Black Culture Discussion Thread

[bradnsu]

All these trolls on this site just shows how ignorant white America is

Mad annoying at times and I lowkey wish it was as open as it used to be. Internet is these ******* safe haven

Yep Closet Racists love SOCIAL NETWORKS & BLOGS bruh so they can hide behind that keyboard cuz they know 95% of the **** that they say about BLACK FOLKS on BLOGS & SOCIAL MEDIA would get their teeth kicked in if they said it in real life...WHITE AMERICA loves to pay attention to the paintings on the wall instead of the ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.....Thats why when talking to them in real life I try to talk with basic term & have basic responses because they love to use BROAD WORDPLAY to confuse people they like to talk in code....Like take their new infatuation with using the word THUG to describe black males now they are just calling you a NI**A but in a very slick & coded way...

 

[mr marcus]

Yea I've been peeped game on the usage of thug. Even the way they say it so much built up anger behind it

 

[tokes99]

No these issues are about race and we have got to stop trying to downplay it to make it comfortable for everyone else. Classism is also a problem, but blacks worldwide our held at the bottom and attacked. Their is an extra emphasis on black people in every single society on this Earth, that is for a reason.

As far protesting being a distraction to the bigger problem i would answer that the justice system having the right to kill us at will is one of the biggest issues CLEARLY. I don't want to hear about the difficulty of the cops jobs or "mistakes" happening when it comes to black mens lives, this isn't only an issue of killings that are going on, this is a long history of police beatdowns, police corruption, & the criminalizing of black men for 100's of years. At some point we have to stop thinking this system is "broken" and realizing that this is the exact system people want in power. It's the exact system that helped build this country, & being sympathetic towards them and making it easier for them is gonna change nothing.

American media loves to throw around the word "victimization" and insinuate that somehow blacks shouldn't discuss the fact that we ARE VICTIMS. We have been victimized and targets of destruction for centuries & not going to feel bad about pointing that out. As of this very day we are being targeted and we're expected to move as if the playing field is level and we somehow should work within the system.

your post reads as if being docile & not pissing off a regime that wants to Lynch us all is somehow going to bring change

race is definitely plays an important part and maybe more so in some cases than others but like I stated before to me it seems more like class thing...but curious as to what you the the reason is that "Their is an extra emphasis on black people in every single society on this Earth, that is for a reason."???

i guess my point in that was both 1) this isn't a new phenomenon (not that justifies any complacency), so what's so different about now? 2) i'm not sure that the arc of justice isn't curving to a better place rather than it just seeming worse because of the way things are reported and 3) i also don't know that protesting police conduct and/or jury outcomes is really getting at the source; that stuff seems more like symptoms rather than root cause...i just feel like we aren't connecting the dots, wage stagnation despite productivity gains, lack of employment, poor schools, bogus drug laws, lack of tax dollars (which greatly contributes to how communities are policed), are a result of decisions & policies pursued and i don't think that what is being protested changes the math in any way, because I don't believe that the people involved (for the most part, there are of course many exceptions) or institutions themselves are racist...now are they biased based on limited experience & understanding, definitely seems to be the case

as for the victim thing, no one could fix their face to say that this country hasn't victimized black people to a grotesque degree (along with native americans, asians, latin Americans when convenient) but the question is that victimization integral to what it means to be black? is it an internalized self defining feature of being a black man (and to be sure it is an issue that primarily affects men because for as much black women have to endure, they seem to be fairing much better than men)?

 

[drones]

snip

Bro you're all over the place with this rant...what point are you trying to make?   This reads like a stream of consciousness ramble.

And I disagree with your point about comparing black struggle to other races...our situation is totally unique because the majority of us were brought here by force with the intent of building an economy on our backs.  Other immigrant groups except for American Indians came here by choice and were allowed to keep their culture, customs, language etc.

 

[drones]

Africans sold Africans. If by force u mean our own people catchin and selling our own people then yes... We should be angry at our ancestors for what they did to our ancestors.

