Ben Carson: Obama was "raised white" (regular, racism, Birmingham)

[veezybell]

Originally Posted by dsjj251

I didnt miss your point, im saying that no one has the right to define "Black".

you should have a problem with anyone trying to define it and exclude people.





What is black culture and why do you get to define it ? Why do you have to fit be involved in black culture to be black ?

I'm not defining black culture; I didn't understand white culture until years after being around white people and learning things that they had in common. Let's use a hypothetical situation: Obama and Michelle are watching ComicView on BET. Michelle is laughing hysterically while Obama is confused by half the jokes on there. Why is this? He doesn't relate to the culture. The same thing would happen with one of those African babies adopted by Angelina Jolie. Do you think that baby is gonna grow up understanding black culture? It is what it is. I don't know how else I can explain it.

Originally Posted by shellymdnv

I grew up in what is now Miami Gardens. While I did have some Black friends growing up, my schools had more Caribbean and Hispanic students. My parents didn't encourage us to be around American Blacks and things like speaking "proper" English was emphasized. We ended up spending most of our school vacations in the islands so my exposure to Black American culture was somewhat limited by my parents but like you said I was still exposed. My point is that just because you didn't grow up directly in the experience doesn't mean that you don't understand it.

I grew up with tons of Jamaicans, Bahamians, Haitians, etc. in South Miami Heights, and even though they were first or second-generation Americans, we all related to each other. You had black friends and you understand the culture. I'm sure you also demonstrate characteristics that are considered part of black culture.

I know it's just a TV show, but you remember Fresh Prince right? Will Smith is obviously black, grew up with black culture, and demonstrates it. Uncle Phil (Ben Carson in this case) grew up with black culture, but has removed himself from it. Carlton (Obama) never grew up with black culture, and is somewhat shielded from it by Uncle Phil. That's why Carlton never understands what Will is doing or why Will wants to participate in certain activities; Carlton would rather play lacrosse or listen to Tom Jones. Nothing wrong with those, but the average black person isn't going to relate to Carlton. Obama even one-ups Carlton, because he didn't even grow up with black family members at all. So Carlton would probably understand more than Obama.

Originally Posted by ohhwanderlust

What in the blazes does it mean to raise someone 'black style' ?

Is there a special black way to serve dinner?
Is there a special black way to put kids to bed?
Is there a proprietary black method of diaper-changing?
A unique homework-helping method that only works on children above a certain melanin threshold?

I'm sorry, but this is hilarious. I'll answer this with things my black country grandma would say.

Is there a special black way to serve dinner? Y'all c'mon in here and get this supper!
Is there a special black way to put kids to bed? You see what time it is?! Y'all better get y'alls black asses in that bed!!
Is there a proprietary black method of diaper-changing? I can't remember back this far, but I'm sure angry yelling was involved.
A unique homework-helping method that only works on children above a certain melanin threshold? Y'all better "get that lesson" (do your homework) cuz I ain't raising no fools!!

[dsjj251]

Originally Posted by veezybell

I'm not defining black culture; I didn't understand white culture until years after being around white people and learning things that they had in common. Let's use a hypothetical situation: Obama and Michelle are watching ComicView on BET. Michelle is laughing hysterically while Obama is confused by half the jokes on there. Why is this? He doesn't relate to the culture. The same thing would happen with one of those African babies adopted by Angelina Jolie. Do you think that baby is gonna grow up understanding black culture? It is what it is. I don't know how else I can explain it.

you are defining it if you claim Barack Obama didnt have it or didnt understand it.

All you explained was an assumption. Something you cant even prove to be true. You assume that because he has a white parent, that he doesnt know your definition of black culture. Thats flawed logic on 2 levels.


The first one is the most obvious, that having a white parent doesnt mean you dont know what black culture is or that you didnt experience it. All it means is that you have a white parent.


The second is your definition of black culture, which is unique to you.

[Feltdesigner]

Originally Posted by Tritone

Nothing to do with "tearing him down".

He was in fact raised white and is not ethnically related to American blacks.

This is why I've always found it more significant that the first lady is black. Michelle is really one of us.

and since he married Michelle...

[Feltdesigner]

Originally Posted by It'sAutomatic

It's not politically relevant but he's 100% right. Obama is "black", but not a deep-south-cornbread-collard-greens African American. He can choose his identity if he likes, but in my eyes he will never be like the rest of the black people in this country. Ben Carson is a complete wacko but he's right.

huh? Obama couldn't choose to be white...

[odanny]

Carson....is that the pyramids for grain silo's guy?

[Feltdesigner]

Originally Posted by veezybell

Black folks adopted by whites are still black, but they don't identify with black culture. And what is a magic negro?



He's right. Are you black? Because if you are, then surely you'd remember how other black kids in predominately black schools would pick on the kids actually trying to learn? People would mock me because I liked to read in my free time. Only in ghetto minority communities do you find stupid stuff like that; it was the same thing in the not-so-wholesome Hispanic neighborhoods.




I'm from Miami too. What neighborhood are you from? Unless you grew up in South Beach, chances are you had a bunch of black friends even if you were middle class, thereby exposing you to black culture. I live in Hawaii now and the school Obama attended (and the neighborhood he lived in) has predominately rich white and Asian people; it has been that way for decades.

the magic negro is the one who can choose to be white because he didn't grow up in the "hood"

yes, I'm Black. I also grew up in a white suburb and went to a predominantly white school. Guess what happens when you grow up around a bunch of white kids? You get reminded how you look different.

