Since it is black history month... man do I hate black history month.. I decided to write an article for the OU Daily (Univeristy of Oklahoma Newspaper). The title of my article is "The Black Sell Out: The Embracement of the Nigga Culture"


Just want your comments on the topic of the article.

Also for those white american peoples. Do you feel as a white person you have a culture that isnt tied to you being Irish, french... etc. That is solely white. And do you feel that there is an American culture that encompasses both white and black people and such.

Explain your topic more.

The nigga culture is the embracement of all these negative ideas about black people (Being late for work, calling women bitches and ho's((cause you arent talking about all women)), being a thug.. etc) and the ideal that it is okay to do these things becuase its 'black culture' and thats just what we do. The idea of the article is that those who embrace the nigga culture are the uncle tom's of today.

There was a special on that subject on a "black" radio station here in Omaha over Rosa Parks day. The thrust of the message is that it's a sort of recurring cycle. Wealth made in that culture is usually put into jewelry, cars, and consumables, not resellable housing or savings for your children's education. Social networking tends to be very insular: you don't ask the middle class for help, you don't go out to eat with them, you don't invite them into your inner circle. Even the charitable groups that come from traditionally black neighborhoods in the inner cities exclude whites and seem to invest more time in making their name known than actually, you know, fixing problems. As a result, the "outsiders" view them with distrust. It's not so much racism as it is a reaction to their mannerisms. If you dress or talk like someone who's part of that subculture, you're likely to be passed by in a job interview. On the other hand, I had an African-American friend in high school who was so well dressed and well spoken that I barely noticed her skin color didn't match mine until she talked about her experience with a real racist. In addition, we have a large group of Sudanese refugees here in Omaha. There's no mistaking them as part of our culture, but they do quite well for themselves simply because they don't associate with that subculture.

...I had a second point to make, but between amalgamating, novices, and some griping, I forgot what it was.

God, I really hate people who think like this, who think that's what black people are all about. This includes racist whites, and black people who think they're all about that. Every human being has potential to do just what the others do, to be successful, to start a family, to enjoy life, etc. I just hate stereotypes, and the fact that some peolpe think that's all some other peolpe will amount to.

I know an absolutely wonderful guy here at work who's black. He's an awesome guy, very educated, doesn't use slang, and is an all around neat person. He's not a thug, he doesn't trash women, etc etc. He's built himself a life, and a family, and has a future invested.

On a side note, you all realize that if we had white history month, white pride marches, white only scholarships, or white entertainment television, we'd be labeled racists? That's all a load of bull.

Good luck with the essay, dispell those sterotypes, and inform the public.

Black scholarships, and black schools originate from a time when black people were not allowed to go to the same schools. The black schools that are around today are those that have been around since that time, and they do not exclude people who are not black, that is just what it is traditionally.

I don't know.. I'd have to see the article to see how you decided to put things. I wrote something like this on my Myspace blog, but it was more along the lines of me expressing my anger towards those who embrace that ignorant side (Whether they're black, white, whatever.).

Now you have me thinking about it though. In my rant I blamed the media (Mostly the entertainment industry) on the ignorance of today's youth, but also I blamed it on those people who lack dreams and ambitions for the drive they need to not only survive in the world, but be a success in it. However, you have me thinking about past cultural stuff about our race and how some of the same issues are surfacing in this generation. I think if you're to have a good article about this you should tie in "yesterday's issues and today's issues" to show people how things haven't changed in terms of nigga (since it's already been said! ) behavior to really make people think.

I agree with what Richter said about how everyone has the same opportunities as everyone else, despite race, and I really think people should take their heads out of their ass and start pursuing their goals and dreams instead of putting that mental handicap on.

I'd like to write more, but I'd lose focus and start ranting about things that haven't even been brought up yet.

"The nigga culture is the embracement of all these negative ideas about black people (Being late for work, calling women bitches and ho's((cause you arent talking about all women)), being a thug.. etc) and the ideal that it is okay to do these things becuase its 'black culture' and thats just what we do. The idea of the article is that those who embrace the nigga culture are the uncle tom's of today."