First off, that 'blacks sold slaves too!' is a deflection from the SWS playbook and doesn't have **** to do with what black people have been through in this country...so don't even go there.  Second off...the overwhelming majority of slaves were captured by whites who financed the entire operation...who do you think the comparative handful of blacks were selling the people to?  Other blacks?  They were sold to whites who devised the concept of economic slavery, so let's not get **** twisted with deflections away from RWS.

PS; Is this somebody's alt account?

 

[mr marcus]

I'm convinced it is...dude comes out the blue spitting this ******** behind the "I'm a carribean Latino" thing

Then the way he kept calling me a ***** rubbed me the wrong way like it was a sws behind this account

 

[drones]

N
na just spitting facts. Denying facts about history is a way to manipulate others in feeling sorry for us. I'm just being real... You're just mad cuz I'm disagreeing with you guys. Grow up. And nobody called u a "N". I mentioned how chris rock says "there's black people then there's "n's". When u act ignorantly then u make us people look bad to the so called "White man".I'm done wasting my time with the illogical. Spit logical ish and grow up. Get over the social construct. If i ccan deal with the disadvantages of being a minority and many others can then so can u.

So now you're not black you're a 'minority...' do us a favor and post on your real account.

 

[tokes99]

snip

Bro you're all over the place with this rant...what point are you trying to make?   This reads like a stream of consciousness ramble.

And I disagree with your point about comparing black struggle to other races...our situation is totally unique because the majority of us were brought here by force with the intent of building an economy on our backs.  Other immigrant groups except for American Indians came here by choice and were allowed to keep their culture, customs, language etc.

basically that its much more economics than race or racism, and to try to address one one without the other, to my mind anyway, seems like a missed opportunity...granted there are people who have lost lives without consequence to offenders who are paid to protect us all, so that does alter the response people feel is necessary...but if the conditions that enabled those outcomes still exist and we're just addressing this little part of the problem; will things really be better? it's 2014 do people need protesters to tell them that black & men in color generally have a VERY different relationship with law enforcement than white dudes?

this ta-nehisi coates article from the atlantic in some ways may contradict what i think about institutions not being racist but generally there isn't really anything resembling the outright explicit prejudice that once existed in terms of policy, it mostly exists on an unseen, invisible layer...i can't really say i have a solution but it just seems to me that there is something else at the root of if, and i don't believe in conspiracy theories of cabals or otherwise powerful people sitting and planning on the fate of black men...

i don't mean to conflate the black struggle with other races, my point there was more in response to notion that there is something unique about the black man that whites are trying to stomp out, by saying that for the most part the history of this country where whites have been the majority (and even when they weren't) everyone defined as "other" has been placed lower on the totem pole or mistreated is some way (of course not to the same extent)

confused, sws & rws are acronyms for???

 

[trynafeelmink]

race is definitely plays an important part and maybe more so in some cases than others but like I stated before to me it seems more like class thing...but curious as to what you the the reason is that "Their is an extra emphasis on black people in every single society on this Earth, that is for a reason."???

i guess my point in that was both 1) this isn't a new phenomenon (not that justifies any complacency), so what's so different about now? 2) i'm not sure that the arc of justice isn't curving to a better place rather than it just seeming worse because of the way things are reported and 3) i also don't know that protesting police conduct and/or jury outcomes is really getting at the source; that stuff seems more like symptoms rather than root cause...i just feel like we aren't connecting the dots, wage stagnation despite productivity gains, lack of employment, poor schools, bogus drug laws, lack of tax dollars (which greatly contributes to how communities are policed), are a result of decisions & policies pursued and i don't think that what is being protested changes the math in any way, because I don't believe that the people involved (for the most part, there are of course many exceptions) or institutions themselves are racist...now are they biased based on limited experience & understanding, definitely seems to be the case

as for the victim thing, no one could fix their face to say that this country hasn't victimized black people to a grotesque degree (along with native americans, asians, latin Americans when convenient) but the question is that victimization integral to what it means to be black? is it an internalized self defining feature of being a black man (and to be sure it is an issue that primarily affects men because for as much black women have to endure, they seem to be fairing much better than men)?

