- "You talk White" means you speak well.
- "You living like White folks" means you have a nice home with little stress.
- "I want that White man credit" means I want to actually pay my bills on time and not live beyond my means.
- "You better stop treating your kids like the White folks" means you better start verbally abusing your children, and physically abuse them when they don't listen.
I've heard them all. And have heard each of these phrases multiple times at one point or another throughout my life. It goes into one ear and out the other. But now my kids are starting to complain that they are hearing "You talk White." And they don't understand what it means. . Oh boy. . Here goes.
Here was how I explained it to my ten year old today.
"Some Black people are convinced that we (Black people) are not good at anything. So, when someone of color is good at something, they relate it to a white person because somewhere in life they've learned that all good things come from white people. So, it's your responsibility to be even better than you would naturally be. . so somewhere along the line. . that person will have at least one example of a person of color who was just as good or better than the vision of goodness they have created for whites. "
But when I was done with the Mommy talk I had to shake my head. It just makes me sad.
Damn! It's 2013 and racism is still alive. Black on black racism is still rearing its ugly head.
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Excellent explanation, Anasthia.
ReplyDeleteI guess it just never ends, Leslie. I'm pretty sure my mom had a similar conversation with me.
ReplyDeleteGood observation. I joke with certain people in calling them white woman or white boy, but I'd never pollute a child's mind with that self-hate ish.
ReplyDeleteDon, sadly, I don't think the majority of folks are intentionally trying to pollute our kids' minds. I think they've developed their ideal of beauty from a world that glorifies and over-broadcasts violence and misbehavior from people who look like me. But with the constant reinforcement of the ideas they see on Television as far as what White is versus what Black is, I think it just sorta happens.
ReplyDeleteI won't even pretend to be the perfect mommy. Hell, I friggin hate PTA meetings. But I'm just trying something a little different from the little people within my sphere of influence.
And how in the WORLD did I miss you comment until now?
"Trying something a little different from the little people within my sphere of influence."
DeleteWell said, and I feel you.
Wow! That's a high compliment from a wordsmith such as yourself. I'm flattered. LOL
ReplyDelete