Comments on: How to Represent Black Folks When the Only One Is You

By: somebody out there

somebody out there — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:01:57 +0000

What you’re describing is called a “pattern interrupt”.

By: ChinyereCouture

ChinyereCouture — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:44:25 +0000

OH, and the whole hair thing. THAT I learned in elementary school.
(After taking out braids/weave)
Becky: “Did you cut your hair?”
Me: “Sure.”
Now, I just got my weave redone, and I told people I “got my ‘extensions’ redone.”
They’ll take that answer, no problem. They do that shit too.

By: ChinyereCouture

ChinyereCouture — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:41:25 +0000

Oh. Lord. This is SO true especially the “give them 45%” part.
I’ve gone to white schools my ENTIRE LIFE, but God bless Jack & Jill, because without that organization my name might as well be Becky. I’m a senior at a small, predominantly white private school, and as the only black girls until about a year ago, I was expected to be the quintessential Shaniqua. People literally called me that. I don’t really care, because I’ve been here so long that everyone knows I’m not loud, crass, or even the least bit ghetto (Okay, maybe a little loud, but cut me a break), so it’s basically become a joke. But when last year, another black girl came (Speak of the Devil, she just walked into the library), and fulfilled their wishes and expectations of what a Black female “should be”. (Jesus, she’s sitting next to me.) She took alot of the weight off of me to live up to something I will never be. All of these rules here are exactly what I’ve been doing the last 4 years (took me a WHILE to get it) and I want all of y’all to know that I’m applying to Howard this Fall. Mhmm-hmm. A girl can only take so much. NOW I GOTTA GO BEFORE SHE LOOKS AT MY SCREEN.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:44:07 +0000

LOVE this article! I did my master’s in Coventry in the United Kingdom and even though I knew it would be a culture shock… it was… a shock.

I’m from a small Caribbean island that is like 95% black so going to Cov which is probably 90% white was such a major shift.

I was the only black girl in my class and I definitely experienced most of those things you mention (except the superiority complex bit – liberal white Brits are waaayyyy too polite and politically correct to even give off a whiff of that).

But most of all I experienced… the hair thing. I have dreadlocks which were just about nape length when I went there and my hair CAPTIVATED people – they had seen braids and straightened hair but I think I was the only black woman at the university with dreads – the only one I saw at least.

Once, I flat-twisted my locks so that they all laid down on my head and I looked as if I had a short do. My classmates nearly passed out. Everyone thought I had cut my hair and when I pulled one of my locks out of the twist to show that it was all still there, it was like I had pulled a rabbit out of a damn hat. They couldn’t comprehend it.

By: Kitty

Kitty — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:38:38 +0000

Thank you for this article! I’m a dark skinned Puerto Rican (I’ve been thought of as black by others including other Latinos unless I start speaking Spanish) and I’ve been in some of those situations all my life. Thank you so much for the help.

By: MS. COMPLEXITY

MS. COMPLEXITY — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:47:47 +0000

This was a GREAT article – especially the royalty bit. My mentor once told me “WALK IN LIKE YOU OWN THE PLACE!” And that’s what I do when I’m at work. That place is MINE!

By: Jane

Jane — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:46:34 +0000

I LOVE this article. I am the only African American in my department…as a matter of fact the only Black person on the second floor…only 1 of 3 Blacks that work in the office building…(there’s probably about 10 of us all together office and warehouse workers included)….

And I find myself constantly listening to my coworkers give me the “Black girl voice” only when they are speaking to me… and my supervisor using the phrase “all good in the hood” and the gentleman in the cubicle next to me giving me the “Heeeyyyy GUUURRRRLLL” when I come in from lunch….

It drives me to complete insanity!

By: Lady_Detroit

Lady_Detroit — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:44:17 +0000

Welcome to the story of my life! I definetely don’t get too comfortable at work. Ppl will share their ENTIRE life stories (infertility issues, medical history, life at home — an unemployed, lazy husband, family outings, on occassion their sex lives) and I just can’t take it. “[Insert Name], you’re always so secretive! You never talk about yourself!”…yea because I don’t want all my business in the streets, you are not my FRIENDS you are my co-workers, and my personal life hardly has anything to do w/ me performing my job effectively. (Rolls eyes) lol.

I definetely enjoyed this article though. Since I love to read and pride myself on staying abreast of current events locally, nationally, and internationally, I STAY droppin’ knowledge when the occassion presents itself!

By: Nicole

Nicole — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 06:13:30 +0000

I’ve found the best way to be a “representative” is to not be one. Represent yourself, be yourself, and the rest will follow. Don’t even attempt to speak for anyone else and if that notion even comes up, I quickly clarify my thoughts are my own and my own only.

By: Kat

Kat — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:33:03 +0000

Pfft. This article is lame with a capial L. I don’t jump thru hoops for anyone. But I have freaked out some white people by my punk rock/goth look, spaz to rock music and really freak them out over some heavy metal (the kind that makes your ears bleed). Bring on the death metal, woooooo! They’re surprised at me at my musical choices and style of dress. Why?!?!?! Maybe I don’t want to dress like the people on BET. Punk rock isn’t just for white people. Heck, if it weren’t for Ike Turner, Chuck Berry, or Little Richard, we wouldn’t have rock music, ok???

I do have a notion to b*tch slap some ignorant idiot when rap comes on the radio and I get asked about it. Fool! I don’t listen to rap! But I know some white people that are OBSESSED with it and know every song on the radio and who the artists are. They’re blacker than me (wink)!