Very interesting article in the post gazette on Sunday, regarding minorities getting left behind in Pittsburgh (Duquesne: crime, houses)

[wpipkins]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Agreed. wpipkins, I typically really enjoy your contributions, but the reason why I nitpicked on you in the other thread (that is eerily similar to this thread) is because of this. There's no such thing as being "too white", "not black enough", "fake black", "real black", "fake white", "real white", etc., and the assumption that such statements are relevant to society in the 21st Century is mind-boggling.

I see plenty of white boys here in the East End who wear saggy pants, gold chains, and listen to rap. Does that make them "fake black"? Is Bill Cosby "not black enough"? I'm confused.

Bill Cosby is as black as they come. Cant think of anyone "blacker" than Bill Cosby. Where did that come from? Bill Cosby? He is loved by most in the black community. Remember he single handidly showed main stream america the black middle class through his television show? Are you too young to remember that?

[sealie]

You don't remember that speech in Philly where he started ranting that the black community needed to get their kids to pull their pants up and start studying or whatever it was, and this was the parents' fault if their kids turned out to be screwups? It was a few years ago, but it was controversial at the time.

[CaptainPittsburgh]

So, what are people's feelings on racial authenticity as related to mixed race individuals?

My cousin is white and his wife is black. Both his extended family and hers are pretty involved with their children, so they are being raised in a mixed culture...which, honestly, is kind of dumb to say because her family and his aren't very different, other than their skin tone.

Do the kids get a separate category as being authentically 50-50, or are do they, as some sort of paradox, just destabilize the notion entirely?

[wpipkins]

Originally Posted by sealie

When I was young and there would be a couple black students in the advanced classes, they were definitely accused of "acting white". By black people; nobody white would have said that, nobody white even thought that as far as I know. So I don't see why it's so hard to believe that Hopes' friends have friends who would say that, or that Gnutella or whoever it was would have been minding his own business and then threatened with violence if he didn't stick to white women. This stuff happens. Maybe it doesn't happen a lot, and maybe not with most people, but it does happen. It looks a little silly to claim that it would never happen because no black people you know would do that, in a "No True Scotsman" way.
And Hopes already said that her friends SAID that they would be judged by other people, not that she thought that they would. Don't shoot the messenger.

Accused of acting white by a few jealous under achievers? Kids are teased in many ways. I attended city schools and was in a the science and math magnet. It was not an option for me or my siblings to fail at anything. I was sometimes called nerd but never accused of acting white. I was not easily intimidated an could not be bullied so maybe that had something to do with it. I was respected by most of my black peers though. Its not cool to be stupid. My son is gifted and athletic. To date, he has not had any issues at school what so ever. The student body is 80% black. The acting "white" argument is sooo 1980's. I think that was more hype than anything.

[wpipkins]

Originally Posted by sealie

You don't remember that speech in Philly where he started ranting that the black community needed to get their kids to pull their pants up and start studying or whatever it was, and this was the parents' fault if their kids turned out to be screwups? It was a few years ago, but it was controversial at the time.

Most black people totally agreed with his statement. The only ones who would disagree are the ones that are part of the problem. It was not a rant, it was the truth no matter how much it hurt....

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by wpipkins

I love Herman Cain and he is authentically black. Actually I really like most conservative blacks with the exception of Allen West and Clarence Thomas. They are both one in the same and most black people would agree.

I don't understand the idea of "authentic" black at all.

Mr. Cain grew up in the inner city, Colonel West was an army brat, Justice Thomas was raised in a non-English speaking community of African Americans down in South Carolina.

Three different life stories, I don't see any of them as less "authentic", perhaps less typical. Their life stories and where they are coming from are all individual.

I don't think that any single individual's behavior, attitude or beliefs should be assumed just because of their racial identification.

[UKyank]

'Pound Cake' Speech Today: Was Bill Cosby Right? | CBN.com

Apparently it didn't go over well at the time

[wpipkins]

Originally Posted by UKyank

'Pound Cake' Speech Today: Was Bill Cosby Right? | CBN.com

Apparently it didn't go over well at the time

Did not go over well with whom?

[Steelers10]

Originally Posted by wpipkins

Most black people totally agreed with his statement. The only ones who would disagree are the ones that are part of the problem. It was not a rant, it was the truth no matter how much it hurt....

This was addressed quite a few years ago on the Boondocks in the episode about what Martin Luther King Jr. would think if he actually had been in a coma since 1968 and woke up in the 2000s!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5FR...e_gdata_player

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by wpipkins

Did not go over well with whom?

According to the article that would be members of the NAACP (at least those at their convention where the speech was made) and the follow up reaction among the majority of the African American community at large thereafter