Why do some Afircan American people think it's too "white" for them to be educated and intelligent?

Question

I know this doesn't go for all of them, but the African American males I've been around have only two main ambitions: to be a pro athlete or a rap star. Why not a chemist, or a stock broker, or an insurance salesman? I'm sure those exist. Why not more?

Answer 1

I think our society is dumbing down in general. Education in the black community used to be seen as a way out of poverty. Elders in the family were adamant about children getting good grades and having respect for their teachers. Like Craiova above me, I also think that a person's upbringing has alot to do with a childs aspirations for their future. Someone ought to be honest with these kids and tell them what the real odds are of them becoming a pro athlete or rap star. When my girls were younger I found an organization called College Bound that offered an opportunity for education minded parents and their children (mostly black) to come together and provide an atmosphere where all of the children strived to be exceptional in their studies. The organization has about a 95% success rate of steering those youths into 4-year colleges. These same children are often teased at their regular schools for getting good grades, being a nerd, and speaking proper English. I don't know who ever came up with the concept that to be intelligent or well spoken was a negative and an attempt to be white. Isn't that just silly? That's the main reason I've always encouraged my children to choose their friends on the basis of having similar goals in life.

Answer 2

I do agree that the community does look at speaking properly and being highly educated as being White. I'm in college now, and the teacher called on me to answering a question, while I'm was answer two Blk girls said softly that I must have went to a White school. I have lived in a all Black neighborhood and schools all my life and don't understand why people think you have to act or speak a certain way to be Black. There are a lot Black Americans who do promote importance in education and being intelligent. None of the black males in my family want to pro athletes or rap stars. My Bother is about to graduate in May with a degree in community health and my cousin is studying kinetics and wants to be a physical therapist. Not everyone is the stereotype, I'm in college right now majoring in Social work. Some Black people grew up in poverty stricken neighborhoods and are exposed to only a limited amount of education.

Answer 3

Some people have low expectations. I'm sure there are some white guys out there that dream of being the next Slim Shady, Petton Manning, or Brad Pitt. Everyone has a dream, for most when reality sets in, they realize they will need something else to fall back on. I wanted to play pro ball. Once high school hit and no scholarships came through, I chose the military, then went to school for accounting.

People have a life time to chose a profession. Don't dimiss people because some want to follow their dreams.

Answer 4

I think that a lot of it has to do with our history. As an Afican American woman myself, I was taught by my mom that nobody was here to help me but myself. I was also taught that I had to be very good at stuff because my family was too poor to send me to college. So, if I didn't have good grades, I'd have to do something else.... like be a model, or marry rich.

From what I've seen growing up, most black people (and white people) live in their own areas.... self-imposed segregation, if you will. Most black communities that I've seen (and that I've lived in) are severely impovreshed. The prents themselves aren't educated, so they can't educate their children, nor do they want to. They, like any other parent, wants the best for their children. Since they can't afford a top-of-the-line education for their kids, they tell them that they have to be good at sports or be good at "unconventional" things so that Mom or Dad or respective parental figure won't have to try to pay for an education.

I also think that you are stereotyping just a tad. When I was in high school, there were a ton of students that I attended school with that were striving for careers beyond fame. I myself, wanted to be a teacher. I am going to go to college and do it eventually. But right now, I am content in the job that I have now. I make great money, and I take care of my family. Plus, it doesn't require a college education. My best friend (who's black) works at a hospital. My other good friend graduated valedictorian of our class and went to Westpoint Military Academy to study chemistry. She's a genius. My mom is a business owner now, and I have black male friends that work in the same line of work as me or that are in the military taking care of their family.

I hope that this adds some insight.

Answer 5

ROLE MODELS, there are no chemist or stock brokers IN THE HOOD. only people with money that we can identify with are the ones we see on t.v. the hood is poor. so if the only people you see with money and success are ENTERTAINERS AND DRUG DEALERS. then most likely you will want to be an ENTERTAINER or a drug dealer. gotta understand you are dealing with preteen and teenage minds. education is important to blacks but they don't THINK the opportunity is there for them. OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IS TERRIBLE. THE PROBLEM GETS WORSE AND THE SOLUTION ISN'T CLEAR, AND WE STILL CRYING AFTER 650 YEAR W.T.F. but i do think the future generation will be different, because the world is getting smaller and smaller, and mind states are changing

Answer 6

The English who initially coined the term soccer, a slang for affiliation soccer. Canadians, Australians, New Zealand and South Africans additionally call it that. there's a recreation already referred to as soccer so why confuse people. this is an identical recreation does it actually matter style. finally i think of i might make experience to not use stereotypes while talking approximately people. this is the eye-catching recreation, do not argue touching directly to the call.

Answer 7

Every question I saw you post was aboput African-Americans. Are you obsessed? But anyway alot of the black want to be like that because they think it's cool to crack on people and get fast money. Some of them want to be those because they really are talented like that. Some have the talent and take advantahe of it, others do for reasons that are wack.

Answer 8

in argentina happend the same thing but we don have african people but have brow people wich the only ambitions is be a soccer player or be a cumbia villera star (cumbia villera is like rap in arentina)

i realize tath ours country are not very different

sory for mi english

Answer 9

That was what the grand parents were taught by society and they believed it and passed it on to thier children who believed it and now the grand children are being taught the same BS and they will teach their children.

Its so lame but its very real as a black person you hear this crap not from whites but from other blacks. Its like a cycle of violence against our self esteem.

Answer 10

because no one ever offers those options to them. They never see a lot of black brokers or chemists. They see more black rappers and athletes. Unfortunatley, they have no desire to be those things we mentioned, because they do not have a lot of mentors.