Actually, no. I'm not upset with you at all. I never really was. It was the question, coupled with this latest gaffe from yet another far-right conservative that has a high stature in our culture.
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The English language is an interesting one in that a word or phrase can have different meanings but check this out [[and I'm talking to anyone who is interested and no one in particular)....
...many people may read the above statement and say, she wants me to think like her yet no where did I say that, no where is there a word or phrase that can be interpreted as my saying that yet for those people who think I'm trying to tell them how to think, where did their thought come from? Did it come from what I wrote, or did it come from something based in their own minds? If you [[a collective you) respond based on what you thought as oppose to what is said, where or how do you find that line where real communication and understanding begin? In my world, listening to your thoughts without listening to my words, is not listening to me. I see that a lot here on SDF and in the world in general. I think that's why so many conflicts break out.
Just a thought.
Ms M, skool him or herself took most of the folks on this thread from point A to point W
for weird by not saying concisely what he or she meant in the first post. There is a difference for me between expanding on a thought or subject and what went on here.
You can say whatever you want in skool's defense but I'm really not interested in any more of his or her "ponderings"...
Excuse me...
Splanky, people are not always concise in their thoughts, that's the way it is sometimes. I understand your point of view and I apologize for not having the concise words to articulate mine [[point of view)
Understanding, accepting and agreeing don't have to go hand in hand but of the three, I think understanding is the most important....but that's just me. Have a great day Splanky.
Soulster, no, she revealed her true racism in the comments she made in closing about how she would have thought that by electing a black man as President that it would have ended black people demonizing white people for hating them just because they are black. In other words what she was saying was "haven't WE done enough for you people already...... This the same line of thinking after The Emancipation Proclamation, The Brown vs the Board of Education [[Topeka,KS) and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Excuse me? Ponderings? Whether or not I specified news people in my first post or not they are still PEOPLE. I asked why do people say that? Now I'm curious to know why a question has upset you so much. I simply asked a question, haven't been arguing with anyone or baiting anyone. So why are you really upset?
For the record it was not after "so much discussion" it was like 5 post later. I must say that I really don't understand why a question, a healthy debate got you so upset. I'm really curious to know why. Help me understand where this is coming from. We all have our own experiences, and I'm not upset with you being upset.
I've been told by certain people months ago that I should just move, but I can't do that in this economic climate, and with my money issues right now. So, for the time being, I have to live and work in tea-bagger country, and I mean of the racist kind. What sets me off about your question is that it should have seemed obvious to you or anyone why that word shouldn't be used. It all tied in with the current political climate out there, and where I live, there's no way of avoiding uit or ignoring it. these people are in your face, and it takes all my strength not to assault them! It's that bad! These people do not listen, and they do not give anyone a chance. yeah, that's the way of the world, but it's also why I sometimes come out swinging.
If you had worded your initail post differently, and not had a track record for inflamatory [[trolling) type posts, perhaps I would not have had that kind of reaction.
I would be more than happy to have the discussion if you would be a little more open with who you are.
I stand by my initial post. It was just the initial question. Meant to be part of an ongoing evolving conversation. I was at work at the time and couldn't throw it all out there in one post. When I thought about what I was about to discuss I wanted to initially keep it simple. What was that again?
"Why do people say "The N Word"? Not the actual word, but "The N Word"?
Short and in my mind to the point. That is exactly what I meant to ask. I wasn't asking that question on a simple surface level. Perhaps that is what didn't come through, but it is certainly not something I feel sorry for.
Soulster.... you were the one in Arizona, right? My best friend just moved back from there and basically said that mostly the people there are a bunch of assholes. There are areas of conservative people who arne't such jerks, even though I might not agree with their politics. I see that alot of your opinions might be colored by this hostile climate you are living in, and I understand that. If you do decide or are able to move, might I suggest anywhere in the midwest [[NOT TEXAS) you'll find a much friendlier bunch around there...... or if that's not possible, maybe you can try to arrange your career and life so you don't have to answer to anyone. Just a few suggestions to reduce your stress level. Rural areas are nice, too..... if you want, you can keep to yourself and not even have to associate with your neighbors if you don't want to. Incidentally, my friend works in the horticultrue business [[Like I do) but in Arizona, all these teabaggers are too cheap to hire someone who speaks english to do the work, so while they give lip service to "closing the borders" they are the first to hire a cheap illegal alien to trim their bushes and plant their flowers.
