What does it mean when people say a black politician is "Acting White"?

Question

...or any person for that matter?
-
I have a job, medical insurance, drive a beemer, walk my dog, pet my cat, listen to rock music, am respectful to my mother, eat with a knife fork and spoon, open doors for people, call people I don't know "Ma'am" and "Sir", say please and thank you, pay my bills, watch TV......
-
Do black people not do these things?
-
What are some "Black" acts, activities or things to do? As a white guy, Is it ok for me to try them out?
-

-
Thanx for the inspiring story "Deep". Any person would be blessed to have an upbringing such as yours. I'm 42 and still trying to get away from corporate slavery and out on my own. Can you send your mom over to kick my butt a few times. :)
-

Answer 1

I seriously want to slap Jesse Jackson for saying that. What is the definition of "acting white? He just downgraded blacks once again! When someone says "you are acting white" it's usually a compliment, meaning you are educated or well spoken. But if someone says you are acting black it has nothing but negative meaning. I hate that. That statement alone totally disregards ALL Jesse Jackson's efforts.
**Also, some black peoples mind sets are really twisted. They expect you to support other black people no matter what the case may be, positive or negative. Jesse Jackson is a prime example of this.

Answer 2

IMO people mean that a black politician is acting like a stereotypical white person. Acting stereotypically white seems to make some people feel more comfortable. Of course black people are polite and whatnot. They watch TV, pay their bills, love their pets and all that. It just depends on the person and their background. I'm not sure what you mean by "black activities" but if you want to act like a black stereotype you are more than welcome to. Because everyone just loves it when someone impersonates a stereotype.

Answer 3

It may just mean that he's forgetting where he came from.

He forgets that when he gets in his nice car and drives somewhere a cop might pull him over for no reason.

He's forgetting that when some white people say they are going to vote for him, they go behind that curtain and their conscience won't allow them to vote for a black man.

I have a job, medical insurance, drive a hoopty, listen to rap and r&b music, am respectful to my parents, eat with a knife, fork and spoon, open doors for people, use ma'am and sir, please and thank you, pay bills and watch tv.
I also, bob my head to the music while driving, get pulled over by police for no reason, get followed in stores, never been arrested, seen a crack deal go down, been friends with people on Section 8 and welfare, watch BET.

My point is that people in different cultures live and experience different things, when you hear people say that a person is acting white, it means they think that the person is acting like they have never experienced those things that go along with being black.

question for Who Cares: why is it twisted to think that way when white people do the exact same thing but on a larger scale???? You seem to be dealing with some serious self-hatred issues. There are plenty of positive things and positive black people and acting "black" should never be thought of as negative.
Acting black meaning that I act like my ancestors built this country for free?
Acting black meaning that I act like my people have been disenfranchised by whites?
Acting black meaning that I actually want to know what is going on in black communities everywhere and why there is so much poverty, crime and drugs?
Think about that WHO CARES.

Answer 4

Shhhhhhhh, only black politicians can insult other black politicians by calling them white and still not be called out for being racists.
If you do it, you have to go to the Imus in the morning rehab center.
See if you are white and you act white you are bad. All whites are bad and it's ok to say so. But, if you are black and act white you are really really bad but you can't say that unless you are a black acting black.
With me so far?

Now just go back to being white and stop trying to pick out the white blacks or you'll get yourself in trouble.

Answer 5

"Acting white" is kind of code saying you're not acting like us. Fall in line.

I know this phrase well. I grew up with a mother who had her BS in nursing and had risen to director of nurses in about 5 years. She was very driven and made sure we understood education was key to anything you wanted in life. With that behind me, I came to school and blew bell curve after bell curve, not to make them look bad but because if I came home with Cs, I had explaining to do. My classmates called me "White boy" or my personal favorite "Oreo" for years.

At first it used to bother me. Then I had an epiphany of sorts. Maybe it was when I was choosing between five colleges and the people who used to call me oreo, that I was then tutoring were trying to figure out what city bus dropped them at the JC, but I said to myself, "Is being black, being ignorant?" Is staying with your race mean that I have to hide that I'm an intellegent man, the fourth of four of my mother's kids to go to and complete college? Does being black mean I can't achieve? That is backward thinking and so I went on with my life and never looked back.

I still run into people who want to drop the "white" tag on me. The last guy who did it I found out was 30 and still bagging at FoodCo. By 30, I'd already tried my hand at owning an IT consulting firm.

When I heard Jesse Jackson had said that and quickly tried to retract it like the spineless weasel he's become, I didn't see a Reverend. I didn't see a leader who had walked with King himself. I instead saw just another one of those little kids in the elementary school, who was lucky he got a 65% on the English test, looking at me put an A away in my backpack and muttering "oreo" under his breath.

Answer 6

It means that they are acting like the false suppresion being applied by self appointed black leaders is not working. It means that what MLK Jr. said when he said "Free at last, free at last..." is being taken literally. It means if you can stand on your own 2 feet like a Clarence Thomas or Bill Cosby then you have shed your own skin color.

Answer 7

in this context it means your educated, you speak without using ebonics or slang, it means you have money , you have a decent job. Its a degrading remark about the success of the stereotypical white power male.

id rather be told im acting white..than acting black which would be

uneducated, talks with slang or heavy ebonics, loves fried chicken and waffles, carries a gun and shoots it on its side instead of up and down, drives a hooptie, is from the ghetto, the white man always trying to get me down supressed attitude.

which would you prefer?

Answer 8

It is extremely racist for people to claim that education and affluence are "white" actions...

When an ignorant black person makes these remarks about a Black candidate, most people ignore it... but not the republicans... they make SURE it gets media attention and that whoever said it is noted as some kind of "liberal leader".

Answer 9

Jessie Jackson thinks that if you aren't race oriented, you aren't black enough. If you don't make everything a race issue, and support all black people (because of their race, not because you believe in their cause) then you are not black enough or "acting black."

Answer 10

It means he wears clothes that fit, uses proper grammar, says "ask" instead of "ax", he only has 1 baby momma, has never been on welfare, has never lived in government housing, doesn't spend more money on his rims than his house, and doesn't spend his days smoking weed and getting his hair braided.