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IMO nobody can generalize what northern blacks are like vs southern blacks anymore than one can generalize the same with northern and southern whites. All one can say is that blacks in the north are trying to cope with life as they perceive it where they live and blacks in the south are doing same in their neck of the woods. They both are black in a nation that fails to make racial discrimination against blacks the "issue of our time."
If you spend enough time around blacks from various parts of the country, you would notice very distinct regional differences in speech among them, just like you do with whites. I find it a bit far-fetched that anyone with even a cursory level of exposure to blacks from different parts of the country would somehow come to the conclusion that blacks in New Jersey sound anything like blacks in Mississippi. Although one could argue that there is a distinct black dialect common to most American blacks, there are also very different regional variations within that dialect.
If you spend enough time around blacks from various parts of the country, you would notice very distinct regional differences in speech among them, just like you do with whites. I find it a bit far-fetched that anyone with even a cursory level of exposure to blacks from different parts of the country would somehow come to the conclusion that blacks in New Jersey sound anything like blacks in Mississippi. Although one could argue that there is a distinct black dialect common to most American blacks, there are also very different regional variations within that dialect.
Sometimes these differences exist within a state. Georgia, where I live, has some distinct accents among African-Americans. In the Atlanta area, where I live, there is a variation of accents. Alot of Northerners have moved to the metropolitan Atlanta.
Go south to Macon, and it's a totally different accent down there. I notice a far different accent and speech pattern from African-Americans who live in Macon.
North Georgia, there is a different accent as well. I had an anthropology class one summer and one of my classmates was an African-American female from Lafayette,GA, not too far from the Tennessee border. She had a very distinct accent. It sounded very Southern, but not like you would find in Macon or the outskirts of metropolitan Atlanta. People could tell she wasn't from Atlanta.
I have a friend from the state of Washington(near Olympia). I also had the opportunity of meeting an African-American female from Tacoma,WA. The guy I speak of is American born but of Afro-Caribbean descent. Both persons have accents and speak patterns similar to mine. Both persons I met were sometimes described by others as "talking White". The same thing has described of me as well. As long as I have lived in the South, I haven't picked up a Southern accent. I don't speak what is known as African-American Vernacular English. My sister, who was born in the Seattle area, has a slight Southern accent for some reason.
Northern blacks can be quite cocky. Northern blacks believe they are years ahead of their southern counterparts.
Black people in the north are loud and obnoxious whereas their counterparts in the south are more calm and laid back, so to speak.
Overall I think attitude towards one another is pretty much the difference. I think any differences pointed out outside of attitude is just a generalization. The bolded pretty much sums up the difference between the two regions from my experience when it comes to northern blacks and southern blacks and this pretty much causes the divide.
You have intelligent blacks, ignorant blacks, violent blacks, fashion savvy blacks, friendly/rude, fast paced/slow blacks, athletic, talented, etc. in both regions but for whatever reason, in this day and age, northern blacks still believe they are leaps and bounds ahead of southern blacks. I know this assumption by northern blacks dates back to older times and it had some truth to it to an extent in the past. In this current day and age its far from the truth. Today its more of a city vs. rural thing than a north vs. south, but northerners still lump the entire south under the stereotype of what one would consider to be rural and backwards.
Being from VA, I sort of fall in the middle of the North/South divide. We are more of a mix between North and South. I have personally experienced individuals from both extremes throughout my college years and through various relationships Ive had. Ive dated a NY girl from Harlem/Bronx and another girl whose family was from Florida/Southern VA. Both were long term relationships where I was able to experience their families and had the privelage of visiting their hometowns. From my experience, Northern blacks tend to have an uppity-ness and know it all demeanor about them, but northerners can also be some of the coolest down to earth people you'll ever meet, once they get over their prejudices.
SN: I would like to give an example of the difference between northern and southern blacks that I experienced while dealing with the families of the two girls. The difference I noticed between the southern and northern families were how they approached me through our initial interactions. Im a pretty laid back, reserved, analytical introvert, who doesnt really talk a lot type of guy. The NY girls family took me at face value and assumed I was either dumb or slow because of this and also being from Virginia and all didnt help. They felt they could game me or say slick stuff without me catching on until I started calling things out or basicly showing them what time it really was. But basicly this family mainly talked down to non NYers as if they didnt have a clue about anything or couldnt possibly be more intelligent or even street smarter.
The Southern girls family had game with them also but it was a different type of game. Her families approach was that they wanted me to believe they were some dumb slow country bumpkins who didnt know any better. They were the type to gas people up to feel superior and to think that they were inferior when all the while it was just to get information out of them or to get them talking and feeling themselves while underestimating them. They were pretty sneaky also but their game was more indirect or passive agressive. Like a wolf in sheeps clothing.
Even though both of the families had some type of game with them, I feel the southern family came off with more repect for me as an individual up front without making any assumptions where as the northern family automatically felt superior due to being from NYC.
As I thought about this topic more, I just feel that respect and unity is whats needed more in the black community. Its too devisive. All across the board, from musics to sports to fashion. And I may be biased or hypocritical when I say this, but I feel that northern blacks (and blacks in general) need to be more respectful of one another, because at the end of the day ........ black is black. Rich or poor, north or south. We all face the same dilemmas and struggles. You are still a ***** at the end of the day in some peoples eyes so what does it matter if your region is so called more "advanced" than another.
As I thought about this topic more, I just feel that respect and unity is whats needed more in the black community. Its too devisive. All across the board, from musics to sports to fashion. And I may be biased or hypocritical when I say this, but I feel that northern blacks (and blacks in general) need to be more respectful of one another, because at the end of the day ........ black is black. Rich or poor, north or south. We all face the same dilemmas and struggles. You are still a ***** at the end of the day in some peoples eyes so what does it matter if your region is so called more "advanced" than another.
It doesn't have anything to do with regions, to be honest.
lol lets not act like some southern black ppl don't have stereotypes that they believe in and act out towards one another and towards northern black ppl.
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Sorry for the long post
