Things You Had to Deal W/ As The Only Black Kid

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  • fluffymcfluffster
    fluffymcfluffster Posts: 51 Member
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    I grew up in an area where my sister and I were two of three white kids in the school (up to 3rd grade as the school was split in grades on different campuses). I may not fit the stereotypes but have my own to make fun of how we were hassled... I am hoping by the time I have kids, most of these stereotypes are long gone!
  • DalekBrittany
    DalekBrittany Posts: 1,748 Member
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    Just reading through the posts, I noticed that Everyone is apologetic for whites even Jewish degradation...BUT NOT so much with with Black pain. Not even Blacks are indignant, but then we always had to hide OUR pain from the majority to protect THEIR feelings. WE always took our pain out on EACH other in some way.

    No one is suggesting that nor has anyone said that white degradation is any worse/better than black degradation.
  • Carameldlux
    Carameldlux Posts: 39 Member
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    Hahaaa.
    When friends tell you that they refer to you as their 'black friend'
    "Can I touch your hair?"
    "Do you tan?"

    Lmao! I've gotten this from strangers...smh when I was a senior in h.s. I worked @ a grocery store & once had my hair braided. I got tired of ppl asking how long it took,if they could touch it. Ironically yrs later when I was a child advocate I had one lil white girl ask if my hair was a weave Lmfao,as I could do. Yes,I can...my co-workers @ the bank found this out while I was working at one.
    My ex-husband who is white(yea,won't make that mistake again) is dark & once he shaved his head was often mistaken for Hispanic & I found it funny when ppl spoke Spanish to him. But the area I live in,me and my oldest are the only "blacks" and my son is tech the only black kid in the school lol my two youngest are mixed & there are a several others there. But its a awesome school though. The principal did however call me once to ask how to day a little girls hair,because her mother was locked up lol...wow
  • Carameldlux
    Carameldlux Posts: 39 Member
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    And oh yea...All Black Ppl DO NOT smoke week...smh. Hella stereotyping,I'm not lying when I tell ppl that. But I get I sound white as well & act stuck up. But mostly from family members,so sad.
  • supadap
    supadap Posts: 4 Member
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    Hilarious Topic - thx
    DP
  • DalekBrittany
    DalekBrittany Posts: 1,748 Member
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    Actually, nvm. Giving people the benefit of the doubt today.
  • Amie_Girl
    Amie_Girl Posts: 80 Member
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    26 was the best when that kid says "MOM Come here, there's a black guy down here!" and she's like, "OH let me take your picture!"
  • Okapi42
    Okapi42 Posts: 495 Member
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    I'm currently living in Northern Ireland, but I'm not from here, and it's driving me insane.

    Seriously, an "integrated" school here is one that both Catholics and Protestants can attend. They all bicker about religion, so they haven't even gotten to plain ol' racism yet. Too few people from other cultures here, I suppose. Less than 0.001% of the population is non-white. I happen to have a housemate who immigrated from Zimbabwe, and it's amazing what a novelty she is to a lot of people.

    And if one more person asks me where my accent is from, I'm going to smack them. I went to 12 different schools on two different continents growing up, so I was always the kid with the accent. The fat, nerdy kid with the accent. Sigh.
  • dandandee
    dandandee Posts: 301 Member
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    But I grew up in Canada, so I never really heard racist remarks about black people. However, the racist remarks about native americans was sickeningly prolific.

    Agree. I'm in canada and I haven't really come across any racism against black people but what you hear of native americans/aboriginals (or whatever today's "politically correct" term for them is) is absolutely horrible.
  • dandandee
    dandandee Posts: 301 Member
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    I'm horrified. I actually do one of these things to my Nigerian colleague. :embarassed:

    I can't help it . . . she has the most stunning, amazing, hair.

    LOL!! Control yourself woman. Fight that urge to touch. Fight it.

    hahahah! This makes me happy my friend (who's black) is a guy, he doesn't mind when people touch his hair!
  • srcardinal10
    srcardinal10 Posts: 387 Member
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    The sad thing is that I actually get more grief from black people - the "talking white", "doing white things" ...

    Yes, I have had that happen too. And I keep bringing it up but it happens even more when it comes to my boyfriends because they aren't black. Smh.
  • srcardinal10
    srcardinal10 Posts: 387 Member
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    But I grew up in Canada, so I never really heard racist remarks about black people. However, the racist remarks about native americans was sickeningly prolific.

    Agree. I'm in canada and I haven't really come across any racism against black people but what you hear of native americans/aboriginals (or whatever today's "politically correct" term for them is) is absolutely horrible.

    I work for the Canadian consulate. Throughout my employment, I've learned some pretty awful stuff that has happened in Canada towards the aboriginal peoples.
  • srcardinal10
    srcardinal10 Posts: 387 Member
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    I dated this guy Brian who works in the ER of a hospital near me for a VERY shortly through March. I stopped dating him because he is past the point of ignorant...here's the story:

    One night, I'm at his house hanging out with him. He looks at me and says, "You know Sierra, I grew up in Mill Valley. I went to college in Orange County, graduated from Chapman, and have always lived in nice areas. You know like by the beach, and even in the city of Orange. I moved back to Mill Valley and now I work in Richmond. Richmond (which is quite poor with a higher crime for those of you that don't know). And all the black girls that come into my hospital are just so ghetto. Like GHETTO. How come you aren't ghetto?"

    **pause for reaction**

    Later that night, he proceeds to ask what kind of guys I date. A question I hate because I know it means do you date black guys. I responded with "hot."

