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

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.

I'm unsure if this is standard practice in the UK and I was in school throughout the 90's in Bristol. Again, I don't know if it's something that's done at ALL schools, I just know that it happened in mine.

This is the same school who wouldn't let me try out for sports because I got too red in the face when I ran. XD

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.

When I was 9 I moved from a very sheltered, white community in Northern CA to a suburb of Philadelphia. Once there, the boys were generally all very nice to me, but the girls weren't so welcoming. I got teased a LOT about my accent (though I still think of it as a lack of an accent, haha!) and I got teased a lot about my "green" hair. My hair was very blond as a kid and it'd always get a green hue in the summer thanks to chlorinated swimming pools. One group of girls actually attacked me once and tore my clothes off (luckily I was close to home). Not to condone combating violence with violence, but after I retaliated by throwing a bunch of worms I'd gone and collected on them, they stopped bothering me.

HAHAHAHA I live in philly now. I think if I threw worms on someone here i'd get shot. I'm in the city not suburbs. I used to get picked on for having no butt....still have no butt. my best friend is mixed and she calls me snowball. It's kinda cute though. I call her milano.

I'm showing my age here, but this was circa 1983-1984 when I lived in PA. Those were the days of playing Michael Jackson on the "ghetto blaster" (such an awful term, but that's what we called them back then) and everyone would come over and listen and try to do their best moon walk.... the early days of MTV when they would announce exactly which times of the day they'd play the Thriller video. Life was definitely different back then - but yeah, the worst that happened to me was the tearing off my clothes incident. Another kid once through a big piece of cement at me that hit me in the head - but I honestly don't think he realized the magnitude of what he was doing and it couldn't have been that hard because I was fine. Oh! and for the record, I'll never get teased for not having enough butt! I may be clinging by a thread to my B-cup status in front, yet there's still plenty of padding in the back. Maybe that helped me back in my brief stint as a PA resident.

Jesus, a kid threw a piece of CEMENT at you!? WTF is wrong with people around here!? I've never really been picked on in a physical way by anybody, nor have my friends. My schools were quite racially diverse and while there were fights, they were usually between feuding ruffians, lol. There definitely were douche-bags though, no shortage of those. One of the few "racial" things I recall happening to me was when a loudmouthed black girl was talkin' crap to me on the bus, saying my mother was racist. It's like girl, my daddy is black, my mom likes the CHOCOLATE, you slow b****, lmao!

Oh, and I have to laugh at "ghetto blaster", ha ha, never heard that term before. I appreciate the reference to Michael mania, I so wish I could have experienced that. I've read about a few encounters MJ had with racism in the 80s. One involved a store owner beating him up because he thought he stole a candy bar. (not sure about the validity of that one because LaToya told it, lol) Another instance was when he wanted to buy a llama, and this white, redneck dude who didn't recognize him was giving him crap because he didn't think Mike had the money or knowledge to properly care for the animal. And of course, there's the whole MTV debacle when they refused to play his videos.

My mom sent me to the African American Academy here in WA for summer school.
That's actually the name. I'm not being a jerk.

I got called snow flake/snow white/cream puff, kicked down the stairs, beat up, and people would say things like "Thanks for enslaving my ancestors!" as I walked through the halls.

I've never told anyone this because I was too embarrassed ._.

I can relate. I grew up in a mostly African American Neighborhood and went through some similar stuff. I was the only Asian kid in my grade for most of elementary and middle school. I got called every dish on a Chinese menu. One time, I was waiting tables (I was about 11 or 12) and some elder African American church ladies explained to me that Chinese folks like me were morally inferior because we didn't go through slavery and civil rights. That was probably one of the worst days I've ever had. Why would you ever say that to a kid? At sports, I sometimes overheard the parents saying things like "You let the Chinese kid beat you?!?" which would lead to some kid taking a swing at me. My parents didn't let me play sports again until I was in high school and moved to another neighborhood.

This was not the norm. I was surrounded by good friends and family. Some bad things happened but they also made me a better person. I learned to stand up for myself, take and give a beating, and not to let small minded people ruin my day.

My mom sent me to the African American Academy here in WA for summer school.
That's actually the name. I'm not being a jerk.

I got called snow flake/snow white/cream puff, kicked down the stairs, beat up, and people would say things like "Thanks for enslaving my ancestors!" as I walked through the halls.

I've never told anyone this because I was too embarrassed ._.

I can relate. I grew up in a mostly African American Neighborhood and went through some similar stuff. I was the only Asian kid in my grade for most of elementary and middle school. I got called every dish on a Chinese menu. One time, I was waiting tables (I was about 11 or 12) and some elder African American church ladies explained to me that Chinese folks like me were morally inferior because we didn't go through slavery and civil rights. That was probably one of the worst days I've ever had. Why would you ever say that to a kid? At sports, I sometimes overheard the parents saying things like "You let the Chinese kid beat you?!?" which would lead to some kid taking a swing at me. My parents didn't let me play sports again until I was in high school and moved to another neighborhood.

Some bad things happened but they also made me a better person. I learned to stand up for myself, take and give a beating, and not to let small minded people ruin my day.

Wow, these stories enrage me. I don't understand how people can be so damn hateful, rude and ignorant. I've never assumed anything about a person based on their race and I wish more people could be that way. It's such a petty and trivial thing to be divided over. I guess all one can do is dust off filth like that.

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*

Not that I am aware of!

The one that I STILL get is, "You don't sound black." -- annoys the crap out of me. Uhm, I'm sorry that I speak clearly and have an education?

I get this all the time, actually it was just yesterday. From a family member, nonetheless.

I can relate to many of the things in the article (tall black girl = basketball player), I went to predominantly white school for K-5, and for college. The sad thing is that I actually get more grief from black people - the "talking white", "doing white things" (like taking my daughter to museums, zoos, and on trips/vacations - WTF?) than I do stereotypical comments from white people.

I did not know that those things were stereotypical "white people" things to do...learn something new every day! Are there things you're "supposed" to do with your children that are more "black"? :huh: People are unbelievable. Sorry you have to deal with that, from family no less!

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.


ETA: I have been the ONLY in many situations: Only Black Professor at a College, ONLY woman Director...It NEVER phased Me because I was SUPPOSED to be there, I EARNED IT! I am sure many resented Me being in positions of authority (even now) but I am a fair person, to a fault and everyone knows it, everyone knows that I am an equal opportunity azz kicker if they do not do their job...AND that I will fight like hell for them a pay raise or find it in the budget, when they deserve it.

Oh and My biggest supporters in these positions are white males...My biggest "haters" women, black women.

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.