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Philgreg
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Posted: Wednesday June 2nd, 2004 13:00 |
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I posted this on my site years ago but I'll bring it here in an attempt to answer how I feel.
This is a very tough question for me as I am of mixed race, of Jamaican/Irish, however in the western world we live in I am seen as black or more directly,NOT WHITE.
Like any broad qustion there is more than one answer. I will deal with the negative side and then move into the positve.
Being black means I always stand out in a crowd, I can never hide.
It means people see my actions but not always my intent.
It means people always hear my mouth but rarely hear my words.
It means isolation from my roots, (at least part of them) It means knowing I can never know who my ancestors were...I have to revere dreams of them.
It means being stereotyped...As athletic, musical, dance expert,violent, over emotional, oversexed, lazy ,potential criminal, roudy, intellectually inferior and untrustworthy. Being black means, I am aware of who I am and who I have to be...and who I'm not and never will be. It means constantly watching my behaviour...to avoid these tags being taken as truths.
It means wanting to trust the police but finding myself unable, wondering why I get another rejection letter everytime I apply for a job despite having good qualifications.
It means wanting justice with every fibre of my being channelling my anger at all the injustices I and those like me have suffered, oh to make someone pay, wanting to get hold of Enoch Powell, and Maggie Thatcher and Tebbitt, erode their privelidges like they did mine degrade then like they did me and those like me. But holding it down because I know I'm not the savage some say.
At school it meant snide comments from adults, playground punches unprovoked.It means scrubbing my skin, and geling my hair down flat so it looked straight. It meant being misunderstood, nipped in the bud before I ever got good...this is not a poem. It meant having a whole bag of chips on my shoulder, well that's what I was told...but I didn't put them there...I like chips too much.
It meant isolation where I lived in the Peak District, there were no Black girls there, and the white girls I dated ...well their parents didn't want..."coffee coloured" Grandkids.
Now I'm a grown man I can still see all that negative stuff...but Dr king, Marcus Garvey...Brother Malcolm, Nelson Mandella, Olauda Equiano, Frederick Douglass, Alex Haley, Chancellor Williams, Bob Marley,Bernie Grant,Arthur Ashe, Viv Anderson, Trever McDonald, John Barnes, Daley Thompson, Linford Christie, Herman Ousley, John Conte, Frank Bruno, Dereck Griffiths, even Andi Peters...they all helped me...helped me to see I'm not a curse, and I am not cursed ...I am truly blessed.
Because these people all rose, regardless of their colour, regardless of their economic status...they shrugged off all the dissenters to realise their dreams and ambitions, they gave hope to their people, and gave others the courage to stand up for what is right.
So with positivity in mind being black means being a strong man, honouring my ancestors with my success, I live that every day. It means promoting Black History..that I was never taught in school.
I was told Africa has no history..So now being black means making sure people know the truth, Black Africans Built the Pyramids, they mastered Mathematics and Medicine Long before the Ancient Greeks started borrowing from Egyptian texts.
Being black means never settling for second best, I will get what I deserve, and I'll help and try never to forget those who help me, regardless of gender, race , religion, nationality, or sexuality. It means fighting bigotts.
Its about being me, and being happy with it..
African,black...British.....English,Irish....Male...
Straight..whatever...if your gonna label me then I prefer the terms...Fighter, Leader, Winner.
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Dada
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Posted: Friday June 4th, 2004 21:38 |
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| http://www.tamarin.com/king/kindire1.html
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Lalia
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Posted: Saturday June 5th, 2004 14:48 |
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Being black is different for everyone. Theres no one answer it's all from our own experiences our life.
But for me it's a state of mind/spirit and of color,it always continues to change..
There's this spoken word poem that comes on BlackStarz channel entitled the "The Black experience-Blackstarz" it's fresh to def! it holds a true, deep, and powerful meaning for being B
I'll find it and post it later...
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nefertit
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Posted: Monday June 7th, 2004 23:08 |
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Being Black to me is being someone who is made in the image of the Almight y"God" , :Allah, Jah, Yah!!!! Being Black is something to be very proud of because Blacks do have a his-story. Blac-story goes way back in time. . We are Alpha, Omega, the beginning & the end. How can one say that the first people on earth was black and from this black came all races without actually saying that Blacks were the first on planet earth. I am Black & proud!!!!!    Last edited on Monday June 7th, 2004 23:26 by nefertit
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FredB
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Posted: Friday June 11th, 2004 13:12 |
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@Philreg. Interesting subject.
