What Does It Mean to Be Black?
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Amotekun
Members Posts: 7,820 ✭✭✭✭✭
Something I've been thinking about for a minute.
What does it mean to be labeled Black?
Most people in the world identify themselves with their nation. I'm Mexican, I'm Nigerian, I'm Indian, I'm Australian. Even Africans identify with nation: I'm Ghanian, Somalian, Moroccan, Ugandan, etc... Why is it common that we identify ourselves with this one color? Most Black people I know range anywhere from really light skinned to very dark. The color range of 'Black' people could fill a whole box of Crayola 64 with Dro being on the bottom right hand side all the way at the end.
I got a lot of thoughts on it, but I wanna hear what what de bredren think about the matter.
What does it mean to be labeled Black?
Most people in the world identify themselves with their nation. I'm Mexican, I'm Nigerian, I'm Indian, I'm Australian. Even Africans identify with nation: I'm Ghanian, Somalian, Moroccan, Ugandan, etc... Why is it common that we identify ourselves with this one color? Most Black people I know range anywhere from really light skinned to very dark. The color range of 'Black' people could fill a whole box of Crayola 64 with Dro being on the bottom right hand side all the way at the end.
I got a lot of thoughts on it, but I wanna hear what what de bredren think about the matter.
Comments
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Relate to The Chronic
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To have recent (as in post "early dispersal") Sub-Saharan African ancestry.
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I'm a ?
She's a ?
He's a ?
We's some ?
Don't you wanna be a ? too??? -
Being "Black" basically means a lack of self identity. Thats why our ethnic identity has been reduced to being labeled by our actual skin color.
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PublicEnemigo1 wrote:Something I've been thinking about for a minute.
What does it mean to be labeled Black?
Most people in the world identify themselves with their nation. I'm Mexican, I'm Nigerian, I'm Indian, I'm Australian. Even Africans identify with nation: I'm Ghanian, Somalian, Moroccan, Ugandan, etc... Why is it common that we identify ourselves with this one color? Most Black people I know range anywhere from really light skinned to very dark. The color range of 'Black' people could fill a whole box of Crayola 64 with Dro being on the bottom right hand side all the way at the end.
I got a lot of thoughts on it, but I wanna hear what what de bredren think about the matter.
You're looking too deep into it .. it's just another label. & most Africans don't identify with their 'countries'. they identify with their tribes / clans / -
Just a color of skin.
Then you have black people who are from particular regions - as in Black American, Black Britain, etc... -
It means mental slavery was successful.
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Being black is like being any other culture really where people and all people do good&bad thing smart&dumb ? ...now there is a difference between black&a ? ...the word ? has changed now anybody can be a ? ...theres white,mexican&indian ? ....? are people who decide 2b ignorant on purpose refusing 2 try and achieve greatness yet there always ready 2do or endorse something dumb or crazy thats destructive 2 themselves or someone else but no matter who or what color u are we all have our ? moments.....although black people are still the only ones who can say ? ...damn im all of topic i think i just made a thread within a thread INCEPTION lol
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I think with all the range of colors of Black people the term has more to do with social and economic status denoted by African ancestry than anything else.
I mean Black is often used in juxtaposition to White and it's usually in America or Britain or anyplace predominantly European where Blacks make up a minority to whites.
I know most of you heard the whole look up black in a dictionary and you see it's affiliated with everything negative while on the opposite side white is affiliated with everything good and pure.
If you took the average White and Black person, we don't resemble these labels. White people often are pink or red in hue and Black people due to interracial breeding range anywhere from fair skin to deep dark brown to wesley snipes.
However the range of colors Europeans are treated as the personification of white while African people are treated and regarded as the personification of black.
I think language plays an important part. While being robbed of our native tongues from whatever tribe we come from, we were forced to learn an oppressor's language and to also to be defined within this language.
if we look in an African dictionary do the words black and white carry the same connotations as in an English dictionary? -
Being "Black" basically means a lack of self identity. Thats why our ethnic identity has been reduced to being labeled by our actual skin color.
i wish i could click both cosign and nosign to this ? .
