Why is it even some BLACK people characterize "acting black" as speaking ebonics and being uneducated?

Question

Why do people label "acting white" and "acting black" and then when asked to describe "acting white" these people usually describe it to mean speaking properly, wearing properly fitting clothes, being interested in getting educated and then "acting black" is dressing and acting "street" and shunning education? It's bad enough that some white people believe this but it absolutely stumps me as to why a black person would think this. Why would they think a fellow black person that desires to get an education and a decent job would be "acting white"? Isn't that basically being racist towards yourself, as if it betrays your race to try to break a cycle of unfortunate poverty in this country? At this point aren't you repressing yourself?

Answer 1

to me its just another thing people say to keep black people down when someone regardless of their race goes to school, speaks proper, gets a job and education , and is a law abiding citizen they are acting civilzed and smart not white. when you act stupid your just stupid.many black and white people called me cracker because im a black man who is doing well in school and going to college soon, and i like rock music. when people say your acting white or black they are probaly just a racist who thinks all blacks are dumb,aisans are smart and whites are rich and so on. they make me sick i could just kill them.


and as far as ebonics and style of dress go, I think you should be able to dress however you want as long as your clothes dont express hate to someones race ,religion,ex.

Answer 2

I don't know of many blacks, even the most ghetto of blacks, who would tell someone their acting white because they want to go to school and get an education. In fact, many of the thugs in the neighborhoods actually see their demise and encourage the younger generations to do well in school. I see it a lot.

The ebonics thing is a black invention and, to be quite honest, it tends to sound unnatural coming from a white person. Probably just as strange as it would be for a black person to walk around saying "Dude" or "Awesome." Of course, it's nothing wrong with either. It's slang. Every culture in the world has their own slang and dialect.

Bottom line, people of different cultures may act differently. A black man may walk with a swagger or "gangsta lean" and a white woman might say, "Like Oh My God!" a little to much. Black people say fashizzle or whatever and whites in Cali might say stoked, gnarly or whatever.

I think people make too much about differences. We're all different and we shouldn't be expected to act one standard way. Of course, everyone who has a brain knows the importance of education and the few idiot blacks who don't value it don't speak for the majority who know its importance, whether or not they choose to take advantage of it.

Answer 3

THANK GOD! Great question! That upsets me too. It is because they themselves are ignorant and don't know better or they are racist because most of those people say people like me, who speak properly are trying to act white. Its unfortunate.

Answer 4

I can act "Irish" and act "Native Indian", they both drink the same.

Answer 5

Yea why do they do that? it stumps me.