1) My reason for them victimizing blacks worldwide consist of them knowing that if blacks were aware of our real history and the greatness that we've created on this earth they would no longer be able to dominate us as easily. Black pride and admiration of our culture was completely washed away, & due to that there has always been a sense of confusion and a sense of looking for leadership (Which has been fulfilled by white patriarchy & religion since slavery). There is also the splits btwn all the different black people in the world and the fact that OVERALL in the world darker people are the majority still. So division is essential for Europeans to continue to build on our labor.

2) It isn't a new phenomenon at all you are correct, but these police killings are something that draws a straight Link to how White America views us. When we say are schools are lower class it's hard to state that simply, when we say racism is rampant in the job market it's a discussion, When we are done dirty in the justice system it's still hard for people to agree without studying the numbers. With The rampant amount of police murders, it's not much that needs to be said, it's injustice against blacks in the most literal and clearest sense possible.

3) We have to realize that many people aren't as drawn to all the injustices that blacks really face, and when i say that i'm talkin people in the black community. All those issues that you named are very important issues that must be addressed, but this is something that's going to take times. This is an era who may not know exactly how deep these problems go, however tackling the police and their measures of policing our a BIG step in the right direction. Arrest and targeting of black men directly effect each category you named.

4) Victimization is something that is integral in the black community, & by that i don't mean in a feel sorry for yourself kind of way. I mean knowing exactly who your oppressors are & what exactly they have done to make this a lopsided game. There are to many black men who aren't even aware just how ****** up of a position this country has tried to put us in. That attitude leads to the mentality that causes divide. I see it on NT all the time, once a black person "makes" it out of their situation they then look back and place judgement on those still stuck in a bad situation as lazy, or making excuses.... without challenging the very same system that they KNOW produces prejudice and a divide btwn black men & their white peers.

We have to acknowledge and fight for a more balanced system & make sure people realize that yes there is a VERY big gap in each institution in this country.

 

[tay1]

Your weak unintelligent way of trying to manipulate by putting words in my mouth and adding made up ish to my comments such as "so u not black yiu a minority now" is petty and straight cat like aka poon like. Man the F up amd be mature. Use logic and get yiur facts in history and life in general rght. Be open minded young blood. I have West African Ancestry I am part black. Id be pickin cotton or doing some form a slavery RIGHT NEXT TO U. I am No different from Obama, Michael Ealy,and many other mixed people. I'm a Caribbean Latino. You wanna claim us Dominicans, Cubans and Puerto ricans so badly but get mad at the ones who don't claim their African ancestry but when it's not advantageous then were just some other ****. What do you think blacks are? Blacks are African mixed with European and some native even along with whatever else. So called "Hispanics" are the same exact mixture unless they're 100% european or African. Im West African, Southern European, Indigenous Indian (arawak taino indian), North African, and East Asian). You're not even fully African. African American's and Hispanics from the Caribbean are the same ****. So Like I said, as a man of color and African ancestry who grew up in the HOOD OF NYC aka a light skinned brother, you needa educate yourself my BROTHA. The issues light skinned people of color face is hate from whites and hate frm darks aka "blacks" Racism from both sides. Cut the ******** out and go on with life. Nobody likes a weak minded self pItty individual. I'm overcoming my life disadvantages and so should u. Stop the black supremicist racist thinking. Be a gray zone person, not just black and white.I'm done with you guys. Rest my case. Peace.

Then be done and don't come back. You make 3 posts and act as if you dropped some knowledge, when you haven't.

 

[mr marcus]

Bruh what are you talking about. I think you're a troll account...that is all


Not reading all that other ****

 

[trynafeelmink]

please don't let dude come in here with that troll rhetoric and throw off real conversation. PLEASE.

