WTH is "African American Community?" (world, kids, race)

[justtitans]

There are black people who use this terminology and have the opinion that we are supposed to think the same too, so keep that in mind as well. It's ignorant. Skin color doesn't determine people's behavior.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by justtitans

There are black people who use this terminology and have the opinion that we are supposed to think the same too, so keep that in mind as well. It's ignorant. Skin color doesn't determine people's behavior.

Oh trust me, I know.

[Faith2187]

Originally Posted by justtitans

There are black people who use this terminology and have the opinion that we are supposed to think the same too, so keep that in mind as well. It's ignorant. Skin color doesn't determine people's behavior.

We know this, but on citydata the group using this term to lump us altogether are not usually the black folks.

[shadowne]

Trifling.

[1908WAGY]

Originally Posted by thatguydownsouth

lol ok so once again its whiteys fault huh? We didn't invent the term, you guys did during the civil rights days. But go ahead and find another thing to blame us for. Hey look its winter, guess that's whiteys fault too.....

BTW in typical hypocritical fashion you lumped "whites" together in your statement about being lumped together...but that's ok right?

Angry much? So much irony...OP was trying to distance himself from the African-American community, and then you post this. lolol. Wow, ok. Free entertainment.

[Ericthebean]

Originally Posted by Arcenal352

As a black male, I am somewhat offended by that title. What the hell IS this "African American Community?"
Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson et all DO NOT speak for me, nor do they represent what I stand for.
Am I alone in having an issue with this nonsensical generalization?

I would say like any other community, the "African American Community" warrants a Majority Leader and also a Minority Leader

Step 1: Authenticate who is and who isn't in the African American Community:
Why not put it to a vote by allowing an independently elected council of African Americans authenticate who qualifies to call thenselves members of the African American Community by requiring a 2/3 majority to disqualify someone, and authentication only to occur if petition filed by another Member of the African American Community
With this system you create an authenticated and fair African American Community populous.
(One cannot say they are African American most likely unless their skin is black (can be quantified objectively by skin type used by dermatologist field)and they did not immigrate to the U.S. within the last 10-20 years, but exceptions would be determined by an independent council of African Americans...ex. African American grandparent despite skin not being black.)

Step 2: Appoint speakers to represent not just the majority, but also Minority views and perspectives in this community.
This populous from Step 1 then can appoint a majority speaker and the second in line to be a "Minority" speaker. That is, the voice of the less than 50% of African Americans who are not being fairly represented

[Hondu54]

Originally Posted by thatguydownsouth

Perhaps then the "black communitie(s) could speak up and tell Sharpton and Jackson to shut up. That would DEFINITELY make Fox news.

FOX or FauxNews. A channel for the low hanging fruit.

[jazzarama]

Originally Posted by erjunkee

I am African American, and I agree w/the OP and ATG5.

My interests and concerns may coincide with other African Americans (or blacks, in general). But by no means do I consider us to be one collective "community." We are not one entity with one thought, one mind, one soul, one purpose.

My community consists of the people around me and our collective rights and interests...These include blacks, whites, asians, hispanics, and just about everyone else. It can and never will be completely inclusive of just skin color.

I figure if the terms 'African American Community' or 'black community,' is good enough for the prez it's good enough for me, unless only blacks can use them.

[shadowne]

Whitehouse.gov
Tell the President you are offended.

President Obama and the African American Community | The White House

thread/

[Malloric]

Originally Posted by Ace_TX

normal black folk have nothing to do with sharpton or jackson ot even embrace the "community leader" concept

now as for your question, it only means exactly as it sounds. just a way to group black folk together when making some kind of point

Exactly. White people use it, black people use it.

It's no different than using similar terms like "American" or "American culture" or any other grab-all basket. Like when Charles Barkley said it's a dark secret in the black community that if you don't act like a thug or stupid, you're not being black enough. I'd disagree with it being a secret. I've known about it since I was 15 or 16. It doesn't mean that all black people agree with it, just a sizable enough number. Several of my black class mates in high school certainly didn't believe it, although they suffered the consequences since that was largely what the black community at my high school believed. I went to a pretty lousy high school though, so if you went somewhere with a predominantly middle-class population, you might not see the same thing. It's also not like that mentality wasn't present among the underclass white community or Asian community where I went to school either. It wasn't phrased as not being black enough, of course, but you still didn't get any social creds for doing well in school like you did for doing poorly and acting out. It's more of a class phenomenon than race. It only really becomes race because a far greater number of blacks are in the underclass than whites or Asians or even Hispanics. If you were mostly in the AP/Honors classes, it was totally different. There it was more hyper-competitive where you might **** someone off for doing better rather than because you did well.