if you're wearing a skirt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you wear underwear? If not, why? Especially if you're wearing a skirt.

Or under pantyhose? If you wear pantyhose, do you not wear underwear?

[Anonymous]

Why do some white women end every statement with the inflection of a question? I notice it more in younger white women ... is it just insecurity? Older white women (mid-30s and above), does it bother you as much as it bothers me?

[Anonymous]

Why do white women idealize the (generally unattainable) super-thin model body type seen in the media when men routinely say they prefer a woman with more curves?

[Anonymous]

Do you think makeup is essential for white women? If so, why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you wear underwear? If not, why? Especially if you're wearing a skirt.

Always. I would never not wear underwear under a skirt, ew.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you wear underwear? If not, why? Especially if you're wearing a skirt.

Or under pantyhose? If you wear pantyhose, do you not wear underwear?

I prefer to wear underwear with pantyhose. If not, the synthetic fiber of the hose is right up my crotch and I can't stand that so I put on my underwear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do some white women end every statement with the inflection of a question? I notice it more in younger white women ... is it just insecurity? Older white women (mid-30s and above), does it bother you as much as it bothers me?

I can't say I've noticed this. There are times when someone is in an uncertain situation, mostly in a professional environment, when this might occur, but I haven't noticed it consistently. I will be on the watch for it now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do white women idealize the (generally unattainable) super-thin model body type seen in the media when men routinely say they prefer a woman with more curves?

I will never be this "ideal" thin that you see in magazine, the media. I have curves, more than I really need and I'm working on that, but it isn't in my body type to be stick thin with B cup breasts. I personally have never idealized this because none of the influential women in my life fit this mold. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to be one of those girls when I was in HS but I got over that pretty quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you think makeup is essential for white women? If so, why?

No, not all women. I often leave the house with no makeup but only if I'm going to the gym or running an errand to the store or the like. I try to at least put on some lib balm and mascara but don't stress if I don't. I do, however, always wear makeup to work. I know many women with stunning skin that need no makeup.

[Anonymous]

Where did you learn to smile so well when you are really pissed off? Are you ever afraid of poverty? On the job, do you know that many black women are really suspicious of what you are going to get up to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where did you learn to smile so well when you are really pissed off? Are you ever afraid of poverty? On the job, do you know that many black women are really suspicious of what you are going to get up to?

AA female here. Poster, please speak for yourself. I truly have no idea of what you are suspicious of ("going to get up to?" what does this mean?)