 

[bradnsu]

that's facts not trolling. Trolling Is mr. Marcus saying the igbirant ish he says. And him trying to tell me what I am and what I'm not. Had I been ignorant and agreeing to y all opinion you'd be "broing" me. Yall Just pissed about the truth I guess. Not advantageous to u. Only agree with what u wanna hear. Its iighy little son. Man up.

WHAT IS YOUR & THE OTHER GUY'S PURPOSE FOR COMING IN THIS THREAD?? Explain in 1-2 SENTENCES man let us know & if your response is not satisfying or you try to be evasive we will figure out that their is no need to keep discussing anything else with you in regards to RACIAL TOPICS end of dialogue discussion with you is over...No need to keep going back and forth..

 

[bradnsu]

who the hell are ya to determine what's valid or not? Lol You're bugging my brother. I'm gonna ignore everything u just said. But i do want it to be known that me , as a man of color and since this is a thread about black culture, I am part of this culture, Im tired of our people being ignorant and childish. Choosing what benefits us and ignoring reality. How are we gonna say what we learn in school is lies and biased yet the stuff we learn frfrom others is valid and unbiased? No. The fact is that history ffrom both sides and all sides isn't 100% accurate. Unless we were there at these events we don't know the truth. To top it off, we sold our own people as slaves. We used our own people as slaves. We weren't the romanticized society that people makes us to be. Same goes for my indian culture, my arab culture and European culture. US blacks ain't **** special or unique. No culture is innocent. And all the **** in the pass is what it is called, which is history. It's the past. The past got **** to do with **** now. Not everything done is racial. Not all killings are racial. If anything us blacks are equally if not MORE racist than the others... not all bUT alot of us yes. That's facts. A lot of you guys on here are examples of this. You have no facts or knowledge to back up anything that u say. Most of what u say is easily debunked and it's just ignorant and some black supremist ish. You're doing and saying what the racist whites do and say to us. Being. I can go on but I'll stop here. I'd like to emphasize that race isn't real it's a social structure. So remember thattoo. We're know different from whites or any others.

WHO AM I ? A REGULAR MEMBER OF THIS SITE THAT HATES TO SEE A GOOD THREAD GET DERAILED BY FOOLISHESS...THIS GUY NEVER MADE HIS PURPOSE KNOWN JUST MORE RAMBLING & TALKING IN CIRCLES NO NEED TO KEEP TALKING TO THIS GUY FELLAS IGNORE HIM & LET'S START A NEW TOPIC.....

 

[bradnsu]

what's foolish about what I'm saying? And how is it derailed? Yiur ego is derailed I'm assuming because I don't think facts and knowledge can derail a topic like this... so enlighten me homeboy.

I'm not Discussing Anything with you homie as I said before.....By the way HAVE A GOOD CHRISTMAS MY BROTHER...

 

[tay1]

who the hell are ya to determine what's valid or not? Lol You're bugging my brother. I'm gonna ignore everything u just said. But i do want it to be known that me , as a man of color and since this is a thread about black culture, I am part of this culture, Im tired of our people being ignorant and childish. Choosing what benefits us and ignoring reality. How are we gonna say what we learn in school is lies and biased yet the stuff we learn frfrom others is valid and unbiased? No. The fact is that history ffrom both sides and all sides isn't 100% accurate. Unless we were there at these events we don't know the truth. To top it off, we sold our own people as slaves. We used our own people as slaves. We weren't the romanticized society that people makes us to be. Same goes for my indian culture, my arab culture and European culture. US blacks ain't **** special or unique. No culture is innocent. And all the **** in the pass is what it is called, which is history. It's the past. The past got **** to do with **** now. Not everything done is racial. Not all killings are racial. If anything us blacks are equally if not MORE racist than the others... not all bUT alot of us yes. That's facts. A lot of you guys on here are examples of this. You have no facts or knowledge to back up anything that u say. Most of what u say is easily debunked and it's just ignorant and some black supremist ish. You're doing and saying what the racist whites do and say to us. Being. I can go on but I'll stop here. I'd like to emphasize that race isn't real it's a social structure. So remember thattoo. We're know different from whites or any others.

