Black man in America
Just here to vent w. some monkeys. Mom died when I was 9, two years after 9/11. My old man’s been racking up more hours ever since. I’m an inner city kid, wasn’t the best part of town but wasn’t the worst either. I had two options living in the ghetto, be honored for stupidity (guns, gangs, drugs, and violence) or be frowned upon and labeled as a weirdo for not indulging. I instinctively chose the latter. Although Scarface was one of my favorite movies, I always knew it was just a movie not my reality. I used skateboarding as leverage to generate a risk averse crowd and keep away potential danger. I spent majority of my time in a nearby white neighborhood because they had a skatepark as opposed to basketball courts that surrounded my area. I never experienced police harassment while in that town or any other town, EVER. Besides Tupac and Biggie Smalls, I refrained from too much rap music because when you’re young and naive anything can influence you to do something stupid. Instead, I listened to country, pop, alternative, acoustic music. Very conservative I know, but it didn’t ignite the environmental programming that I tried so hard to bury. High School was a bit intense because of the district I was in but for the most part I adapted and stayed the course. Picked up tennis in HS and leveraged that as well to steer clear of trouble. I fell victim to peer pressure and smoked weed but I don’t regret that, at all lol. I always wanted to try golf but it was too expensive for my old man’s budget and plus it wasn’t accessible in my city so I just played PGA Tour. The whole point of this message is to spread light on the ghetto. Yes, it’s dangerous. Yes, opportunity is a bit dense compared to other places. But if you’re determined to make it out, you can make it out with ease. There are a plentitude of programs that focuses ONLY on helping under privileged kids, I took advantage. My hometown built a skatepark that will host it’s grand opening tomorrow thanks to the Tony Hawk foundation. The city has come a long way since my days as a kid. I believe it will be much easier for the kids coming after me to excel if they take advantage and utilize their opts. Unfortunately, some natives are being squeezed out due to gentrification but I’m progressive-minded. Also, I’m not a big fan of the Black Lives Matter movement either. Technically, all lives matter. But I won’t rant about that. Let’s just say I love America. I never fed into the “Hate America” propaganda stemming from the black community. I’m not oblivious. America definitely has her flaws, but I wouldn’t trade her in for any other green card in the world. My old man always told me, “This is a political world son. Play your cards right.” And I will continue to play this game of life. Aren’t we all?
I think buying into the whole victim mentality is what kills people’s chances of making it out of tough situations. And while yes many people are victims of circumstance and grow up in poor conditions, adopting a victim mentality will never get you out of there. Good on you for making good decisions to escape and lead a better life!
Look, this is patently wrong. What I hear when someone tries to explain away the presence of discriminatory systems, especially in white people, is excusing the past--maybe because of ego and stubborn unwillingness to admit to past injustices. The truth is, you can pull up legislation passed in the 60s and 70s outlawing redlining, as an example, but in reality it doesn't mean those polices completely stopped those practices from happening ever again. We can find court records showing cases where it's still happening today.
Still, when you look broadly at disparities, most black people are trying to identify causes in order to negotiate solutions. Whereas the conservative right tries to make an argument that, basically, it's not their fault (by the logical inability to deny history, stating cultural reasons as the cause of disparities impacting the black community). There's also the sentiment that because some political victories have occurred in the past, the amount that this country is willing to concede to restore full rights is limited. I mean, seeing the disparity, especially in wealth and income, as large as it is, has many causes. What the conservative portion of this country lacks is the ability to identify ALL of those causes, which is why republicans are deemed as racist. The blindness to look at the full picture objectively has to be bias, which is along the race line, or a subtle racism.
This negligent placement of just some few causes (largely cultural) at the forefront, which benefit the narrative that white history never happened, is very disingenuous, and it's hurting the well being of this country. First identify that white people have a very negative relationship with race. Even textbooks taught in history class fail to fully capture the truth, especially the severity and uniqueness of slavery, and how that racist attitude and economy spanned beyond American shores.
This is a real issue and the lack of acknowledgement does pose the question of racism in this country.
According to the Brookings Institute, you have a 98% chance to not live in poverty in the US if you finish high school, get a job, and don’t have a baby out of wedlock before you’re 21. By world standards you actually have a 99.7% chance to not live in poverty, but by US standards having an iPhone and TV is still considered impoverished.
Not saying racism doesn’t exist but systemic racism (laws/policies) is nonexistent, other than affirmative action. I think that is what makes this country brilliant is that no matter who you are you have social mobility between classes with the right mindset and work ethic.