Hi Jill,
Yup! I'm here in AZ, and in a rural area. Rural areas are NOT better! There are an awful lot of gun-touting, flag-waving assholes out here. Here's the kicker: most of them moved here from the midwest! The attitude I get comes more from the over 50 crowd, and there's a LOT of 'em here! It's also no surprise that most of the anti-Mexican crowd are from the midwest. They are scared of anyone who isn't white, and don't know or understand the diverse culture we have always had down here.
I come from the midwest and once lived in Texas. I will not live in Texas, nor will I live in Oklahoma. I'm from Kansas, and I know how bad that is. California is more my speed, but it's so frikkin' expensive! I need to finish my school so I won't have to work with the general public anymore. That alone would reduce my annoyance factor. We have those nuts who try to register with the state to become "sovereign citizens".
What's even crazier is when I meet some nice chick, and then she starts running down that tea-bagger crap. I had a nice conversation with one girl last week, until she started in on on how Obama took over GM, and wouldn't buy an "Obamacar".
But, back to the topic...
Now what gets me is when kids think that if you substitute ger with ga that the meaning of the word changes. To me that's just ignorant thinking, or should I say ignant?
************************************************** **************
OK, here's a movie that shows William Shatner in a different light. SHAME! which was also titled THE INTRUDER & I HATE YOUR GUTS is a film directed by Roger Corman about an out-of-towner segregationist [[Shatner) who stirs up trouble in this southern town. And yes they do say that forbidden word and not "N Word". Highly recommend you folks watch this
http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articl...hame-1962.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbfyYvj4f9Q Lambada, the forbidden dance. There was even a movie of that dance craze. I'm sure that slipped your mind
I've certainly not had a problem here soulster... but then again, i'm one that doesn't associate with neighbors and the community in general. People can annoy the hell out of me in real life, so I keep to myself, and associate with people of MY choosing. That's why I have such a short fuse on a message board, I suppose!!! I'm not used to people chapping my hide! Perhaps a liberal college town would be more your speed? i'm of the opinion that people in AZ who moved there form the midwest did so because they have this "Outlaw John Wayne" "Wild West" mentality, and the midwest isn't so much like that. Texas is VERY like that. But like I said, I may just not be seeing it, because I isolate myself from the masses on purpose. It's like Roseanne said in that one episode of her show... "I consider myself a pretty good judge of people, and that's why I don't like none of em!" and I suppose since I still live where I was born and grew up, there's that advantage of being "Grandfathered in" so to speak. But hell, I'll kiss another man in public and think nothing of it... unless one is around drunk straight men or something, i'm not FOOL HARDY.
If it is equality you look for, then you better not call the Dr. woman or anyone else for advice on the oldest problem of humanity. If you don't want to be engaged in conversations with people who'll use weasel words, don't go to TV Land. So people say what they shouldn't be saying. Let's check it from a different perspective. Why does it hurt you or causes anger in the first place ? True equality is a feeling inside that balances out the negative disharmony coming from your surrounding world. That is a equality, it brings you on the same level as every living thing. There is No answer to the question why people say dis or dat. If you feel equal then you have to walk and talk that way. So do you feel equal? Or is it the other way around, do you not feel equal? And i don't mean treated equal by other's, i mean do you feel equal inside of you?
In relation to Richard Pryors revelation...I had two friends who fell out, one was an
Asian immigrant one was from West Africa...me being black American..their argument
got heated and the Asian called my friend an African N****r..
What was interesting was that..the African just laughed in his face...so later the Asian
comes to me and apologizes for using the N word...Because when he came over he stayed with a white host family in an all white area and high school...
The white kids, he said taught him if you say that to a black person they wil get mad...
I said, "It has no meaning in the West African mindset, his core identity is not "black"
he knows he is black but he thinks of himself by his tribal ethnic group first"
So..I think Americans can learn to be thick-skinned like the Africans when it comes to names.."It's not what you call me, but what I answer to"
The N-Word nowdays is in many cases all about manipulation and shock value...
Back in the 70s, we used to say that the first word the Asians learned when they got off the boat was "ni**er.
But, you, yourself, just told us that that word has no meaning to Africans. So, there's no need for them to grow a thick skin about it. But, if we allow Whites, and others to call us that "n" word, it's like letting them get away with it. It will not diminish it's value. They want you to think that, though, because it will give them permission to go ahead and use it at will.Quote:
So..I think Americans can learn to be thick-skinned like the Africans when it comes to names.."It's not what you call me, but what I answer to"
Of course it is! That's all it ever was. And, in some cases, it's worked.Quote:
The N-Word nowdays is in many cases all about manipulation and shock value...
