"BLACK or AFRICAN AMERICAN" mainly a question...

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  • fatboypup
    fatboypup Posts: 1,873 Member
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    anyone else have a craving for chicken and waffles bout now?
  • tmtolbert
    tmtolbert Posts: 59 Member
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    so what do you call a person that is black and is from the UK? they are not american so there for can't be classified as "african american". i once heard someone trying to be ubber politically correct call a black female "african american" to which she responded in her british accent, "i'm not american... but i am black!"
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
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    I always thought "ppl of colour" was more offensive.

    And technically, can you really call a "person of colour" an African-American since Americans don't spell color that way anyway?

    Sorry... just picking on you a bit.

    Funnily enough, even in Canada where we spell it "colour", black people are often referred to as "African Americans" even though they are usually neither African nor American.

    Actually they are Americans. Some do not realize that the term American refers to all people in North and South America. As Euorpean refers to any one from the continent of Europe.

    While Technically this is true, in usage it's less true... Otherwise those of us from the States would be called United Statians or something... But instead we are called Americans and our neighbors to the North, Canadians and the neighbors to the South Mexicans....
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    You missed the point...

    N-gger is deragatory

    N-gga is not

    Until you grasp that concept...you will not undestand this debate....

    I was always taught that substituting a word for something else, doesn't really change it's meaning. In other words, I wasn't allowed to say words like 'crap' or '*kitten*'.
  • EyeLikeTacos
    EyeLikeTacos Posts: 324 Member
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    anyone else have a craving for chicken and waffles bout now?

    LOL! I was shocked thats on the menu at IHOP...but it's not authentic...
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
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    How about just "person?"

    What if you were missing and the police asked for a description? What if a person robbed a store and the police asked for a height, would you just say "feet" tall? When the BMV asks what color hair you have for your license do you say "hair"?

    Saying my mother is black or my neighbor is white shouldn't be offensive at all.

    Because the color of skin as a descriptive term isn't a bad thing. FACTS are not bad things. They simply are.

    Tattoos? Birthmarks? Scars? Whatever.

    But thinking or implying that one person is better or worse, or deserving of some sort of predefined label based on said traits? That's what I'm talking about.
  • YogaNikki
    YogaNikki Posts: 284 Member
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    I love that this thread has stayed, for the most part, a very good, intelligent conversation. I'm so proud. *tear*
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,141 Member
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    Really-They called me a cracker *kitten* *****. I don't want to be referred to as someone who ever BEAT A SLAVE W/A WHIP. Thank you. THAT is just as offensive to me. Also, they were about to get ran over and were PISSED at me for DRIVING ON THE ROAD-Funny how that can be twisted. I suppose I could have just hit them?... But by the reaction here, I chose the right thing, by defending myself verbally instead of getting scared and thinking they were packin and gonna shoot me had I said the wrong thing to them.

    Stereotypes...
    RIght -- "getting scared and thinking they were packin and gonna shoot me had I said the wrong thing to them." Because that is what a lot of whites think. They live in fear, it's ridiculous.

    This is so true. An ex (black) boyfriend and I went into a shop with a long queue, my ex said he didn't want to queue and was going to push in. I told him he can't do that, for various reasons including people would argue about it and it would cause tension. He said no they won't, white people are scared of black people. So, he went ahead pushed in the queue, no one said a word!!!
  • Marianeyda
    Marianeyda Posts: 60 Member
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    This is something that bugs me as well! To put it simply, if you are FROM Africa & you now line in the USA, you are African American. If you were born in the USA & live in the USA, you are black. Sorry to those that want to disagree but that is the way it is. To put it in perspective, there are white people in Africa. Born there & everything so they are African. Yep, white people can be African American if they are from Africa & living in the USA. It isn't about COLOR people!!! It's about WHERE you are from. I hope that clears it up.

    so true I'm Mexican American!
  • Lone_Wolf70
    Lone_Wolf70 Posts: 2,820 Member
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    I am not racist either, i am fair.
    Whew. Glad you said that. It's always best for white people who use the "n word" to follow-up with, "I'm not racist either".
    Referring to the time that I was insulted racially and fought fire w/fire. It really shows that either you have never been close friends with anyone black, or maybe they were raised different and don't use the word. IDK.
    Danilee...I will go out on a limb and defend you for a second...

    I totally get what you mean..There are few ...I mean a few white people who have been around black people soo damn long..it's as iff they are now part of the family...I myself have a white friend who we call the n word too..and he is allowed to use it among me and my family and friends...he is trully a black man in a white man's body...AND get this ...he from Texas.

    Thank you :) I guess that some people just can't understand.

    As a white person no I don't understand. I work with a woman who is like a mother to me and she is black... and if I called her that she would not only be hurt that I called her that (because she is not that) but she would think less of me... so no I don't understand either... but then again, I don't call my friends deragotory names of any kind, whether it's accepted or not.

    Let me explain the difference...You said " I work with a woman who is like a mother to me and she is black"

    You did not say..."I grew up with black people and I was pretty much the ONLY white person in their crew....I am like family to them"

    That's when the N word is allowed to be used...

    and we aren't referring to the N-gger we are referring to N-gga

    Therre is a difference..and if you don't know...it's because you have NOT been around enought black people to know the difference

    But even growing up around Mexicans and Hispanics (yes there is a difference as have been told by many of my Mexican-American friends), I wouldn't call them derogatory names either... So I don't see how that is much different.

    You missed the point...

    N-gger is deragatory

    N-gga is not

    Until you grasp that concept...you will not undestand this debate....

    IDK I just said it to the black guy who lives next door and he is pretty p!ssed
  • EyeLikeTacos
    EyeLikeTacos Posts: 324 Member
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    You missed the point...