Edit: The only thing my post talked about was not adopting a victim mentality/making good decisions. I never said people don’t suffer hardships just that lamenting over them will never allow you to succeed. How did this turn into a fuck conservatives?
The whole point is that you can succeed in America today regardless of race (unless you tell yourself that your race is a barrier to success, in which case you will never succeed). We are not going to fix the wrongs of Jim Crow/slavery, so what is the point in pondering over the past. It has no purpose and does not fix the problem.
I never said racism doesn't or didn't exist. Systematic oppression is very real. My goal here was to place emphasis on the fact that you can make in this country TODAY if you forge ahead despite one's circumstances. I am living proof. Racism will always exist in America, it's literally the foundation of this nation based on historical data or data. But as my father said, "This is a political world son. Play your cards right." I didn't grow up in the 50s-60s-70s-80s where it was more intense to be a black man. I deeply appreciate all of those who came before me and implemented some sense of change in the country which in hindsight paved the way for me to succeed a little. Overall, there's a lot more work that needs be to done to improve equality but you can't deny the fact that we're in a much better space/place than we were pre-Jim Crow laws.
delete
would like to think OP is telling the truth but my comment isn't helpful
Nothing but the truth my friend.
Only commenting because skateboarding also led me away from a life of trouble at a young age. Glad it did the same for someone else. Even better that your hometown got a park, you better hit it up and get the youngsters to start skating!
haha the skating crowd got me into trouble, until the great schism of the summer between sophomore and junior year where the people who liked the doing the drugs part more than the skating part kinda split off
Lol I totally get that. Maybe it was because I was in the midwest, but the skate crowd was a bunch of punks, goths, bass heads, etc. I bet some of them in high school got into the drug scene though. Our great schism was 8th grade --> freshman year when half of us went to private school and the other half went to public school, with the latter half eventually not skating at all. Caused most of us to lose touch.
Yeah, isn't it crazy that even with skating there's a realm of different sectors too? Punks, Goths, Emos, etc. Trouble seems to linger no matter where you are. But even then, I chose to hang out with kids who just wanted to casually skate everyday, we'd grab a bite of pizza from our favorite spot before our curfews ended the night. Miss those days. Even the hardcore skaters labeled us as pussies for not doing the hardcore shit like drugs or wearing the proper "hardcore" attire. My father scared me away from drugs at a very young age because his ideology was that it turned people into zombies. As a kid I thought, who tf wants to be a zombie? Not me.
Dude, I was so pumped I actually went yesterday before the opening and eventually got kicked out. I'm very rusty, bones are getting old. It's getting harder to get up after a fall lol.
First things first, big props to your father for holding down for you and whoever else in the house since your mom passed, you don't see that a lot in the black community.
Also thanks for sharing your story but I don't think that the black community has a "hate america" propaganda, they hate the situations they are in and to tell them to simply "pick themselves up by the bootstraps" doesn't work. What we are seeing in most black communities are consequences of historical biases. Redlining, legal segregation, lack of credit opportunities, lack of opportunities to build wealth for hundreds of years, etc.
So I say again, they don't hate America, they hate the situations they have constantly been in without any hope. And to unravel and attempt to fix those situations, will take a long, long time and will also need the help of the black community to redirect focus to how one can succeed in life; education, two-parent households, no baby mommas before 20 years old, "ball or rapping" not being the only two avenues to success, etc.
But at the end of the day though, I'm simply happy to hear a success story like yours and I hope you are able to give back to your community to help out others who have been or are in a situation like you were in.
totally agree. OP you are 100% a white guy doing some weird role playing, read this comment before making such statements
100% black bro.
Egggg-zackly. As I've stated before, I'm not oblivious to Black America by any stretch. But to compliment what you said, it's going to take a long time to redirect the focus. Two-parent households would be a great start. Understanding that a pair of $20 Payless shoes were made in the same country as those $180 Jordans should be the next.
Another tap dancing thread. Smh.
Edit: I didn't even see your username - I don't believe you're black.
100% on both statements. Another thread to show "I'm one of the good guys" smfh
I was half expecting "Candace Owens is a personal hero of mine"
Made me chuckle though. Solid fan-fiction.
Either he's black and such a tap dancer that he refers to himself as "BBCinIB" because he thinks fetish stereotypes are funny or he's not black. Needless to say, both scenarios are a grand smh.
You're entitled to believe as you wish. I know who I am. I know where I came from.
Joe Biden has entered the chat
LOL
LMFAOOO bro. He's trying so hard to fit in until he gets his wake-up call.
Sad that half the people on here posing to be black are just straight up lying.
Sure.
