Why is it that black people....?

Question

Why is that when ever a black person is eduacated and speaks English properly, other uneducated balck folks call them "white" like black people can't be proper?

Answer 1

Black "culture" is pretty much urban culture. Therefore, "Black culture" is speaking with a certain type of slang, being uneducated, liking rap videos, etc etc etc. Those blacks that do not follow by black cultures and the values that it present are said to be "Oreos" which means that while they are black physically, they have a culture and value system more similar to the dominant white culture. The side effect to this is that the society claims that black people should follow what is noted as the black culture, which means that when you don't follow that culture, you're considered to be different. Often, those from the "White culture" will try and empathize with "oreos" (sorry for using the racist term, but note the quote marks!) over how they're so much better than those who haven't accepted the White Culture. You should try watching the movie Bamboozled... except the main character's accent annoys the hell out of me (it's not an urban accent, but rather a very overdone "white culture" accent)

Answer 2

Because those uneducated black folks are ig'nant. And perhaps jealous.

Don't let the turkeys get you down. Soar high like an eagle. Pursue the education you want. Learn proper English.

However, if you can help it, don't lose the common touch, either. There's no reason why you can't be bidialectal (as opposed to bilingual), knowing both "business" English and street English--at least knowing enough to be able to talk to people in whatever setting they are.

BTW, I think it's a downright shame that after slavery, when slaves were forbidden to read and write, that blacks fought for decades for the right and opportunity for a decent education--and now too many of today's blacks think that pursuing an education is trying to be white! Do you hear the sounds of Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. Dubois spinning in their graves?

Answer 3

(quote)*****Black "culture" is pretty much urban culture. Therefore, "Black culture" is speaking with a certain type of slang, being uneducated, liking rap videos, etc etc etc. Those blacks that do not follow by black cultures and the values that it present are said to be "Oreos" which means that while they are black physically, they have a culture and value system more similar to the dominant white culture. The side effect to this is that the society claims that black people should follow what is noted as the black culture, which means that when you don't follow that culture, you're considered to be different. Often, those from the "White culture" will try and empathize with "oreos" (sorry for using the racist term, but note the quote marks!) over how they're so much better than those who haven't accepted the White Culture. You should try watching the movie Bamboozled... except the main character's accent annoys the hell out of me (it's not an urban accent, but rather a very overdone "white culture" accent) ********


in black society an oreo is a person of mixed ethnicity's mainly white/black. i speak properly, and i haven't been told that i talk white. when someone says you think your white or you talk white they are saying that you have forgotten your roots. you've forgotten who you are. it's not so much of the way you speak as it is the way you act towards your own people. bill cosby degraded his own people by saying we need to further our education (which is true) and stop having kids at young ages (which is true) what was degrading to us is that he made a generalization. not every person just dropped out of school just because, some people had no choice, and now they can't go back to school because they have bills/kids. so why doesn't bill set up programs to help people that do want to better themselves? like a free ged course with a daycare. you can't point out problems without giving solutions. not every teenager has a child because she slept around, some have children because they were raped.....and even if they did sleep with some willingly why doesn't he try to help the ones that want to better themselves? bill pointed out how drugs are rampent in the black "ghettos" but it seems to me like he has forgotten that his own son did drugs and was killed by a drug dealer. he's just taking his anger from his sons death out on the WHOLE black communtiy. i mean Oprah was pregnant at 14 and lost her baby, look where she is now....

Answer 4

It is not even really about being proper. Uneducated black people feel that black folks that get an education in the process lose who they are as a black person, i.e. acting like something your not. I believe you can be educated and still act black, whatever that may be to you. Me having an education and using correct English is me acting black. There are educated Asian people that use improper English. It is a cultural issue not an education issue. just because i choose to spell words the way they were meant to be spelled does not mean I'm smarter or more educated than someone who doesn't.

Answer 5

Because they fell he is trying to be like the white guy, and not being "down" with the brothers. When in fact, all he is trying to do is survive in this F#ked up world and make a living. He may have dark skin, but in their eyes he is a traitor for rising above the masses. Not to mention, every time a successful blcak man makes it to the top, they somehow feel he is just a token minority, instead of an educated, hard working member of society.

Answer 6

I think it is more than just the fact that they speak properly, they usually dress and act white so it is more than just the speech.

I also think if a black persons talks/acts different (not necessarily proper) they are said to talk "white." I don't know why this is because White people have horrible grammar just like everybody else.

Answer 7

Well, I've never really heard of that. Problem is the way they speak for example if they're trying hard and speak Valleyish saying "LIKE" all the time and not keeping it real. But that would go with any other race it's what we call white-wash that's not cool. There nothing wrong with people trying to progress and not be ghetto. The problem wihen you forget what you are, that's when it's wrong.

Answer 8

The old Uncle Tom thing huh. I think alot of Blacks would like to distance themselves from anything they consider to be white culture. Since this country's "Leaders", or controllers are mostly white, and they tend to speak so-called "Proper" English, the comparison is easy to understand. The consensus among alot of Blacks, is that Black folks should stick together, and if they tend to step out mold then they are "Whitewashing" themselves. Our History in America tells of a time when Black folks were FORCED to forget their culture, and assimilate to the Western European idea of Culture and Society. The Culture and customs of Africa were traded for what the White people believed was the truth, and that truth was force fed. Whether or not Blacks individually feel that this is the reason for their outlook, I believe that the general consensus is rooted in the tragedy of the Atlantic Slave Trade. This type of mentality is pumped generally through Black Nationalist movements like The Nation of Islam, and the 5% Nation, in an attempt to not only educate Black people about their history, but to create an empowering ideology that give Black people a sense of identity that was stolen from them over 400 years ago. Unfortunately, this supposedly positive empowerment actually impedes on our individual liberties, and enforces racist mentalities. To me, I can only compare it to white people calling me a Ni***r lover, because I am close to many Black people. In fact, I'm close to many other races, by virtue of my locale. Since I was not brought up in a strictly white environment, I was not easily duped into racist philosophies, and since my youth have balked at notions of Racial superiority of ALL races. To answer your question, alot of Black people that think a Black person is trying to be White are Racists. They are racist against whites, and rely on Racial stereotypes to formulate their opinions. Dont bother yourself with these types of people. Go for what you feel, and f*** what anyone else has to say about you.

Answer 9

Its not so much their speaking properly, its the accent they use, like Bryant Gumble or the black judge from American Idol. In any case, not all people think the same way, some are accepting to those differences and some are not. I feel the same way about other mexican-americans in our region unaware of the culture that talk like extras off "The O.C.".

Answer 10

True but unfortunate. People all over the world are learning English. Look at Chinese. The number of English teachers they have imported to teach English to millions of Chinese is astounding. People world allover have realized that key to good jobs and good living primarily lies in good English language skills. Blacks have to get rid of this mind set which is a hang over of colonial past. Learning any language is a sign of progress and cannot be associated with any such retrograde thoughts.