Lailia, said it for me. Being black is about experiencing, seeing and relating to the world in a particular way which is shaped by my culture, historical and social experience and the values which evolve from it. That shapes how I walk, how I express my self verbally, facial gestures and expressions and what is important to me in any given situation or circumstance....
Peace out.
Fredblack
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angel_beauty
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Posted: Saturday June 12th, 2004 10:32 |
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Yup! Black is a just a colour, but our colour is da best colour. But being black is not a burden, its a blessin' and frankly we all shud b proud. We can do anything we want reguardless of our colour, get me.
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shellyanne
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Posted: Monday June 14th, 2004 19:39 |
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As a black individual my perspective of being black is acceptance of who we are the struggles of our dear ancestors who fought night and day for our freedom, our basic rights the right to exist, the right to vote, the right to integrate etc.
they fought us we overcame
they lied to us we found the truth
and the truth is the proof of Nelson Mandela, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Bob Marley, Rita Marley, Malcomn X, Martin Luther King, the national heroes of Jamaica, Paul Bogle, Sam Sharpe, Nanny and the rest may their soul be at peace.
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Cutie363
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Posted: Monday June 14th, 2004 21:00 |
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As a black child of god, to me being black is to be comfortable with who you are. To be proud of your heritage and appreciate the struggles/sacrifices our ancestors have made.
As a child, I was encouraged to melt into the background and not draw attention to the colour of my skin. Whether this was for fear of reprisals - this I can not say. However, in adulthood I refuse to hide.
I've had to work twice as hard to achieve my goals in a euro-centric environment that refuses to recognises my achievements and accomplishments simply because of the colour of my skin. As black people we are often over qualified over experienced and under respected.
For me, being black, is being proud of who I am. Being black for me is not a state of mind. Its not a stereotype that others have carved out for me. Its not conforming to fit in with the status quo. Being black is being true to myself, my children, my ancestors, my family and all the others who have made it possible for me to be here today.
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Mantings
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Posted: Tuesday June 15th, 2004 15:40 |
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Being Black to me is to remember that we were Black in colour before our Ancestorial Mothers where raped by whites which obviously contributes to our skin colour now (brown in many cases) Being Black to me means they will never forget what happened even if we do forgive them for the wrongs they did to us so many years ago.
If a white man ask me why I am called black when my skin colour is brown I say to him you tell me. Then I ask why he is called white and why no one minds being called that.
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The Watcher
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Posted: Tuesday June 15th, 2004 20:11 |
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Ok I misunderstood this topic but I like it as it develops now. Think I'll base mine on Ashanti's for the structure, that was a good one...
As a boy
My dad waking me up at four in the morning (sometimes on school nights) to watch live boxing, on ITV back then lol. He would wake me up and we'd watch Leonard, Hagler and Tyson. We would argue loudly and my mum would get vexed with the noise.... Black men like that were hero's for me. My dad wanted me to be a boxer like him LOL
My mum used to tell me stories of back home all the time. I used to go to  once a year until I was about 15. haven't been since I saw Africa for myself and the realities of my place in the world as one of the privalleged was made clear. I saw the beauty of the land and peoples and the atmospehere... I used to wonder why the media in UK showed it so differently.
Wondering why all my whites friends ate take outs or ready made meals at home when we had home cooked food every day. I grew up learning and appreciating food and how to cook, most black men I know can cook, my white colleagues at work wouldn't dream of it.
Growing up to the sounds of Dennis Brown, Marvin Gaye and Hugh Masekela in the house. My older cousins (who lived with me) corrupted me with Rap from an early age... They would explain the lyrics and show me how to DJ.
Wanting to be John Barnes! even though he played for Liverpool he was an icon for black boys of my age... we all shouted he name as we scored goals in school.
As a teenager
Wondering why my cleverest friends who had the most brains in class were always pushed into sports or drama/music. Why was I called disruptive and troublesome when the noisier white kids were called a 'jack the lad' or a 'character'. Being overly punished for what others got away with.
Sharing jokes and stuff the whites didn't get. Watching the real mcCoy and Desmonds and waiting to get to school to talk about it the next day, Curtis Walker and Felix Dexter were so funny!
Experiencing rascism in the park when playing football, from my own team mates directed at other teams black players 'Oi you black c**t............not you, Mate, you allright' I thought WHAT????