The American cultural reaction is to fight back...In Ghana there were some Western professors talking about how
backward the country is and Black Americans...during the 60s riots..Maya Angelou overheard them and went to
tell them off making a scene...An African waiter was nearby and said "Why you let them people upset you?"
"Well they insulted our people and I could not just stand there"..."Oh its nothing"..."Have our people been insulted before?"
"yes" ..."and they still live?" "yes"..."They are like mice on an elephants back" ..Ghana was here when they came and it
will be here when they leave".."they will pass"
Her thought later on was "Even the most uneducated people here are so secure they can ignore white rudeness and insults"
and that that was the first time she saw "patience used as an agression as opposed to patience used as a defense"
There is a difference in the two countries, Ghana and the U.S., and it's in the numbers and the power structure.
Nevertoolate:
I don't know how it is where you live, but here in N.Y., the darkest of Africans think of American blacks as lowly niggers.
To be more precise, many ethnics who've been here for even 5 minutes from a wheel-well looks down their noses at American blacks. Here's an old trick that some employers used in order to evade problems as regards racism & things as such.
To get around charges that they didn't promote minorities, they would promote an ethnic of color & let me tell you, there's nothing quite like the power trip that some minority ethnics go on when placed in charge of blacks. Talk about black-on-black crime! The trick is that you can't really scream racial discrimination, as the abuser is also "black". HOWEVER, although the color of their skin screams "BLACK", in their minds, they aren't "black", but WE sure are "niggers" to them.
I often found it hilarious that individuals 2 weeks removed from an outhouse or a hut, could come here to our NATIVE land, then proceed to look down their noses at us, can barely speak the language but are fully fluent as regards calling folks "niggers"
In OUR homeland.
Ain't THAT a bitch!
Maybe because we now live in a word of soundbite -News and information is told to us in instant bites - with no room for beyond a surface level.
The younger generation in the main do not even use the proper language and vocabulary - many can only write in "Txt" speak.
By using "N" it nullifys the subject -In keeping with this disturbing trend in human communication.
According to Wikipedia, the term, "the N word", only dates back as far as the trial of O.J. Simpson in 1995, when newspapers decided they needed a euphemism in their reports because repeated use of the word in full was deemed to be too offensive. Does anyone here know if they heard that term used before that date?
Presumably it is the high profile of that case that led the difference in treatment from other derogatory terms. Therefore people would freely say, "He called me a Dago/ Wog/ Kike" rather than "He called me the D word/ the W word/ the K word".
The use of the term, the N word, has spread to the UK; which is a bit strange as slavery was abolished in the British Empire as long ago as 1833, and the word in full has a lesser cultural impact here than it does in the USA.
Juice, I know what you mean. I had a cab driver earlier this year get that attitude with me and I had to get in his ass about it. He later apologize and tried to give me this "you're not like the rest of them..... [[African Americans) speech in reference to working hard etc and again I had to straighten him out about a lot of things all in a 15 - 20 minute cab ride!
Skooldem:
Sorry for the delay in response. I got back home this morning from a week in N.C., with zero phone reception & extremely,EXTREMELY limited internet service.
"The Fordbidden dance" was the catch phrase that was used to push the movie "Lambada". The quote that I used came from the Fresh Prince episode "Kiss My Butler", where Geoffrey was revealing himself to be quite the dance floor stepper. While Geoffrey was dancing with Naomi Campbell, they did a bit of The Lambada & Will tells Jeff that they're doing The Lambada, then Will says "That's the forbidden dance".
The "N-word" was never about race. It was about social class and standing.
Somebody pointed out to me that the "K-word" has almost been forgotten and I actually had to think for a few moments to remember what was meant by that. May we hasten the day that the same thing happens to the "N-word." It's a word that I think really deserves to be forgotten.
Marv:
Indeed, that I know to be true.
I also find that other ethnics tend to overcharge us by at least 3 or 4 dollars. Truthfully, I believe that they do that so that we'll leave the cab & they can either cherry-pick whom they want to drive, or to hopefully find a sucker who doesn't know what the actual fare should be.
Either way, they do this far too often to be mere coincidence.