    N-gger is deragatory

    N-gga is not

    Until you grasp that concept...you will not undestand this debate....

    I was always taught that substituting a word for something else, doesn't really change it's meaning. In other words, I wasn't allowed to say words like 'crap' or '*kitten*'.

    It does in this case among black people..

    N-gga is a term of endearment
  • EyeLikeTacos
    EyeLikeTacos Posts: 324 Member
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    I am not racist either, i am fair.
    Whew. Glad you said that. It's always best for white people who use the "n word" to follow-up with, "I'm not racist either".
    Referring to the time that I was insulted racially and fought fire w/fire. It really shows that either you have never been close friends with anyone black, or maybe they were raised different and don't use the word. IDK.
    Danilee...I will go out on a limb and defend you for a second...

    I totally get what you mean..There are few ...I mean a few white people who have been around black people soo damn long..it's as iff they are now part of the family...I myself have a white friend who we call the n word too..and he is allowed to use it among me and my family and friends...he is trully a black man in a white man's body...AND get this ...he from Texas.

    Thank you :) I guess that some people just can't understand.

    As a white person no I don't understand. I work with a woman who is like a mother to me and she is black... and if I called her that she would not only be hurt that I called her that (because she is not that) but she would think less of me... so no I don't understand either... but then again, I don't call my friends deragotory names of any kind, whether it's accepted or not.

    Let me explain the difference...You said " I work with a woman who is like a mother to me and she is black"

    You did not say..."I grew up with black people and I was pretty much the ONLY white person in their crew....I am like family to them"

    That's when the N word is allowed to be used...

    and we aren't referring to the N-gger we are referring to N-gga

    Therre is a difference..and if you don't know...it's because you have NOT been around enought black people to know the difference

    But even growing up around Mexicans and Hispanics (yes there is a difference as have been told by many of my Mexican-American friends), I wouldn't call them derogatory names either... So I don't see how that is much different.

    You missed the point...

    N-gger is deragatory

    N-gga is not

    Until you grasp that concept...you will not undestand this debate....

    IDK I just said it to the black guy who lives next door and he is pretty p!ssed

    Exactly...you have to go back through the threads and read how/when used...

    You can't throw that word around...lol
  • danilee1020
    danilee1020 Posts: 85 Member
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    Seriously, it's like saying dude among each other, they call me nig-er as well. This is funny to me that y'all think I'm racist. It's like "Whats up my nig" Or My *kitten* so and so .... Have you really never heard this type of convo before?

    I have. I'm white, my boyfriend is black. he calls me the N word all day long. He uses it as a term of affection and he uses it with our other friends and family. "That's my N***a" or something along those lines. I don't personally use the word with him or anyone else because I don't like the word and I think its just a disrespectful word in general. If he chose to use Cracker, I would be against that word as well. But it is commonly used in certain circles and in certain parts of the US.

    And I never knew "people of color" was offensive, but I cringed everytime my grandfather would say, "Are you still dating those colored boys?" To me there is a difference between people of color and colored people or espcially colored boy... don't you agree? Maybe its just me.
    Thanks for your info :)
  • Reinventing_Me
    Reinventing_Me Posts: 1,053 Member
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    I always laugh at this question. first off I'm not black. I'm a rather warm shade of brown. I don't even use the term WHITE People. When in all actuality they are more TRANSLUCENT than white.

    I know it's easier to use simple terms like, white, black, yellow and brown instead of American of African decent, or American of German decent. etc etc.... In the end it does not really matter. What I care about is your intent when using any term. It's not so much about the word. It's about the intent.

    I think we get too caught up on words. Life is too short.

    Oh! and I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance!

    Translucent??
  • fatboypup
    fatboypup Posts: 1,873 Member
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    anyone else have a craving for chicken and waffles bout now?

    LOL! I was shocked thats on the menu at IHOP...but it's not authentic...

    yeah they trying to get that money but its fake
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    You missed the point...

    N-gger is deragatory

    N-gga is not

    Until you grasp that concept...you will not undestand this debate....

    I was always taught that substituting a word for something else, doesn't really change it's meaning. In other words, I wasn't allowed to say words like 'crap' or '*kitten*'.

    It does in this case among black people..

    N-gga is a term of endearment

    I think that is a bit of a stretch. The correct response is entirely dependent upon the correct pronunciation of the word. What if someone has an accent? I think either pronunciation represents hate regardless of whatever meaning it has adopted in modern language.
  • CanadianThunder
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    I always laugh at this question. first off I'm not black. I'm a rather warm shade of brown. I don't even use the term WHITE People. When in all actuality they are more TRANSLUCENT than white.

    I know it's easier to use simple terms like, white, black, yellow and brown instead of American of African decent, or American of German decent. etc etc.... In the end it does not really matter. What I care about is your intent when using any term. It's not so much about the word. It's about the intent.

    I think we get too caught up on words. Life is too short.

    Oh! and I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance!

    Translucent??

    That got me too.
  • Tann19
    Tann19 Posts: 94 Member
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    Ok, I will give my serious opinion........

    Eskimos are people too.

    me thinks you had a little to much beer!
    :drinker:
  • danilee1020
    danilee1020 Posts: 85 Member
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    anyone else have a craving for chicken and waffles bout now?

    LOL! I was shocked thats on the menu at IHOP...but it's not authentic...

    LOL
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
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    so what do you call a person that is black and is from the UK? they are not american so there for can't be classified as "african american". i once heard someone trying to be ubber politically correct call a black female "african american" to which she responded in her british accent, "i'm not american... but i am black!"
    LOL

    I've come to understand that in many places *outside the USA* being "American" is not a good thing at all...