Watching the National Front march outside my school (in Bermondsey) and being scared.
Djing a ghetto house partys... New Jack swing and Slow jams was my thing (I was to shy to scrub up with chicks myself) I only danced while my best friend (my DJ partner in crime) played the latest ragga 45s. I remember doing the Bogle, Santa Barbra and all the funky dances from the Carribean at little shebeens.
Reading Roots and then watching it on TV. Big influence... I wasn't around when it was first shown on TV so it was like dicovering it for myself. I read 'path of blood' about Mzillikaze and a few other books more relevant to me as a southern African. It started a drive in me to learn more black history.
Experiencing rascism in the workplace when my supervisor at factory called me a jam jar man....took me a day to figure out what he meant. I complained when I realised. I lost my job.
Watching Ian Wright and Nigel Benn become the new black hero's (dark destroyer LOL). Wanting Eubank to get a hiding....(not by Steve Collins though, damn!)
As a young man
Learning that the police were not always my friends.
Struggling to resist the temtation of crime when so many old friends were making and spending money of scams, drugs, etc The attraction of black ganster culture is strong when you broke and in a dead end job... Then finding it easy after visiting some of those friends in jail.
Being proud of my friends who went to Uni and got degrees despite all the obstacles in their way. Being proud of my friends who worked in cleaning and other degrading jobs to put themselves through Uni or night school.
As a man
Experiencing a different sort of racism... a reasoning caculating kind. At my job I have to work with the storeman who is a fessed up BNP member. He and I have lively and interesting discussions on lots of things but I never let my guard down. I know exactly what he is. He complains to me about the Asians while my colleague Sanjay tells me he complains to him about the blacks... very sneaky man.
Being happy with my damnself having changed 'troublesome' into confident and walking with the pride of a black man.
Last edited on Wednesday September 1st, 2004 13:08 by The Watcher
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Mafdet
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Posted: Wednesday June 16th, 2004 16:17 |
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Cutie363 wrote: As a black child of god, to me being black is to be comfortable with who you are. To be proud of your heritage and appreciate the struggles/sacrifices our ancestors have made.
As a child, I was encouraged to melt into the background and not draw attention to the colour of my skin. Whether this was for fear of reprisals - this I can not say. However, in adulthood I refuse to hide.
I've had to work twice as hard to achieve my goals in a euro-centric environment that refuses to recognises my achievements and accomplishments simply because of the colour of my skin. As black people we are often over qualified over experienced and under respected.
For me, being black, is being proud of who I am. Being black for me is not a state of mind. Its not a stereotype that others have carved out for me. Its not conforming to fit in with the status quo. Being black is being true to myself, my children, my ancestors, my family and all the others who have made it possible for me to be here today.
I love this post so much said in just 3 paragraphs 
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Majestic Mike
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Posted: Friday June 18th, 2004 19:20 |
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What's up my peeps?
Being black, there's not such thing. Being yourself is the thing to be "Keep it real my brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters. That's what it's really about.
If being black meant shooting each other, wearing all the name brands, and disrespecting others, does that mean that the rest of us must follow the trend/fad?
There's a book called "Life Is Amazing" by a new novelist: Michael Atkinson (since there ain't really been enough black (male) authors since the likes of Langston Hughes, Iceberg Slim, Donald Goines, etc).
The authors out look on life is not about being polically correct, and the book is humourous, so that we can laugh at our selves, and especially at the other foolish mortals. Things have gone too far in the black community, where we still wait for the man to give us our crumbs, or for money to fall from the sky.
There's no more: Ba-ba-black sheep, no more black boards, no more black jokes. We may as well become suicidal bombers if we stay in the "Privileged West" but I still don't see any black people running toward Africa, but away from Africa.
"Being black is not being ashamed of who you are, a star!"
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kayebrandy
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Posted: Saturday June 19th, 2004 10:29 |
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Being black to me means being associated with the foundation of Man, and being at the helm of history, i recently started studying black culture, and before now i hated being black, but the deeper i read about black history, my people (the Nigerians) the prouder i became of what it was to be black. We the blacks invented and created this world as we know it today, our greatest weaknesses have been anger,ignorance and Disunity...AFricans versus Carribeans, Somali Versus..well the rest of us..lol...Amreicans, latinos. Every one of the black races thinks they are superior to others....and dwell in the pit of stupidity. It's just painful that the first people in this world to have the first civilisation (Eygpt), first Universities, first books, Mathematicians...are so ignorant today. Even Charles Darwin stated that the "first man" was from Kenya.