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Truthfully, no disrespect....but I'm kind of tired of these race-related self-reflective type threads....
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EducatedForSumReason wrote: »Truthfully, no disrespect....but I'm kind of tired of these race-related self-reflective type threads....
So why did you come in? -
Is this thread about ethnic identification, or the characteristics ascribed to color?
Cause you all over the place with this ? ? . -
I'm not all over the place but there is a realization that people who self identify ascribe characteristics to their ethnicity.
As black people we have been robbed of our native ethnicity and prescribed numerous identities by our oppressors all with the single commonality of us possessing inherently negative traits.
So what does it mean to be Black? How did we get this identity and what does it mean what are the characteristics of black? -
They call us black because the color black essentially stands for the worst of everything. It doesnt have to do with our actual skin color, thats why whites call themselves white, cause in english it stands for the best of everything
American/Western society/English language did/does everything it can to associate everything negative it possibly could to blackness and being black, and that includes words and their connotations
There is a book listing every racist word and their origins, Wicked Words: Poisoned Minds -
@kushington
So if we accept that identity are we then subconsciously taking on the negative traits as well? Are we complicit in our own degradation?
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PublicEnemigo1 wrote: »@kushington
So if we accept that identity are we then subconsciously taking on the negative traits as well? Are we complicit in our own degradation?
Yep. -
goat sig PE, i ? wit some philosoraptor, but to answer your question I really dont know, I just am
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Kushington wrote: »PublicEnemigo1 wrote: »@kushington
So if we accept that identity are we then subconsciously taking on the negative traits as well? Are we complicit in our own degradation?
Yep.
Then common sense dictates that if we want to change our condition we must first reject the labels that frame us.
Black is out. African American doesn't work because it still has white identification in it.
What do we call ourselves? African? It seems too broad. Maybe we can decide what to call ourselves if we learn what and who our ancestors were? Who are the people whose blood still flows through us? -
PublicEnemigo1 wrote: »Kushington wrote: »PublicEnemigo1 wrote: »@kushington
So if we accept that identity are we then subconsciously taking on the negative traits as well? Are we complicit in our own degradation?
Yep.
Then common sense dictates that if we want to change our condition we must first reject the labels that frame us.
Black is out. African American doesn't work because it still has white identification in it.
What do we call ourselves? African? It seems too broad. Maybe we can decide what to call ourselves if we learn what and who our ancestors were? Who are the people whose blood still flows through us?
I dont necessarily see white identification when we consider ourselves american. We are just as american, if not more so, than white americans. Being labeled "African" Americans marginalizes us and is another subconscious reminder of our "different" status in america, especially since this country has done everything it possibly could to remove any remnants of our african culture.
I honestly dont know what we should be labeled, ideally, we shouldnt have a label at all. -
I see the white identification just in calling ourselves american. America is derived from the italian amerigo vespucci.
I don't think we really want to be just as american as white americans. If one were to objectively look at the history of america, they could only conclude that the characteristic of an american is nothing to be desired.
Acknowledging the African ancestry can be no more reminder of our different status than the color of our skin. If an Afrikaaner, were to come to America people would see them as white or european not mistake them for an african.
Before the label African American our ancestors had many identities imposed upon them to signify their difference. A person would have to be blind and deaf for skin color to have no bearing.
Because this country has done everything to rid us of our heritage one of the greatest robberies in history, I can't find the logic to identify with the men of the country who spearheaded the agenda. You'll never hear a Palestinian refer to themself as an Israeli.