    He said, "Haha. I mean like what race?" Me *sigh* "I am attracted to men. The people I've dated seriously have been Persian, White and Latino guys."
    Him: You like Latino guys
    Me: Yeaahhhh...*confused*
    Him: Oh well idk, I just don't really like Latino guys.
    Me: Come again?
    Him: I mean like I don't like young Latino guys...
    I cut him off and say...
    Me: You know Brian, you don't know me very well so I would really choose your words carefully before you finish that sentence because right now I'm scared of what you're about to say.
    Him: *chuckles* No no. Like I don't like the ones at my gym. They are all like *with an accent* "Oh, like I don't speak any English bro."
    Me: *in shock that THAT just happened*

    I had a few drinks and was unable to drive or I would have left right then and there. For some IDIOTIC reason, I continued to talk to him on occasion.

    **pause for reaction**

    I was on the phone with him a few weeks later and I can't recall how the conversation went but he definitely said at some point "Are you going to be my little black girl." I immediately hung up the phone.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,141 Member
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    It both delighted me and upset me when it came to History class and my friends 'of color' got to go to separate rooms to learn about their ancestry and the white kids got to learn about German history or somesuch. I would have loved to know where I came from, even though my history probably wasn't as difficult as theirs.

    What???!!! American schools racially segregate kids for history lessons??? woah!! *very shocked* Can't all the kids learn about each others' ancestry all in the same classroom?????? *speechless*

    This was in the UK. And sadly, no.

    I think we spent the most time on learning about Nazi Germany and orphans in China during History...

    Really??? I have lived in the UK all my life and have never come across this - and no-one I know of has ever reported this happening. Personally I don't believe this....although it makes me wonder which history classes my mixed-race nieces would have ended up going to!
    The only "segregation" I came across was that kids from Muslim or Jewish backgrounds didn't attend morning assembly or curricular Religious Education lessons - as requested by their parents.

    Yeah same, I've never heard of kids being separated ethnically for their own history lessons.
  • Thewatcher_66
    Thewatcher_66 Posts: 1,643 Member
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    Being first kid to picked in a game of pickup baslketball .... much to their dismay, I was the worst player in the bunch. Lol but I was the best at sports trivia. I was more Steve Urkel than Kobe Bryant
  • k8eekins
    k8eekins Posts: 2,264 Member
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    vz1pt.jpg

    There were only 4 girls in a population of 700 girls who weren't Anglo, so we each received our fair share of race related over sensationalism. We'd also experienced like public expressions by those of our kind. You don't win either way ~ when you're mixed. You'll be ostracised by what you identify with and you will be differentiated by some who are of your other admixtures.

    Edited to add: Whilst attending compulsory socials with Brother Schools (a total of 6) the implication at the time, always was that we the coloured girls would dabble in inappropriate behaviour. Often times ~ the boys shattered the divide ~ we knew how to skirt the lines because we were indirectly threatened by our Principal prior to their arrival or our departure for the event(s) with a possible suspension or expulsion. It was no big deal really ~ you get used to it. Whilst in uniform ~ it didn't matter. Made dating interesting :-) so it became about sourcing one's dates from the Country/Yacht Club, the Uni Clubs we had access to via one's parents ... Life-learning. Oddly enough we were all sent there for exactly that ~ the "You are alone in this world" element. It will be you vs x number of White People. In hindsight, we were to know that ahead of the girls we were with in school, are white men ~ first rung ~ tier one. Now how do you survive then access that as a peer? That was our purpose ~ possibly my parents Asiatic influence ~ strategy.
  • neacail
    neacail Posts: 228 Member
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    I'm horrified. I actually do one of these things to my Nigerian colleague. :embarassed:

    I can't help it . . . she has the most stunning, amazing, hair.

    LOL!! Control yourself woman. Fight that urge to touch. Fight it.

    I'll behave. :smile:
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    I grew up in rural Virginia and went to high school in the early 90's. My school was about 65% white, 30% black, and the last 5% a mixture. Anyway, I am very white and dated a black guy for several years in high school. I was definitely bullied by the black girls in school because of this, they did not like me! My boyfriend would also notice looks we got when we were out together, I never really noticed but he said he did.

    somehow reading this late at night after a long day, and with more caffeine than I should have things got mom brain mushed to start out as

    "I grew up in a viral vagina...." carry on.
  • vtmoon
    vtmoon Posts: 3,436 Member
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    I'm horrified. I actually do one of these things to my Nigerian colleague. :embarassed:

    I can't help it . . . she has the most stunning, amazing, hair.

    Oh my God! This happens to me anytime my hair gets longer than two inches. I would be sitting in the bar having a good time and out of nowhere some woman (white majority of the time) walks up to me and starts playing with my hair. A lot of times they wouldn't say a word as if I wasn't there. An ex once punched a drunk girl for just walking up and playing with my hair, I felt soo bad.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    Well, I was the first Mexican in my elementary school in California. I didn't speak English then but ran for school historian, memorized a speech (probably slaughtered it) and got elected. Pity vote? Maybe.

    I've heard all the racist insults. Meh, who cares. My nickname was even "Cheech" for a short while.

    What is bizarre is being told that I don't "look"/"sound" Mexican by relatively educated people. I have been asked if I rode a donkey to school, when I learned to use a fork, how I came into the US. One lady, at my university registration, insisted that I came from New Mexico because I couldn't possibly come from the country; "it's poor and full of people that speak Spanish."
    On a date, I was once told, "You're Mexican, right? I thought you people all had accents ... I like accents ..." Oh, well.

    Oh, and how incredibly embarrassing it always is to be introduced to some other person that is from somewhere in Latin America as if we are going to be best friends because we are both "Mexicans". Since we usually don't have anything in common conversation usually is a non-started on that single point - I have to jump start that DOA bit - Hey let's go talk to the waiter, I hear he's from Tijuana, maybe we can start a band....

    Stereotypes - easy comedy.

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