We have to redefine ourselves and even the words "being black". In one sentence it should just mean..."being the foundation/pioneers of today"s civilisation"..the first and most definitely the last....
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Maroon Heart
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Posted: Saturday June 19th, 2004 18:17 |
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Being Black took my fore parents to the banks of the River Nile and the boastful and proud people that were there. Then they travelled through the Sahara to the wisdom of great African Intellects that established great civilisations in West Africa. There blackness then carried them to the Islands where they were systematically made into the likeness of cattle. Blackness resisted and we were labelled terrorists.
Blackness then transported my family to Europe in search of money after the Whiteman's War made their Queen make the call in the Carribean " Africans come home, the Motherland needs you".
My parents Blackness made them run to London and their Blackness made them have intercourse and their Blackness nurtured me, developed me, made me know who I am or more importantly, got me lost, in a world moving, growing developing on the physical, mental, genetic, philosophical, scientific, religious foundation that is Blackness.
Being Black means to me that their is only one God, and he, only he, deserves to be worshiped.
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wotsits18
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Posted: Sunday June 20th, 2004 07:28 |
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Being black, I like it , I love it..I enjoy the fact that as a black person in not trying to do anything I am being mimicked style of dress figure of speech you name it..
The beatings I took as a kid from my mum for wrong doings & for stuff which wasn't even me & then later on in life laughing & joking about it in the changing room with fellow black men & how this helped to shape us esp: when we hear what has been said by a person of a lighter hue things that if we said it we know we "dun get lick"..
The food different slang terms from elders from differnt Islands, the protective nature of ourselves the cameradre the cussing skanking big arse side partings always trying to pop style the music Marvin, Luther, Stevie, Millie, Gladys etc Sunday afternoons BBC Radio London 1-3 mum in kitchen DavidRodigan
The chores cleaning the skirting boards washing the face basin..The grooming of us for us from our parents..Going out raveing & not being back by a certain time & either (a) your peeps come & embrass you @ the rave or (b) being locked out & having to climb through a window or waking up your little bro/sis to let you in..
The love of your grandparents & having somewhere to run when you got 1 beatdown 2 many so granny can defend you & distres your mumz..School holidays & going to your cousins..
Creaming my skin after getting out of the shower @ games/football & having to explain why..
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JONHNCROW234
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Posted: Thursday June 24th, 2004 23:21 |
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TO ME BLAC MEAN STRUGGLE, MORE AND MORE STRUGGLE, ALL DE STRUGGLE IN DIS WORL BRING IT ON PILE DEM UP, SIGH BRING ALL STRUGGLE FRAM EVERY CRIBIS AN CAUNA GROAN SHAKES HEAD BAWL FI EVERY BADDY WHO BLAC.
BLAC MEAN STRUGGLE OK PEOPLE UNLESS WE COULD USE A TRICKY PAINT BUT DEN IT WOULD SOON WASH AFF INIT??
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samarysday
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Posted: Tuesday June 29th, 2004 04:00 |
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| when I read your words, I can't help but feel sorry for how empty you sound, as we live, it's our experience's that cause us to chose what road we travel, but it's our strength of soul that makes us decide the low or the high road, and the experience's that we as a people have endured and still have the abilty to love, I'd say thats the high road, in other words being black to me means strength of soul.
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***melbabe***
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Posted: Tuesday June 29th, 2004 15:02 |
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Cutie363 wrote: As a black child of god, to me being black is to be comfortable with who you are. To be proud of your heritage and appreciate the struggles/sacrifices our ancestors have made.
As a child, I was encouraged to melt into the background and not draw attention to the colour of my skin. Whether this was for fear of reprisals - this I can not say. However, in adulthood I refuse to hide.
I've had to work twice as hard to achieve my goals in a euro-centric environment that refuses to recognises my achievements and accomplishments simply because of the colour of my skin. As black people we are often over qualified over experienced and under respected.
For me, being black, is being proud of who I am. Being black for me is not a state of mind. Its not a stereotype that others have carved out for me. Its not conforming to fit in with the status quo. Being black is being true to myself, my children, my ancestors, my family and all the others who have made it possible for me to be here today.
i understand about what your saying about having to try twice as hard evan for me as a mixed girl i feel that my friends get treated differently & get more praise @ skool. my ada also says that a lot of jobs excuses for him is that he is over qualified/over experienced.