For one, I thought  you said you were done & leaving?

Two, the terrible things that has happened to us is a result from what happened in the past, so that's stupid to say.

 

[AEA18]

 

[Quincy McCall]

I don't celebrate any holidays but I hope everyone does have a good one, I'm sure most lurk in here anyways so happy holidays to whoever's reading rite now

 

[bradnsu]

I don't celebrate any holidays but I hope everyone does have a good one, I'm sure most lurk in here anyways so happy holidays to whoever's reading rite now

It don't really matter to me if people celebrate holidays it is what it is as long as I'm off from work call it a PAGAN holiday or whatever...Yall gonna enjoy this 4 day weekend just like people who celebrate CHRISTMAS...lmao So with that being said HAPPY HOLIDAYS FELLAS PEACE & RESPECT...

 

[spottieottie305]

this is hilarious... oh and happy "Day Off" to my brothas out here representing.

 

[gry60]

Africans sold Africans. If by force u mean our own people catchin and selling our own people then yes... We should be angry at our ancestors for what they did to our ancestors.

This is a gross oversimplification of what actually was. I mean, the statement is only true if we look at Africans as an homogeneous entity, which has been the way the European powers have traditionally viewed the peoples of Black Africa.

The truth is a lot more nuanced, as Africans as a whole are extremely diverse, and such differences express themselves very strongly through the land one's ethnic group occupy, the languages they speak, and/or the customs and cultures practiced. For example, the country I come from is host to more than 200 languages, spoken by a little more than 20 million people. While we all see ourselves as Cameroonians, we very much acknowledge our various cultural heritages that have been passed down from generation to generation for centuries, even before the arrival of the first Europeans in our region. I am pointing that out because Africans may have sold other Africans, but the Duala people weren't selling their fellow Dualas to the British: they were selling the Bamileke, the Beti, etc... and vice-versa. In the eyes of the captor, the person being sold was not one of theirs.

 

[tay1]

This is a gross oversimplification of what actually was. I mean, the statement is only true if we look at Africans as an homogeneous entity, which has been the way the European powers have traditionally viewed the peoples of Black Africa.

The truth is a lot more nuanced, as Africans as a whole are extremely diverse, and such differences express themselves very strongly through the land one's ethnic group occupy, the languages they speak, and/or the customs and cultures practiced. For example, the country I come from is host to more than 200 languages, spoken by a little more than 20 million people. While we all see ourselves as Cameroonians, we very much acknowledge our various cultural heritages that have been passed down from generation to generation for centuries, even before the arrival of the first Europeans in our region. I am pointing that out because Africans may have sold other Africans, but the Duala people weren't selling their fellow Dualas to the British: they were selling the Bamileke, the Beti, etc... and vice-versa. In the eyes of the captor, the person being sold was not one of theirs.

Agreed. It is something I learned not long ago, and won't be surprised to know that many don't know this as well. The collective group of people we call Africans, or the native americans of this country, never saw themselves as one unified group of people.

 

[tokes99]

1) My reason for them victimizing blacks worldwide consist of them knowing that if blacks were aware of our real history and the greatness that we've created on this earth they would no longer be able to dominate us as easily. Black pride and admiration of our culture was completely washed away, & due to that there has always been a sense of confusion and a sense of looking for leadership (Which has been fulfilled by white patriarchy & religion since slavery). There is also the splits btwn all the different black people in the world and the fact that OVERALL in the world darker people are the majority still. So division is essential for Europeans to continue to build on our labor.

2) It isn't a new phenomenon at all you are correct, but these police killings are something that draws a straight Link to how White America views us. When we say are schools are lower class it's hard to state that simply, when we say racism is rampant in the job market it's a discussion, When we are done dirty in the justice system it's still hard for people to agree without studying the numbers. With The rampant amount of police murders, it's not much that needs to be said, it's injustice against blacks in the most literal and clearest sense possible.