I truly believe if we were to collectively become knowledgeable of our history our label would be self evident. -
But we dont know our history, and I doubt most African Americans would identify with it if we did, because like we've already established, the contempt for our own origins is embedded in our collective psyche, as a group
At this point, the issue is not with whites, its within ourselves. There has to be a gigantic shift in our culture to change the perception we have of each other and ourselves. Many ethnic groups have k-12 schools solely for their group, African americans more of those to re-educate the youth. Predominately black public schools teach the same things as white schools, which is why those schools fail, the kids cant connect when theyre constantly told slavery and mlk are our only contributions to history -
what does it mean to be black.../rant..tl:dr
first we have to realize that being black and identifying yourself as black is only present and needed when you're in an area where there are others...ppl phenotypically different from you..say americas or europe.. in africa the idea of being black doesnt cross the mind of the average african based on conversation i've had..
most, especially the younger generation/african immigrants only realize they''re "black" when they move to america or europe..thats because in africa, africans identify themselves first by familial links...then tribal links..then part of the country that they're from...then the country that they're from...then what section of africa they're in...then AFRICAN...
hence if there's a conflict in a certain part of africa lets say zimbabwe...the african living in liberia doesnt necessarily look at it as their conflict...they look at it as a conflict facing THEM ie Zimbabweans..similarly..the struggle of blacks in america..the victimization of blacks in america isnt looked at as african problem but issues for THEM ie black americans...
its only when you come to europe or america that you get racialized(mental doctrination) to adopt this broad category called being "black"..thats when you start looking at the next man who looks phenotypically like you as a "brother/sister"..then they all of a sudden stop being THEM..and now start being US...You start for example looking at enslavement of black americans and jim crow and segregation not as their problem anymore..but a OUR problem..
once you're racialized to be black for example you start looking at africa and thinking all africa is "yours" because you dont identify yourself anymore as you used to ..you just think im black.. if there's a problem in zimbabwe..its now a black problem..
lets go back to the example of the liberian who may not necessarily care about issues in zimbabwe...lets say before he became racialized ..the issue in zimbabwe was due to the military invasion by say Germany..back then he/she probably would just say "oh its their issue with germany.."..but once he's now "black"..he would be thinking "white ppl.. are invading my black ppl's land this is also my fight"...
thats the reason a lot of africans when they come to america..you would see them fkking hard with or just not having any resentment towards white folks..because in their mind..white folks never hurt THEIR family members..white folks may have hurt The other group(ie black americans) but im not black american so why do i have to be resentful and angry??? but soon after once the blackness indoctrination sinks deep they would start looking at the white folks as perpetrators of evils towards "their ppl".....quite a lot go through taht exact phase..
so basically being black is a mindstate, its indoctrination and conditioning to strip yourself of any other way that you identify yourself and start identifying yourself according to those that phenotypically look like you..even though you might be different as night and day....they are no longer "them"..they are now "you and yours"..their problems and struggle become yours..
not ever phenotypically dark/black person is black...some can be dark as night and still never identify themselves as black..the issue with the african american is he's never figured out a way to identify him/herself deeper than being black..he doesnt have a native tongue..he doesnt have a unique tribe, he doesnt really have an exclusively unique culture...so being black is the only way he can identify himself..where as others have a choice in the matter -
Melanin. Renewable energy that can pick up lower energy forms.
You ? need to read.
If nobody said melanin, then ? need to read.
Did you know white people take melanin pills?
Melanin is a Blessing.
The Darker, the more Melanin you contain and the more energy your body can harness.
This ain't mumbo jumbo either for you ? that choose to be ridiculously ignorant and dont read, these are facts.
Look it up motherfuccaz , learn someting about yaselves to be proud of.
My version of Thug LOve, I'm tired of ? not knowin ? about themselves. -
lol another shot @ DroPublicEnemigo1 wrote:The color range of 'Black' people could fill a whole box of Crayola 64 with Dro being on the bottom right hand side all the way at the end. .
smh
@Chicity I cant see your sig (that is on purpose) but your AVI makes me want to fake sick and go home (wifey is off today)!