I definitely had black friends tho, but even if I didn't it still wouldn't change the color of my skin.

[veezybell]

Originally Posted by dsjj251

you are defining it if you claim Barack Obama didnt have it or didnt understand it.

All you explained was an assumption. Something you cant even prove to be true. You assume that because he has a white parent, that he doesnt know your definition of black culture. Thats flawed logic on 2 levels.


The first one is the most obvious, that having a white parent doesnt mean you dont know what black culture is or that you didnt experience it. All it means is that you have a white parent.


The second is your definition of black culture, which is unique to you.

Good grief. How does a black culture exists if it hasn't been defined? How come I am able to meet black folks from all over the country and relate to them on multiple things, not just the fact that we're black?

I'll give you one more example, this time real life. I went to basic training in the Army when I was 18. All the black kids in my platoon hung out together (one dude was from Brooklyn, one was from Jersey, one was from ATL, I was from Miami, one was from New Orleans). There was one black dude that didn't hang with us and would rather hang out with the white boys, named Smith. When I first met Smith, he was this big imposing dude, probably 6'2 and 220 lbs of muscle. As soon as I spoke to him, I realized he wasn't like the rest of us. He didn't use black vernacular, he spoke with one of those generic newscaster voices, he didn't understand how the rest of us shook hands, he listened to Garth Brooks, etc. He was the blackest one out of our platoon as far as skin color, but he understood our culture the least. Come to find out, Smith grew up in Corpus Christi and he was adopted by a white couple when he was very young. We asked him why he didn't hang out with us, and he said we made him uncomfortable. Meanwhile, our white friend Spivey (from Birmingham, AL) would be shooting the breeze with us, playing spades, cee-lo and bones, debating on the best rappers, the whole nine.

Your persistence on trying to prove me wrong tells me two things: 1. you're probably not black, and 2. you don't understand black culture. You don't have to be black to understand black culture, and you don't automatically understand it because you're black. This is how you have people like Rachel Dolezal becoming the leader of an NAACP branch.

Originally Posted by Feltdesigner

the magic negro is the one who can choose to be white because he didn't grow up in the "hood"

yes, I'm Black. I also grew up in a white suburb and went to a predominantly white school. Guess what happens when you grow up around a bunch of white kids? You get reminded how you look different.

I definitely had black friends tho, but even if I didn't it still wouldn't change the color of my skin.

Since you had black friends, I'm assuming you understand black culture even if you grew up in a white suburb and went to a white school, similar to the other poster with the Caribbean parents. The only black kids Obama would've been exposed to out here in Hawaii would've been military brats, which I seriously doubt he encountered going to Punahou (a very prestigious private school here with a large number of rich whites and Asians). Once he went to college in LA, maybe he exposed himself to more black people then. But Carson is right when he said Obama was raised white. I'm not even gonna get into the demographics of Indonesia, but I think it's safe to say he didn't encounter many black people, let alone black culture.

[shellymdnv]

Originally Posted by veezybell

I'm not defining black culture; I didn't understand white culture until years after being around white people and learning things that they had in common. Let's use a hypothetical situation: Obama and Michelle are watching ComicView on BET. Michelle is laughing hysterically while Obama is confused by half the jokes on there. Why is this? He doesn't relate to the culture. The same thing would happen with one of those African babies adopted by Angelina Jolie. Do you think that baby is gonna grow up understanding black culture? It is what it is. I don't know how else I can explain it.



I grew up with tons of Jamaicans, Bahamians, Haitians, etc. in South Miami Heights, and even though they were first or second-generation Americans, we all related to each other. You had black friends and you understand the culture. I'm sure you also demonstrate characteristics that are considered part of black culture.

I know it's just a TV show, but you remember Fresh Prince right? Will Smith is obviously black, grew up with black culture, and demonstrates it. Uncle Phil (Ben Carson in this case) grew up with black culture, but has removed himself from it. Carlton (Obama) never grew up with black culture, and is somewhat shielded from it by Uncle Phil. That's why Carlton never understands what Will is doing or why Will wants to participate in certain activities; Carlton would rather play lacrosse or listen to Tom Jones. Nothing wrong with those, but the average black person isn't going to relate to Carlton. Obama even one-ups Carlton, because he didn't even grow up with black family members at all. So Carlton would probably understand more than Obama.

The problem that I see is that you are defining what Carlton grew up with as not Black culture. I think that it is Black culture just different, no better no worse. The same is true for general American culture, people growing up in the south aren't going to fully understand northern culture, and neither are going to fully understand west coast culture but all will have some things in common. What we need to do is stop thinking there is one right way. Look at other shows that represent Black culture, Good Times, The Jeffersons, The Cosby Show, even Blackish and Empire, they are examples of Black experiences some of us relate to some better than others but they are all part of our culture

[desertdetroiter]

There is no such thing as raised white if you're not white. It ain't possible.

Ben Carson's upbringing isn't typically black...and he's stupid for suggesting that it is.

[Supachai]

Ben Carson is right. Obama is basically Rachel Dolezal, raised White and then went to college and felt he wasn't cool enough as a White person, so he then spent the rest of his life trying his best to be Black.

Bill Clinton was the first and only Black president.