"The whole point of this message is to spread light on the ghetto"
Gtfoh bro you're probably from Culver City telling people you're from Leimert Park. There was 0 point to this thread. Why even bother trying to pose as a black man on an online forum? You telling us on WSO about your supposed "past" will do nothing. You should put this same energy into educating the youth wherever you say you're from.
Also nice "I'm not a big fan of the Black Lives Matter movement either" line. Gotta get in the good ol boys club somehow right?
Dude, just because I'm black doesn't mean I have to succumb to everything that's promoted by the black community. I possess the freedom to indulge whatever I wish. But I agree with your advice, I do need to put some energy into helping the youth. Thanks for calling me out on that.
Full disclosure, I'm a white suburbanite so I am definitely not in touch with the black community. I can try to be open-minded and make friends with different cultures, but at the end of the day the only real culture I understand is my own.
That being said, the overarching theme of your post seems to be that you became successful by avoiding what you consider to be "black" activities. Obviously avoiding drugs and gangs, plus doing well in school are good things. On the flip side, making it a point to choose skateboarding over basketball to be in a white neighborhood, choosing country and alternative over rap, denouncing the BLM movement because all lives matter. It all seems very forced, especially given that you actively made these decisions starting as a preteen.
Why did you feel the need to take the exact path you did? Basically, why did you feel the need to be so staunch about your hobbies and tastes?
This dude isn't black
What if it's Herman Cain communicating from beyond the grave?
You're entitled to your opinion Bob.
"I had two options as a black man in America - either I learned a jump shot or I had to start slinging crack rock. As a small government, business-friendly, pro-second amendment, Donald Trump supporting American patriot, I instinctively chose the latter. Although Boyz n the Hood was my favorite movie, I always knew that Ricky made negative choices in life, primarily who he associated with, and he ultimately not only deserved his death but actively contributed to it. I refrained from basketball because when you're young and naive, anything can influence you to do something stupid. To stay with the right crowd, I focused entirely on reading Ayn Rand, playing Lacrosse, dating women with small butts, and putting mayo on my sandwiches. I fell victim to peer pressure and accidentally listed my race as "White" on my college applications because I don't see race, but now at least I know I got into Harvard on merit, not through Affirmative Action. The whole point of this thread is to spread light on the inherent inferiority of black people in America based on weirdly specific anecdotes in an effort to get internet points from 18 year old white boys from New York City who listen to too much Ben Shapiro. Also, I'm not a big fan of voting rights. Let's just say I love America, unlike most of us fellow blacks who are actively seeking to undermine it, along with the Jews. My old man always told me, "Son, on the internet, you can be anyone you want to be. No questions asked." And I will continue to play this game of trying to inflame culture wars on the WSO Off Topic forum amongst angsty college kids. Aren't we all?"
100% what OP meant right here. This is spot on.
LMFAO. Nice remix. We should definitely do a mixtape soon.
If I sat here and said picking up a skateboard got me to where I am today that would be utter bullshit. But, skateboarding kept me away from trouble. Trouble that I knew at a young age would lead to an endless cycle of jail, gang beef, and drug dealing until death called my name. It was just instincts and fear of dying or being imprisoned. Also, it was good parenting from my old man. Who's been to jail, been apart of a gang, etc. So he just stayed on my ass and coached me through inevitable obstacles that I'd face growing up as a kid. I still played basketball, street football and shit like that but skateboarding was just my main squeeze. Not because I knew right then and there that it would yield a different environment or different groups of friends. Those benefits just came naturally. I joined tennis in HS after my father put me on punishment for bad grades, from his perspective. It allowed me to get out of the house and stay out a little longer after school. Football season was over. Basketball roster was already full and track was out of the question. Again, I didn't know tennis would yield different avenues of life or that I would be exposed to different experiences like golf, rowing, water volleyball. Those benefits came just came naturally. Hope this helps. Not even sure if it's actually called water volleyball btw.
The basis OP's terribly written statement rests on is "being black is inherently bad". Lol, seriously, I mean what you got against basketball courts? And, while I was skateboarding growing up, I did it with my black friends and all the white kids listened to rap! This is a terrible attempt, and I don't believe you're black either.
I didn't like the violence of rap. I was already surrounded by violence. No need to add fuel to a fire that's already well lit. And not once did I say "being black is inherently bad." I have nothing against basketball, big Mavericks fan here during the Lafentz, Bradley, Dampier, Finely, Nash, and Dirt regime.
The black community does not accept this slanted tirade and will gladly trade OP for just about anyone else. If any agents are interested, pls reply below with prospective players, terms, and salary expectations.