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Legality
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Posted: Tuesday June 29th, 2004 19:45 |
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Being black encompasses so much that it seems inconsequential trying to encapsulate negritude in a few words.
Black in my capable mind means being proud about having something to stand up for. it means having the prescence of mind to know that i can achieve, aspire and envisage all that i want.
Damn, all the time I thank God for all the great things he has done for me, I have no regrets.
Some of you brothers walk arounds blaming society for this racism and that injustice, let me tell you until u stop blaming what surrounds you for your lack (of everything) then your circumstances will continue to oppress, hinder and obstruct your progress.
Being black means knowing that we spring from the loins of the earliest man, when english man dem were still preoccupied with how to fry the first chip...BE BLACK AND PROUD!!
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Cutie363
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Posted: Tuesday June 29th, 2004 21:23 |
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melbabe you replied i understand about what your saying about having to try twice as hard evan for me as a mixed girl i feel that my friends get treated differently & get more praise @ skool. my ada also says that a lot of jobs excuses for him is that he is over qualified/over experienced.
As black people we are treated differently. However, the question is what are we prepared to/not accept. I would argue that we should not be prepared to accept any less than we are entitled to. Studies have shown on the one hand that we are over qualified in our day to day roles and on the other that our young black males are under achieving the in the education system.
In private industry employers are given license to get away with perpetrating such crap however in public industry that would never be tolerated. Although, I say this, I'm not naive enough to believe that this doesn't exist in public service however its covert rather than overt practice.
I tend to use the first few lines of Nelson Mandella's inaugural speech as my guiding light. 'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure'. Fear of our own true capabilities, not fear itself can be our greatest hindrance. For if fear remains unchallenged we will inevitable remain down trodden and forever subjected to the covert excuses perpetrated by those who fear our true potential.
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chi
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Posted: Friday July 2nd, 2004 10:02 |
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| I guess it doesn't really mean anything to me, other than that it identifies that I am brown in colour. My identity does not stem from or rely upon the idea of being "black", so when I really think about it it doesn't really mean anything subtantial to me.
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faery1
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Posted: Monday July 5th, 2004 09:21 |
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Being black doesnt really mean anything to me. If anything, having to be defined by being "black" is not much other than a nuisance. I define myself by my education, my perspective on life and my knowledge.
I do not identify with "black" popular culture or heritage in any way other than my physical appearance. I feel no connection with a person simply because he or she has colored skin.
I think that BLACK is a gross generalization for multiple countries and ethnicities and is a reflection of the limited scope of America's definitions on race. It is a stereotype which attempts to group all primarily non-white, non-asian people of color together as one. I can very well see the obvious difference between someone from Kenya verses someone from Ethiopia and I am sad that many people, could not look a bit deeper and see that it is culture and the way we live our lives which defines us and not simply color. We arent all 'black.' By accepting being lumped together as "black" we accept the way Europeans have viewed non- europeans for as long as they have had contact with them.. as ALL THE SAME.. unrelated to Europe as well as inferior to Europeans. Europeans/Euro-Americans did not want to identify with their African counterparts and therefore disassociated themselves entirely by lumping entire countries and basically all non-white people as BLACK.
Slavery in America has forced people to acknowledge themselves as a single group of oppressed people which happened to mostly be of black ancestry. It is sad and serves only to keep black people separate from white people. As long as people refer to themselves as BLACK lumping together culture and physical appearance they will forever accentuate the color line rather than make efforts to erase it. It is this line which many racist non-black use to define their own self imposed superiority.
We now live in an era where race does not define ones culture. Once upon a time people could really determine things about a person such as their food and style based upon their appearance, but those days are more or less over.
I do not relate to people who are BLACK simply because they are black. I consider myself a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural person and acknowledge as much of my ancestry as I know of. ..African, Native American, European, Hispanic as well.. Its all there and its all me. Once people stop identifying themselves as a color then they will see connections with the rest of the world.. rather than divisions.
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Intimidation and insecurity strike back with insult and interrogation.
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Kunjufu
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Posted: Monday July 5th, 2004 20:04 |
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Can I just remind Villagers that this is not a debating thread..We just want peoples thoughts about being black or what it means to them.. Any posts that is not on topic will be removed..sorry..
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African heart, African mind
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