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It seems like every demographic out there understand my cues to leave me alone...but black men.
Are they unaware how they come across, due to cultural conditioning?
So I'm from the deep south, in a predominantly black area. I noticed racial/cultural differences in behavior at a very young age. What you're pointing out is true: a non-trivial number of black people deal with 'white culture' by either being (A) deliberately inconsiderate, or (B) intimidating.
Examples might be, staring at you with a fierce look -- or taking an inordinate amount of time to cross the street while you're waiting, or any number of day-to-day situations where we make subtle choices in how to deal with others.
at the same time -- when I think about male strangers who are extremely friendly and go well out of their way to make conversation in public, they are disproportionately black. My perspective as a white man is that my fellow white men are typically more considerate, but less apt to be very friendly.
So what I take away is simply that among black men - white men, there's some potential friction due to race, culture, class, and history -- and that different people deal with this friction in different ways.
Always a stranger in our own country. Hence the reason why we are expected to make people who have zero regard for our comfort level comfortable. I also live in an area that has a large population of Asians and don't get that vibe from them.
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Originally Posted by Natural510
I think non-blacks automatically assume a young black man is going to be a potential threat, and it is up to the YBM to dispel that myth by not falling into stereotypes. There are going to be plenty of black men (just like anyone else) who are not going to go out of their way to placate others, and people will think what they want. I know in my area there is plenty of redneck/hillbilly/biker type of whites who act trashy/classless and don't care what anyone else think about them, but somehow that's not a reflection of white people as a whole.
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Originally Posted by Io.I
Exactly. The way I see it is if you have had a cushy or sheltered life others may come across as threatening. Especially if these others come from a harder life. I am Latino and have lived among Blacks most of my life. So I don't turn over my shoulder to look at the black or latino walking behind or next to me. It's just another person.
I currently live in a majority asian and caucasian neighborhood, san francisco. The only ones who are intimidated by me are the whites. And it happens all the time but it doesn't happen with asians. An asian will look you in the eyes and quickly size you up and then go about their business. A white person will not look at you but will skirt away, tense up, change their pace when they see you. No other ethnicity is cautious of you when they are walking behind you then cautious of you when you let them pass and they walk in front of you. You can see them pretending to look at store windows but really looking behind them through their periphery. I have to admit this comes across as cowardly and it is. If I don't get this with little old asian ladies why is a grown white man doing it.
I usually get the frightened look but once in awhile I get both fear and contempt. Last time this happened a white man walking towards me tensed up upon seeing me walking in the opposite direction. Upon seeing that I wasn't a threat he frowned at me. I'm greeting the coward with a smile so he can be at ease and this guy throws me a contemptuous look. So my understanding is that fear and contempt are both sides of the same coin. Why would you frown at someone just a millisecond ago you were afraid of? Asians, Latinos, Blacks, even Italians, Russians don't behave like this. Sorry they don't.
Having said that the media, thug hip hop culture & crime stats do help feed into this kind of intimidation. So everyone who fits the color profile pays for the wrongs of others. And no one is admitting this as a problem as much as they are complaining about profiling and racism. This is the biggest problem. I could care less about whether someone finds me intimidating if minorities would get their act together but no.
The funny thing about this thread is that most of the those who are responding are white.
The blind leading the blind.
Oh, and this is just another question that stems from ignorance. OP probably has limited interaction with AA or is a troll. Why don't you conduct an experiment to test if your hypothesis is true? Start by heading over to SoCal or NY and trying to differentiate between races when it comes to strangers on the street looking "mean" or "intimidating."
so basically, you're not a racist, which is usually what people say before they show themselves to be racist. you try to be a non offending model minority. the people you are most afraid of are black men and you tend to notice them because of your fear. i'm the same way with lizards.
The funny thing about this thread is that most of the those who are responding are white.
The blind leading the blind.
I reckon you don't think white people have anything to contribute to the discussion, huh?
Quote:
Oh, and this is just another question that stems from ignorance. OP probably has limited interaction with AA or is a troll. Why don't you conduct an experiment to test if your hypothesis is true? Start by heading over to SoCal or NY and trying to differentiate between races when it comes to strangers on the street looking "mean" or "intimidating."
Why SoCal or NY?
Huge urban areas are the last places in America you'd want to look, if you were looking for cultural differences unique to blacks. They are much more obvious in rural areas.
I think non-blacks automatically assume a young black man is going to be a potential threat, and it is up to the YBM to dispel that myth by not falling into stereotypes. There are going to be plenty of black men (just like anyone else) who are not going to go out of their way to placate others, and people will think what they want. I know in my area there is plenty of redneck/hillbilly/biker type of whites who act trashy/classless and don't care what anyone else think about them, but somehow that's not a reflection of white people as a whole.
And that is why I dont think it is fair that YBM's shoud have to concern themselves with how their persona is interpreted by the public. Some are copping the hard look to appear fearless while some are just naturally tough looking nice guys just like white guys who ride around in big pick-ups sporting goatees and backwards baseball caps could be percieved as nice or jerks...
Oh, there are definately creepy looking white guys out there. Oh God, I hate it when white guys shave their heads, I can't tell a normal WG from a skinhead! Yep, those fratty white guys in the backwards caps can be quite intimidating, too. But in my experience creepy white dudes tend to keep to themselves.
Yeah, I've had limited contact with AA. I grew up in a pre-dominately white area. And I went to predominately white schools, and worked in pre-dominately white workplaces (except my last job). I hang out in mostly white party spots or bars or whatever. I have black friends who I love dearly, and I have been romantically attracted to black women here and there. But yeah, I have limited experiences with interacting with AA in large groups.
"Next he'll start a thread about how the women of his race doesn't like him, that's what he dates "non-black" women"
Whaatttt? That's a total non-sequitor, what would that subject have anything to do with this subject?
Are you even sure that I'm a "he"?
Last edited by redbacchus; 08-05-2013 at 09:50 AM..
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