Ironically, the one ethnic group whom have been struggling here with us for decades [[as well as our primary minority competitors), the Hispanics, tend to have lower prices than everyone. I have absolutely no problem with them, I've found their cab fares to be exceedingly fair, they don't tend to bullshit you & I appreciate their general fairness & lack of price-gouging.
Though I was originally not going to name the most eggregious of folks, I'm going to do so because I know that they're full of it & so do they. I've found that the most abusive of all cab drivers are either Arab, Indian & the ABSOLUTE worst of all, sorry to say, are the Africans. Many of them are rude, arrogant & when someone comes out the box charging $4 more than the going rate, I believe that to be extremely insulting to ones intelligence.
I wish that a day would come where all of this crap would cease. Then again, this situation goes back to biblical days & if it was happening then, I see nothing today which will change it. The sickening thing for me is that I think back to my childhood & teen years circa the mid-60s - 70s & see how little has truly changed. I grew up during a time when the authorities sprayed peaceful protesters with water hoses, set dogs loose on them, several riots occurred during that period, yet, I never truly experienced the level of prejudice that many did, as well as that which some are intent on revisiting today.
We were kids & we played like kids. There were always some, both black & white who weren't fond of one another & they certainly voiced that in no uncertain terms. However, usually if left to our own devices, we kids got along.
4 decades later, we've supposedly evolved & have made strides away from that negativity. But when you listen to the rhetoric found on talk radio, on blogs & even from the mouths of politicians, it makes you wonder beneath it all, have we REALLY moved away from the nonsense, or is it just something inherent, which only needs the right opportunity & circumstance to reemerge from its dormant state?
If I don't know anything else, I know that I'm sick of this crap & sick of having to discuss it. I guess that it's not really the discussion that makes me sick, but rather the NEED to have to discuss this crap nearly 50 years later.
Juice, I actually had one driver give me money back. Yes incredible I know. In regards to the racial rhetoric heard on conservative talk radio and television they just feel it's safe now to be an out and out racist. Racists can come in any color. I'm met them. I do not like them. I am mostly disappointed, frustrated and angry and a bit sad that as you pointed out here we are nearly 50 years later and this shit is still going on.
Certainly but there were comparable derogatory terms for every other American underclass. It's just the "N-word" lasted longer because rule by the upper class in the south was threatened by an ever more informed African American majority. This is what jim crow seems to have been all about, driving educated blacks who might vote away from the south and scaring lower class whites with negrophobia.
Dividing people to conquer them is a time honored tradition. Racism is just a tactic and too often talking about it is a distraction from the real evil which is greed, money and power.
Bob:
You point is very accurate & well-taken & about the best explanation I've heard. It appears to me that more recent immigres have been much more accepted here. That's likely because of the thought process which found some people thinking that these newer immigrants would be so grateful to be here, that they'd be more accepting of receiving relative crumbs.
Under those circumstances, I find it rather ironic that the true enemy has proven NOT to be the centuries-old adversary whom many would STILL love to see take that long boat ride back to Africa, but rather relatively "new", so-called "ignorant, happy just to be here" folks, whom were welcomed with relatively open arms.
Even while preparing for the "coming" race war that many were preparing for, the point seemed to be missed that while they were planning to renew hostilities with AMERICAN CITIZENS, they were opening the door & taking for granted the ignorance & pliability of folks whom were so happy to be on these shores, that they'd be much easier to control.
Recent history has shown us that that assumption was proven wrong & to add insult to injury, many of those whom would do harm to us were taught how to inflict injury & unleash mayhem, right here in some of our finest American institutions of higher learning.
Ain't that a kick in the head?
I was taught racism as a child along right with hating poor whites, renters, Catholics and farm workers in general. My mother, a teacher, and father, a carpenter, simply didn't know any better. It was a mythology they'd been taught. Thank God I wandered into Motown as a teen-ager and learned the truth first hand. My identity as a human being got expanded by immersion to include virtually everybody although right wingers are still a challenge.
I think our biggest challenge today is to help expand other people's sense of identity. This doesn't mean changing it but rather embracing and then building upon where we each came from instead of letting others sell us on the idea that our identity ought to be x y or z. If there is any big scam in the world, it's convincing people that they need to purchase or earn some kind of a limited identity. Madison Avenue and Wall Street are experts at this. So are the folks who turn kids into suicide bombers.
It's all really a life and death battle of consciousness.
Bob:
What it really is is one big mind F.