My family loves me and they're very proud of the very little I've been able to accomplish so far. I take pride in setting a prime example for my cousins, nieces and nephews. And will continue to do so.
loool. gotta love the left. as soon as they are presented with an alternate view / position from someone who they consider their political property they go into endless rants of "uncle tom". racist much? no wonder its okay for Biden to tell people theyre not really Black if they dont support him
He isn't black. This has nothing to do with Trump vs Biden you clown. Post with your username next time. This anonymous pussy shit is getting out of hand on this website.
Unless the dude posts a screencap with his hand writing and hand in the pic, then we won't know either way. Looks like you're making assumptions based on your biases but I could be wrong too. But it's also believable that those who grow up in the hood have a certain mentality. When he said you get respect for being a gangbanger I don't think that's a lie, that's literally every single hood/impoverished you'll ever go to, doesn't matter what the race is. You see the same kind of behavior in poor eastern european countries, where the strong are respected, and in their situation the strong sometimes are criminals and thugs. Prime example is, 1990s Russia. Crime was rampant, police had no authority, and the bandits were the law, everyone wanted to be a gangster, it wasn't until the 2000s hit where all those wannabe gangsters and legit gangster all ended up dead or in prison.
How does it feel to get BTFO now that the dude posted a screen cap and utterly destroyed your arguments LMAO
loool. gotta love the right. as soon as someone presents obvious bullshit in an effort to win internet points from morons / start the 2927834923427398472nd argument over "culture" on WSO, they somehow make it about the 2020 presidential election and how liberals in America are the "real racists." no wonder it's okay for Trump to tell people that Biden is going to "destroy the suburbs" with low income housing. Everyone knows that has nothing to do with race, amirite?
Gotta love the "right", bringing up politics when it was not mentioned once....at all. Your blood pressure is probably stellar with you harboring all that anger just to spew it online.
yeah. super angry. def got me. i mean its not even my country but i def care so much that my blood boils! good try. what would your response to OP be if he was 100% verified black? still just uncle tom? got it. look at you all. as soon as i posed i get like 3 comments within minutes. you guys must be really triggered by this stuff.
Look, we're all intelligent here, right? If some guy comes on this board and postures as hard as OP is, he better be damn sure about the implications he's making and the conclusions that will be drawn from them. This guy made "black man in America" a f***ing caricature, the same one on TV, where golf and skateboarding are antithetical to being black and anything opposite of how the media paints black people is how to have positive associations in life. It's honestly a lazy attempt. Normal people don't make caricatures of themselves. Maybe OP isn't even human.
Never once did I say skateboarding and golf are antithetical to being black. It's just wasn't as easily accessible as basketball, football, or baseball in my neighborhood.
Not even close to human. Just a gorilla.
Took the words right out my mouth. You definitely majored in psychology.
I would very surprised if the OP is black. When you say that you are not a big fan of BLM, it kind of implies that you do not have empathy for black people and their experience in the US, which kind of does not make sense coming from a black person. It is bizarre for black person to say black people hate America. To say any race or ethnic group of people hates America is ridiculous.
Is it really ridiculous for someone to not agree with a group that supposedly apparently represent them? That's like saying every Jew must absolutely support the Zionist movement because the Zionists are fighting for the Jews' homeland.
I have never met a Jew who did not support having a state of Israel. Plenty of Jews disagree with the politics in Israel, though
I am a fan of black empowerment and black excellence. Anything other than that is quite frankly irrelevant to me. Looting and starting riots does nothing but place emphasis on what people already think of us, "wild animals." Education, two-parent households, taking advantage of programs made available to us leads way to change. Idolizing rap and sports as the only avenues of success needs to be toned down a bit. Spending one's paycheck on Jordans and fake Gucci belts to be considered rich needs to stop. I don't have all the answers bro. But we have a long way to go.
hahaha dude please tell me you’re being ironic or something. pretending to be black and saying some bull shit like this on wso of all places is beyond pathetic. absolute comedy
ha ha.
As a black man who grew up in the hood and inner city is it possible this person is black? Sure. Is it possible I'll win the lottery tomorrow. Sure.
But I'll be money this person isn't black. BBCinIB? C'mon man this is fanfiction.
Perhaps we had different experiences?
Alright just looking back, seems like OP made this as a troll post. I mean the dude has yet to even reply to others calling his ass out. Dude is probably bored on a Thursday and wanted to flame some more culture wars. On WSO of all places too...
I was also bored af and saw OP comment on something awhile back referencing both his parents, so I'm not gonna assume, but this man clearly is not being 100% truthful about everything he stated.
Detective, glad you've joined us.
To all of those whom are curious to know.
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