Do Black Americans Face Higher Standards Socially?

Watch the full conversation: • Can Black Americans Be...
Do Black Americans have to code switch to succeed professionally and personally?
How much do different cultural ways of living based on race create barriers between Black and white Americans and matter in our world today?
Do all people have to learn to follow society’s norms in similar ways, or are Black people affected in a unique, particular way?
What role do stereotypes about Black people and Black culture play in our need to adapt to those norms?
#identitypolitics #BlackCulture #diversityandinclusion #woke #cancelculture #racialjustice #jubilee #politics #criticalracetheory #republicans #democracy #libertarian #racism #blacklivesmatter #socialjustice

[@Retsy257]

I’m a white woman raised in New Orleans and have lived in the Pacific NW for 30 years. EVERYONE loves fried chicken and watermelon !! I grew up on it as my children and now grandchildren.

[@healingrace3491]

Thanks for sharing, @Retsy257 ! How did you experience similarities and differences in cultural ways across race in the places that you lived?

[@Retsy257]

The south was very segregated when I grew up. I didn’t have the chance to even know people of color. I went to public school in 7th grade and already the kids were divided by race. It wasn’t a spoken thing, it just was. The black girls were very intimidating but I did make friends with one black girl that told me she would have my back. I wasn’t sure what she meant but she was nice. Once in high school there were rumors of a rumble and sure enough after school our gates were locked and the black girls from the next school were “coming to get us “. I was never involved with this kind of stuff and just sat back and waited until we could go home. No harm done. As I got older and met young black women my age I became friends with one in particular and we had a blast. She had a British accent. So until I was 30 my experience was very limited. I moved to the PNW with my children and saw mixed couples for the first time ! This was 1987. I thought wow the rest of the world is really different. I know it sounds naive. My children were exposed to all races throughout school and brought all different friends home and I followed their lead to realize that what I had experienced was very racial prejudice. I’ve had many friends and worked with people of all races. I do have to say that I enjoy blacks from other cultures more than the ones raised in US. There is quite a difference. As far as the discussion in this video the ‘ acting proper’ I think is just decorum.

[@healingrace3491]

Thank you for sharing@@Retsy257! What a trajectory you've had. What was your experience like transitioning to the PNW? What was it like integrating into a different environment with regard to racial interactions? And what do you think your journey has taught you about how we can strengthen race relations in our country?

[@Retsy257]

I did come to realize that there wasn’t any automatic white privilege in the NW. I was fine with that but it was striking because It came so naturally in the South. It’s the same as pretty or feminine privilege which I think most women enjoy. Looking back at the time I was horrified that some white people didn’t want blacks in the same cemeteries. I felt like race relations were so much better before Obama. And I did vote for him. These last few years have really surprised me because I feel that the blacks have a deep seated hatred of whites and especially white men. That’s what I’m hearing not experiencing. I actually live in a small town in the desert that is majority hispanic and only a few people mix. There’s an understanding of division. I’ve come to believe that like likes like. But I also believe that we all need to be ok with that and leave each other alone. My husband has 6 mixed grandchildren that are spectacular, high achieving kids. He also has an 11 yr old transgender granddaughter. So I take it back to decorum and personal responsibility for yourself and family.

[@Retsy257]

I don’t understand the culture of the blacks in our urban cities. It’s terrifying. Is it poverty? Culture? I don’t know how the mother’s can sleep at night without worrying about their children. Maybe we need black mentors to speak out and start a movement toward success, personal growth, contribution rather than anger, despair and destruction.

[@stepfordescapee]

I have made it a personal policy to never eat fried chicken or watermelon in public because of the stereotype on Black folks. (This is Karen btw)

[@healingrace3491]

Thanks for sharing Karen, and thanks for being a recent guest on our show! You keep being you and eat whatever makes you happy. There's plenty of us out here who just want you to enjoy your life.... And we're looking forward to bringing everyone back together for a second conversation!