African Americans, I will not say Black, etc because I find that to be horribly rude, who do such things Sterotype themselves. When, in reality, should not! Why? Because people who do that, what you say, are idiotic to me. And I believe that it is not right to do these things simply because its "black culture." This is degrading what Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, all of those African Americand DIED for. What good is it to sterotype yourself by doing this??

I'm Caucasian, is that how its spelled?, and I know several people who are African American. A couple have been acused of being "white" which is complete and utter BULL. They are acting proper and not idiotic. Saying Nigga, Niger, etc. is down right wrong. These are derogatory terms, not good things! Why use these horrible terms??

Why embrace the negative, when you should be showing the positive.

The sad thing is people aren't willingly embracing the negative, but in actuality that's how they were raised. I've gone to school in various parts of the US, but until I moved to Washington D.C./Maryland I've never seen such ignorant behavior which can be only labelled as Nyla did because that's how these people act. People who don't care about their future, how they're perceived, what they do in life or who it affects. People who... well, it's best I avoid getting into that particular topic.

Do I find such words as "nigga" / "nigger" offensive as an African American when heard? No, but that's only because I don't fall into that stereotype, nor does it bring shock-value to me due to where I've gone to High School and have seen the things I've seen. Does it make it right to be said despite those things? No, not really, but I think if the Black (or African American, whatever you prefer) community were in better condition it would raise more of a stir on a racial level. Truth be told, this generation of African Americans doesn't really give a damn due to the culture they surround themselves in and the few African Americans who have made it far enough tend to stick to their own circle of peers, and allow this recurrence to happen.

Things like race, color, creed are all baseless in the world today. Anyone can be a "nigga," as Nyla put it, just as anyone can sell drugs, commit crime, and just prove themselves worthless. To me it goes beyond Black culture and more towards whoever takes it upon themselves to embrace it, whether they know it or not.

As for why people stereotype themselves... it's just the way people were raised and how they act, or so it seems from the people I went to school with in my last years in D.C. (Military brat so I moved around a lot). It's really something I can't explain, but through experiencing it I've just found it as something people need to break out of on their own. Is it a cultural epidemic? Sure is, but no one can feed you dreams and the desire to do something with your life, and run toward it despite all difficulty to eventually break away from the labels of society.

Some people are just afraid to reach for the stars, I guess.

Its called American/World History and English class and CBS



The example given is that there are four people. And for the purposes of this example eating chitterlings will be black culture. Person A eats chitterlings because they taste good. Person B eats them because he feels it is the black thing to do. Person C doesnt eat them because he is told by THE MAN that they are gross. Person D doesnt eat them cause well.. they are nasty... really f-ing nasty... ugh.


Person B would be the definition of a person who embrace's the nigga culture.

The only problem with the whole argument lies in the 'white male standard' When a person is perceived as doing well they are judged by that standard

Not all 'black' people are African American :\\

Right, but I think the majority of them in the U.S. are. I mean, when's the last time an American has met someone who's actually from Africa (or did you mean East Indian? They're pretty dark too)? I think he was correct, within his own context.

I meet africans all the time.

Not all 'Africans' Are black..

I know more African Americans who are white, than those that are black. Becuase I don't know any black people who immigrated here directly from Africa. I also don't know any 3rd or 4th generation German immigrants who call themselves German Americans.


edit: Oh and Nyla, your Avatar is perfect for this thread. I just watched my first episode of Boondoks last night where they tried to Kidnap Oprah... Great show!

I love you, Richter. You are one of those hip white guys who thinks he can tell someone who is black what being black is like and such. You also pull out that African comment as if all Africans are black...

Ooh, What do you call a black man who moves to the U.S. from England?

An English American? And what do you call a Black man who lives in Europe.. Surely not an African American.

Cute.

If a black man and black woman move to the U.S. from England their children will be considered African American...


P.S. I hate being called African American...

It shouldn't though..

All my south african friends want to get grants and scholarships for being 'african american'.. and get upset when they get told that would be fraud.

Being African American has nothing to do with where you come from.. it is all about your facial features/colour of your skin type thing.... see Charlize Theron SNL skit