3) We have to realize that many people aren't as drawn to all the injustices that blacks really face, and when i say that i'm talkin people in the black community. All those issues that you named are very important issues that must be addressed, but this is something that's going to take times. This is an era who may not know exactly how deep these problems go, however tackling the police and their measures of policing our a BIG step in the right direction. Arrest and targeting of black men directly effect each category you named.

4) Victimization is something that is integral in the black community, & by that i don't mean in a feel sorry for yourself kind of way. I mean knowing exactly who your oppressors are & what exactly they have done to make this a lopsided game. There are to many black men who aren't even aware just how ****** up of a position this country has tried to put us in. That attitude leads to the mentality that causes divide. I see it on NT all the time, once a black person "makes" it out of their situation they then look back and place judgement on those still stuck in a bad situation as lazy, or making excuses.... without challenging the very same system that they KNOW produces prejudice and a divide btwn black men & their white peers.

We have to acknowledge and fight for a more balanced system & make sure people realize that yes there is a VERY big gap in each institution in this country.

i don't necessarily disagree on the merits of 2, 3, 4 (i've never really thought about victimization in this way, in 2014 who exactly are the oppressors & what have they done to rig the game? not being at all sarcastic, these are questions that seem like they start to get to something fundamental rather than the contextual nature of police interactions), and i'd slightly push back on the "real history" talk on your #1 though i can see how the majority of people in the world being of color and whites seemingly being in power sets up that dynamic to think in that way, but i'm generally less interested in that line of thinking anyway (any obfuscation of "real history" is mostly particular to blacks in the americas and even that is on a spectrum -from brazilians, cubans, & the gullah who in some part embrace their african-ness to black americans & puerto ricans, & dominicans who no less validly feel african-ness doesn't quite resonate-and maybe blacks in the uk, most everywhere else people of color aren't as confused as you seem to think they are about their history) so i'll give you that...

i'd really hope that the conversation would go beyond the policing thing, not because it isn't an important issue, but because i'm not really certain it is THE issue...but you know what, if this eventually gets the discourse to some larger understanding, that will be great, i just don't see how that happens when it everything so myopically focused on police interactions with black men in this kind of knee-jerk way, instead of asking WHY the police have so much interaction with black men? crime, especially of a violent nature, is actually on the decline and statistically speaking blacks aren't necessarily more likely to commit crimes than whites, so why don't arrests & police presence reflect that? why is it they can go so hardbody in certain neighborhoods and rough folks up but not others?

chris rock's response here from 10:17 to 11:42 in some ways encapsulates how i feel about things generally. things are much better than they've ever been (of course, there is farther to go still) and focusing narrowly on the police conduct as far as race is concerned in these cases as if there is an epidemic seems, while definitely not trivial, not to be even in the top 5 #seewhatididthere of the issues facing men of color...

 

[victor page]

 

[HankHill]

This is a gross oversimplification of what actually was. I mean, the statement is only true if we look at Africans as an homogeneous entity, which has been the way the European powers have traditionally viewed the peoples of Black Africa.


The truth is a lot more nuanced, as Africans as a whole are extremely diverse, and such differences express themselves very strongly through the land one's ethnic group occupy, the languages they speak, and/or the customs and cultures practiced. For example, the country I come from is host to more than 200 languages, spoken by a little more than 20 million people. While we all see ourselves as Cameroonians, we very much acknowledge our various cultural heritages that have been passed down from generation to generation for centuries, even before the arrival of the first Europeans in our region. I am pointing that out because Africans may have sold other Africans, but the Duala people weren't selling their fellow Dualas to the British: they were selling the Bamileke, the Beti, etc... and vice-versa. In the eyes of the captor, the person being sold was not one of theirs.

Agreed. It is something I learned not long ago, and won't be surprised to know that many don't know this as well. The collective group of people we call Africans, or the native americans of this country, never saw themselves as one unified group of people.

Wasn't it war captives?