BlackMasterJay said:
I believe while most young black guys will agree with me here, i want to hear the opinions of white women in this.....and what you think of the fact that young black males, regardless as to how good(or bad) looking we are, will always receive the "fright at first sight" type reaction from you guys. You could be an unattractive white man, or asian ,or east indian and nobody will care-let alone give you a reaction remotely similar to the shit we go through. And people think we should maintain a smile and think everything is cool??...What ive observed is that most asian men, while being some what articulate and mathematically gifted, hardly ever get any type of response from women. A good looking asian guy will at best get a second look, but I doubt a woman would consider him as a "bangable material" but that’s just me… And an unattractive asian guy will just get ignored to the point of being a non entity. And thats not reclusive to asian men...because similar shit happens to Indian guys, and some white guys... But try for a day or two to be a good-looking(or bad looking) young black man and watch as how ppl literally go out of their way to confirm how much/or little they like you.
I live in Toronto, one of the most interracial capitals out there, and I see that shit so frequently that ive become immune to it. Its not that I give a fuck or anything, but when you see people literally jump side walks at the sight of young black males(and only black males), you begin to contemplate whether you are truly seen as a human being after all. Its like we cant do anything right in this society. Damned if you do, and fucked if you don’t type deal as they dispise you if you make money, and hate you if you dont. loath you if you look good, and hate you if you dont
Its funny cuz you may be walking thru the mall, and a group of white dudes will give you the "fear the black man" type reaction(as if you are the grinch that stole christmass…lol)…but then as you walk further down the hall a group of young sexie broads start checking you out like no other
it aint easy being young ,black, and not giving a fuck
Hi, long time listener, long time caller.
I was going to reply, but then I thought about it some.
I know the negative interaction you are describing. I would go a step farther and point out the split second face that some people have. In one second a persons face can go from calm to twisted depicting an amalgalm of fear and contempt. It will usually disappear as quickly as it appeared.
I've taken many stances to how to deal with and explain this. I do not let it get me down, and I am one to keep my eyes level, shoulders straight and back aligned when I walk, so most of the time I am able to look at people right into their eyes. But, I find that I would rather look through people than at them. Why do I do this? For one, the negative look is a constant but the bigger picture/idea is that adulthood wears on many many people. I would wager that most adults are unhappy and afraid people. Most of the time(I speculate) what we see when we look at people is a mixture of pain, fear, discomfort, anger because they are locked in some introspective hell.
I think you can drive yourself very very mad if you pay attention. We want to see what we want to see. But, I do not deny that a racist attitude is within the people I am addressing. How can you ever be so sure that the negative look you see is what it really is?
It's a split. Part of me wholly believes that black people are constantly depicted in negative fashion in mainstream media. However, I also think that we have a disproportionate amount of poor blacks to non poor blacks. I also think in our "modern"(re: contemporary) world many people rely on media sources to create identity. So, what happens is this: You have whites that believe that they are the norm(ie, the rule for which all things must be measured) and a created conflict where an awareness of America's history with blacks clashes with negative stereotypes propagated in media sources and real life. What I'm really trying to say is this; I think a fair amount of white America believes what it is shown on television, although this represents a fraction of the reality of black America, unfortunately black people do not have the freedom to exists as "individuals" apart from the dealings of others. So, You are are You at the mall, an elevator, a library but they do not see You(notice the emphasis on You to underscore the individual) they only see you, the representative of all images.
It's simple semiotics. Semiotics, or the study of symbols and signs could provide a lot of insight into this.
ALSO
Mainstream media sources affect blacks in that impoverished(poor) and non have a fabricated sense of "blackness". This sense of "blackness" makes it possible to have someone like Cam'ron talk about his attitude towards snitching(alerting the police to specific criminal activity if you are a witness) without anybody batting an eye while many get upset about the comments of Bill Cosby. This sense of "blackness" also make it possible for a white or black person to make overt/ignorant statements about the authentic "blackness" of a succesful African American. (re: Condi, Wayne Brady, Colin, etc)
What I'm plainly trying to say is this: We have lost absolute control over the black image(not to say that we ever really did in the first place), what we have now are charactures of people. Simple sketches, created to deliver reduced tidbits of humanity. This is not just limited to black America, this is a wide problem for all. I do not deny the situation in America, but I honestly feel that the images we see are actual negative cultural artifacts, cultural junk. Like McDonalds, or KFC these negative images present a narrow view of reality.
Analogy: A friend once told me: "In Philly, in the 80's you would see cats on the block day and night, but for the most part they cared about the block. One in a group if they were at a house would always have a broom present. They would sweep up if things got dirty. Now you dont see it anymore, if it gets dirty, it stays dirty. Cats these days dont care about much"
I dont mean to be a zealous media hater, but I think it has power. I think for the original poster, a bit of reading should be in order.
I recommend reading the book "BLINK" it will perhaps provide a different outlook to things.
