Why is America so Intimidated by a Smart Black person?

Question

Why Is White America so Intimidated by a smart black person?
It seems as though white people expect all black people to live up to the stereotype of being uneducated, and that leaves the educated or intelligent black person to be almost completely ignored by society. I just want to know why.

Answer 1

Not all white Americans are intimidated by a "Smart Black Person", but I do have an answer to why many people would be afraid. The issue goes back to the days of Jim Crow. According to my history teacher, there was a "Jim Crow guidebook" and one of the rules was that a black man was not suppose to make himself appear smarter than a white person. This rule is furthered in some of the minstrels portraying blacks as stupid, lazy, and shiftless. In those days, a smark African-American was considered scary because it defied white supremacy. Today, the reason is that many white Americans do not see many African-Americans who defy the stereotypes set up for blacks in America. Whenever a"smart black person" comes along and defies all of the stereotypes, some whites do not know how to react. They are intimidated for these reasons.
1) They don't know how to treat a person who is different from what they are used to seeing.
2)They are shocked by the idea of an African-American having any kind of intellect.
I am what some people would call and "articulate black man". For that reasons, some whites have commented on me being different from other blacks from the start. I have even been called names like "Carlton".

As for the "smart black person" being ignored by society, some people don't want to believe that there are smart black people out there, not by all people of society, just some people. There are many blacks who have been appreciated for their intellect, but they have also been oppresed and unappreciated as well.

Answer 2

Not Condoleezza! Really with todays attitudes her life would be endanger if she was elected, which she won't be. The GOP is going down, and the Dems likly have a winner this next election,maybe Hillary? I hope not as hse already ran the country for 8 years

Answer 3

Just how can we be 'intimidated' by something we don't see except maybe twice per yea?. And that is when we live in a place like NYC. The number is even lower in the rest of America.

Answer 4

Part of your question includes the answer- It doesn't satisfy the stereotypes.

I have a B.A. and currently working towards a Master's. My father had a Master's from CAL Berkeley, went on to law school and wasn an attorney. His mother was a school teacher, as was one of his older brothers, who also graduated from CAL, and they both spoke at least two other languages. I also speak Spanish and learn some Tagalog. My mother was also educated, very articulate, intelligent, an oratorian and an avid reader.

When encountering Blacks with this background, and contrary to popular opinion and myth, there are many of us, you just can't treat them like the "image" you have.

Answer 5

I don't think America is intimidated, I think a lot of people question the credentials of black people due to affirmative action.
If you can't get the job with out race being a factor.....well, you get my drift?

Answer 6

I've found that blacks reject an intelligent,articulate ,well rounded black person...FAR more than white people do.It's only certain whites that will reject you for acting against stereotype.

Answer 7

It's a very loaded question. It depends on sooo many things. I have a few thoughts [am white, btw].
1- it depends on the attitude of the black person. Someone wrote about this in a national weekly, but I can't remember which one. Everybody LOVES Oprah & MLK, but not, say Farrakhan or Jesse Jackson. Why? I think it has to do with how these ppl have positioned themselves in relation to the effects of racism. Oprah and MLK weren't bitter about their experiences, though I'm sure they could have been. Farrakhan and Jackson are often blunt about the state of white racism, and that makes most white ppl feel guilty, and consequently, makes them want to deny the intelligence of said person.
There's alooootta white guilt out there. I think it's a really big deal that should get more attention than it does. A lot of white people were born past a point where they don't REMEMBER racism, but they have only known of it indirectly. Therefore, they don't feel directly responsible for the lingering effects of racism, and feel that it's unfair to be accused of racism by ppl like Jesse Jackson.
Okay, so when a Black person like Oprah/ Tiger Woods/ MLK/ Condi/ Powell/ Obama comes along and isn't full of spite for white ppl, we all breath a collective sigh of relief. Why? Because we don't have to feel guilty again. I'm not sure if we're valid in feeling this way or not, but I think it's what happens by default. We like to see non-spiteful black ppl succeed because it affirms to us that black ppl can succeed w/o any trouble. But when a successful black person succeeds AND is spiteful of white ppl, we have to acknowledge the ongoing existence of racism, and that's really really hard [again, look at white guilt].

2- Established standards/ experience w/ Black peers. Okay, I know this is AWFUL, and don't get mad, because I'm just being open, and straightforward. But, okay, I haven't really come across many amazingly intelligent black people in the course of my life. So, you get used to this status quo of normally being better educated than the average black person you run into. It becomes something that you just sorta expect as a default.
So, then, when you realize a black person you've met is MORE intelligent than yourself, it really throws you for a loop. Again, I know it's awful to say this like this, but I'm trying to be honest here. I don't think it's because black people ARE less intelligent. I think it's because the lingering social effects of racism have basically resulted in most black ppl not having enough access to education. It's endemic poverty, you know? Regardless of the cause, the effect is that most white people will find that most black people they encounter are not as well educated. Again, this is a social problem, and NOT a biological one. That's not what I'm saying at all.
But if we can assume that this phenoma does exist [and let's be honest-- it does], the net effect is that white people will naturally assume they are more intelligent than any given black person they come across. When we are wrong, it hurts our pride, our ego. Disgusting, I know. But it's pretty simple psychology, when you get right down to it.

While I'm on this schpiel, let me also say that I think we as a society need to stop pretending that most people aren't racist. I think it's dangerous to make acts of racism so completely taboo that it encourages people to go inwards with their feelings of racism.
I seriously think that racist thoughts are the rule, not the exception, no matter if you are white, or anything else. There needs to be less shame and outrage surrounding racism, and more of a willingness to discuss it, and acknowledge it so that all of our racist thoughts can be worked through.
I am often AFRAID to be friends with black ppl, because I'm worried I'll unintentionally offend them w/o meaning to.
As a white person, there's nothing I'm more afraid of than being called a racist. Nothing would make me feel more awful than that. So what's the end result of that? Rather that immerse myself in different cultures, I isolate myself to stay safe. That is BAD for a society at large, if we are so F'ing PC that we isolate ourselves out of fear of being un-PC. The reality is that MANY MANY white people do this. [for that matter, so does every other ethnic group]
%whew! end rant!%

Answer 8

It seems like some people are afraid of me, because I'm a black kid, and I'm intelligent. I don't get it?

Answer 9

The only person that is intimidated is Hillary Clinton!!!!

Answer 10

Stupid people are intimidated by stupid people. That goes for blacks and whites. There's more hate for well educated and successful professional blacks from the black community than from whites.

All ignorance does is hate and fear - that goes for everyone.