I think that you understand what I mean
Just wow! Juice, I’m really dismayed by your comments. Your comments literally generalize a whole continent of people, which it interesting enough, since African Americans complain that about the same thing anytime one of us displays bad behavior. Why not give Africans the same respect that they, too, should be generalized in that manner?
Obviously, you have some bad experiences with Africans [[you didn’t say which country, which sometimes makes a difference) but not all of them view Africans as ‘lowly niggers’ as you call it. It is nothing more than a lack of cultural understanding and I think, the problem is also us because we believe everything that indigenious Africans hate African/Black Americans. That could not be further from the truth. From the other perspective, Africans have also said that African Americans hate them, calling them names, making fun of their accents and skin color, etc. It goes both ways as from what you also posted that they came out of ‘outhouses and huts’ which solidifies my point. From my understanding, there are people in this country that live in rural areas who probably still have outhouses. The country where my family is from, there are people that still have outhouses. Why is that such a horrible thing?
I have encountered many Africans, from different countries, who have been nothing but polite and courteous. Yes, you will have those that are rude or ‘rough’ but that could easily apply TO ANY ONE OF US. Just because you’re American, doesn’t immune you from behaving badly either.
Contrary to popular belief, Africans have a lot of exposure to African American culture via cable and the internet. If you want to blame Africans for their perceptions, look no further than the man in the mirror! With American rap artists tossing the ‘n’ word around and embracing the word, where do you think they got their ideas from? They think it’s cool to call the ‘n’ word because rap artists go to Africa and perform shows there. Time and time again, some of us in the African American have tried to stress that some of the images out there via tv, music and in movies, might have a negative impact on how people view us. We failed to realize that we live in a world that become more globalized via more expandng technology. Now, that that has happened, can you really get angry at those [[and it’s not just ‘Africans’ either!) who come away the ideas that they have?
Lastly, as a person whose father came from South Africa and was inspired by the black power movement during [[most Africans were as well) and a African Caribbean mother, your comments really disheartened me. Of course, you did not know about my background but as someone that you have met personally, did I ever come across in the way you have described in your post? I have never EVER thought myself better than anyone or even entertained the thought of my people as ‘lowly niggers’ [[I still can't understand why African Americans are even trying to justify this foul word). That really hurt my feelings and reading comments like that really causes more division than the unity that you speak of it. It’s funny you mentioned that you’re ‘sick of crap’ like this and wish it will cease someday. On that point, I totally agree with you!
Common, I believe Juice 's comments definitely come from some bad experiences he had
which I feels he would do better to deal with sometime soon. I, myself have met some Africans would were rude and some who didn't like Black Americans but I don't fret about them because I've also had a number of African friends over the years, most from
Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal but a couple from Zimbabwe who gave me an mbira as a present years ago. I have to agree with you that many American Blacks do give reason to be offended and embarassed by our shared ancestry and many of them are entertainers generally. Hip hop artists, particularly. Then again, hip hop is global now
so I don't expect that to change anytime soon. But it's not just the rappers, I've know
many people otherwise intelligent who I've heard talk about Africa and Africans
like they were themselves southern Klansman...
Juice, do yourself a favor and educate yourself...
Big ups to Ken Olbermann from MSNBC. [[ He couldn't have said it better ! )
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_682213.html
Splanky:
Thank you for sharing. I’m glad that you have various experiments and it hasn’t dampened your perceptions of It hurts me as a woman who’s mother migrated here from the Caribbean in the 60s and have had her share of being discriminated against, outside as well as within her race. I have heard all the negative comments about African Americans growing up but as my family began to navigate the American system, they now have a better UNDERSTANDING of what African Americans have gone through. I have also educated my mom about a lot of things she didn’t know that African Americans had to deal with. The realization is that we all have a common ground, regardless, if a person migrated yesterday or 50 years ago. I have gotten a lot of my consciousness from my mother and read a lot of the struggles of mainly African Americans. I’ve also grown to understand that this is not merely African American struggle, it’s a global struggle. But that’s another animal for another time…..
Part of the cultural misunderstanding, speaking from the Caribbean side, is the way the immigrant is treated when they first arrive here. Some of these newly immigrants know of relatives or friends that have migrated here prior and base some of their perceptions on the stories they have heard from them [[this is before the internet & tv. It’s only in the last 30-40 years that mostly all Caribbeans have had access to a tv.) . They hear about the stories about ‘those ‘foreigners’ taking their jobs’[[my mom used to say, how can I take a job that they don’t want?)’, ‘they’re backward’, ‘wear loud colors’ [[well, there is truth to that. Lol), ‘speak too fast’ [[heard this a lot growing up), etc. It’s about being the ‘other’ and since African Americans have been the ‘other’ for so long, they see that there’s another group that has taken their place: African/Caribbean immigrants. It’s like the pecking order. We’ve been discriminated against so much that we end up doing it somebody else [[sometimes ourselves, too). I’m not saying it’s intentional, for a lot of these ideas can also be blamed on the media and what we see and hear.
