I'm an African American. Ask me anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would you feel uncomfortable walking around in a predominantly black urban neighborhood where people are chillin on their stoops on a weekend day?

No, because I grew up in this type of neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

ManHere wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is going to college and having a college degree akin to having the latest and most expensive basketball shoes, jackets and cell phones for AAs? Is there a sense of entitlement to higher education and it is pursued more because it had been out of reach for many in the past than for educational interest and advancement?

OP Here. College is expensive and hard work. Plus, you sacrifice current earnings by going to college. I think most, if not all people go to college for educational interest and advancement. You have to have access to a lot of money to just go to college for the hell of it.

But you might not care as much if it's not your money--scholarships, grants or financial aid for select groups such as AAs.

Sadly, you've been misinformed. There are scholarships for AAs, just like there are scholarships for many ethnic groups, but we don't all get a free ride, even if we're poor.

[Anonymous]

Are your babies born with blue eyes like caucasian babies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you eat and enjoy chitlins, fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, cow tongue and/or pigs feet?

LOVE chitlins but haven't had them in years. The relatives that used to make them no longer eat pork and I don't know how to cook them. Sigh...... Never had chicken and dumplings. Cow tongue or pigs feet: Hell to the naw! Fried chicken? Who doesn't love fried chicken?

Anonymous wrote:Do you tend to correct others when they mispronounce a word or make grammatical errors or do you let it slide?

Like OP, mainly with kids. Will correct adults if we're relatives and/or really close friends.

Anonymous wrote:If you have a car, what kind is it? Do you dress down? I notice many AAs tend to dress fashionably.

We're a family of 6, so we drive a Chrysler Pacifica (POS that it is). Past cars were Honda Accords and a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

re: dress. I love to look nice. I'm not really into brand names, but I like quality. I think I dress fashionably; I love looking good and I dress to embrace my curves. I tend to wear clothes that are form-fitting. While I will "dress down", it's usually nothing worse than jeans and ballet shoes with a slinky sweater. I don't go out in sweats or looking "frumpy".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would you feel uncomfortable walking around in a predominantly black urban neighborhood where people are chillin on their stoops on a weekend day?

I'm assuming you mean development housing neighborhoods. The answer is it depends. I grew up in SE, DC so I'm pretty street smart. I usually can get a "feel" for a neighborhood and can tell if something might be about to jump off. If it's during the day, I'm usually uncomfortable. At night? I'm definitely on alert. I will say that if I walk past guys on a stoop, the most I worry about is one of them trying to holler...which is a whole 'nother type of annoyance.

I don't really like to be outside at night unless it's in a crowded area. I don't even walk around my Upper Marlboro area at night (afraid of a psycho serial killer/rapist, deer, etc). I'm usually a scaredy-cat being outside at night if it looks pretty empty, whether it's the projects or the suburbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you know uppity AAs? What makes them so?

Don't like the term "uppity". Implies that we're acting above our "station". Do I know some conceited, arrogant, hoity-toity AAs? Sure. I know some of these types in many races.

-AA female

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are your babies born with blue eyes like caucasian babies?

None of my children had blue eyes. That probably would've freaked me out! LOL

-AA female

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, makes complete sense. And thanks for responding (the other pps too, thanks). FWIW, we all have lunch together and often get into some major heated political debates. It looks like we all enjoy it and get something from it - but there does seem to be a lot of "holding back" or not as much of a robust debate when some black leaders are brought up - which is why I asked. But you make a lot of sense and I didn't think of it that way. Thanks.

New poster here. I'm having flashbacks of these "debates" at work. Usually the same person that likes to say that Al Sharpton speaks for all black people and tries to put me in a position to defend Al Sharpton's actions is the same person that likes to stir the pot and quote Rush Limbaugh. I don't know what annoys me more, that people sharing the same race as Rush Limbaugh are not automatically assumed to have to defend "their leader" or that it would be perfectly acceptable to say that you see Rush Limbaughs point about x and be part of a pretty decent size group and somewhat accepted in mainstream (at a minimum on Fox News) but if I say, well Jesse or Al Sharpton has a point about x, ohhhhhh, people are wondering if I'm a secret member of The Black Panthers or in some way will see me differently than they did before the conversation began. There isn't a lot of upside to where it will go, so usually in these situations I try not to engage.

[Anonymous]

this likely was already asked, but why are AA so offended by being called "articulate"? I would love it if someone told that to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are your babies born with blue eyes like caucasian babies?

None of my children had blue eyes. That probably would've freaked me out! LOL

-AA female

But bi-racial AAs have green and hazel eyes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:this likely was already asked, but why are AA so offended by being called "articulate"? I would love it if someone told that to me.

Probably because of the stereotype of speaking ebonics and the assumption that an articulate AA is an anomaly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are your babies born with blue eyes like caucasian babies?

Yes, some are. I had one born with brown and her eyes stayed brown. One born with blue and hers stayed blue/gray. My cousin also has a daughter with blue eyes that stayed blue.

Yes, we are African American.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are your babies born with blue eyes like caucasian babies?

Nope. And not all white babies have blue eyes either. --Postpartum nurse poster

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are your babies born with blue eyes like caucasian babies?

None of my children had blue eyes. That probably would've freaked me out! LOL

-AA female

But bi-racial AAs have green and hazel eyes.

Not all of them! Have you seen the President's eyes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:this likely was already asked, but why are AA so offended by being called "articulate"? I would love it if someone told that to me.

Here is a good explanation written by Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/01/AR2007020101495.html