Another thing, I would like folks to consider: indigenous Africans may not have experienced the type of ‘racism’ that African Americans have but they have experienced ‘colonialism’. In my opinion, I look at it as another type of racism [[trying to push the English or whatever Eurpean language on the indigenous, land grabbing by ‘outsiders’, exploitation of indigenous resources, skin color [[yes, baby! Colonialism spread that disease over there too!) , class status, etc. They have issues, too, so we don’t know what type of mental baggage that an immigrant is bringing with them.
We also forget that African Americans discriminated against each other by ‘paper bag tests’ [[skin color), hair, and class status. Matter of fact, Juice’s comment about ‘lowly niggers’ brought to mind some wealth African Americans who call working class/lower class AAs same thing! I’ve learned along time ago, that there will be people greater or lesser than myself. However, I’ve learned that regardless of their ‘greatness or lessness’ that they deserve respect.
Sorry for the long post, but I really had a lot to say. lol
Never apologise for making your point, common, I just wish a lot of other people could understand it.
The harm done by colonialism is the history of the world. Often places that were one people or one country got chopped in half between different European nations and we're still seeing the effects...
Common:
You & I go back a long ways & I love you like ice cream, but I'm a bit puzzled at your response. I'm sorry if my remarks hurt your feelings because at no time did I say that ALL Africans behaved in that way & I don't know why you would take remarks that I made about some or many & put yourself in that number. Did I somehow cloud my statement, because I thought that it was pretty straight-forward & I'm puzzled at the focus on the remarks that I made in regards to Africans.
"I don't know how it is where you live, but here in N.Y., the darkest of Africans think of American blacks as lowly niggers"...
Perhaps I should've prefaced that statement with the same qualifier that I gave other remarks of mine..."many". And I'm willing to stand by that statement, as being my experience, observations & even conversations which I've had with more than a few Africans. Now, had I said ALL Africans, I could understand there being a problem with me saying that. Had I said EVERY African, I could understand there being a problem. Had I even said MOST Africans, then I could certainly understand anyone have a problem with me making such a blanket statement. At all points, I offered the qualifier MANY. I'm sorry if my lack of including it as regards my opening statement led you to think that I was painting any or all Africans with the same broad brush.
As for the outhouse remark, that was not directed specifically at any specific ethnic group. I thought that was crystal-clear by the very quote of mine that you copied, which was..."To be more precise, MANY ETHNICS who've been here for even 5 minutes from a wheel-well looks down their noses at American blacks. Here's an old trick that some employers used in order to evade problems as regards racism & things as such...".
I qualified that statement & went on to discuss other non-American ethnics of color & made the following remark..."I often found it hilarious that individuals 2 weeks removed from an outhouse or a hut, could come here to our NATIVE land, then proceed to look down their noses at us, can barely speak the language but are fully fluent as regards calling folks 'niggers'".
Exactly where did I single out Africans specifically within the framing of that sentence?
Africans are not the only peoples whom have ever lived in huts & I doubt that most Africans or other ethnics come here directly from a hut. I know of many who have & they'll show you pictures & ironically, most of them are NOT Africans. There are other countries where poverty exists to that degree, as well. I was saying that more for effect. Other than my opening line which was in direct response to the quote of Nevertoolate, when he spoke of the response of an African to Maya Angelou. My response to that is that that individual could likely afford to feel that way, as the American Black is the one whom it appears as though not only do many other people of colors express a low regard for, but it also appears as though they've been conditioned to think the worst of us.
And Africans certainly don't corner the market on that, as the American Black has been called all sorts of things in various languages, by people of various ethnicities, even by non-Americans Blacks whom were/are just as dark as we are.
Either way, my focus wasn't specifically on Africans, I clearly stated that MANY ethnics of color look down their noses at American Blacks. And lest anyone try to blame music or videos, for MANY, these attitudes have been firmly set in place decades ago. Or is anyone here really going to try to tell me that they haven't heard the same charges & insults that I've heard hurled at the American Black from other non-American blacks?