Posted on 08/08/2004 3:05:05 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Apparently I am an Oreo. According to the past few generations' terminology, an Oreo is not a cookie made by Nabisco but a person who is black on the outside and white on the inside. Now, I admit that I could switch places with any member of *NSync, a late-'90s boy band, and perform a concert, and the fans wouldn't notice. But that doesn't make me an Oreo. And, if *NSync's fan base is mostly white, that doesn't mean I'm not black anymore. I'll be black forever.
The words black and white don't just mean color anymore. They describe actions, behavior and intelligence. Black symbolizes guns, violence, "ghetto fabulous" behavior, a job at McDonald's, overall failure in life. And white is a Harvard graduate, CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a house in the Hamptons, success.
These stereotypes let all of the air out of a little black kid's balloon. And if the stereotypes don't do it, some other black people will, starting with your education.
It is dangerous for a young black female like me to be surrounded by other young blacks who don't value their education. 'Cause I'll tell you, the feeling can be contagious, especially in middle and high school, when fitting in is in and standing out is way out.
At my middle school, I stuck out immediately. On my first day, I quivered with my *NSync notebook in hand, as I felt my way around school. I was ready to learn and very surprised to find the majority of my fellow black students were not.
"I've never met black kids like this," I told my mom over my afternoon snack. In my reading class their eyes slit my throat as I raised my hand to answer questions. During social studies, I was the only black student who didn't get into trouble with Ms. Burch. She actually liked me; we shared a love of *NSync. Even though I found a connection with Ms. Burch, one that we still share, I couldn't seem to find that basic connection with people who looked like me.
The difficulty of coping with the ridicule became a lot to bear at a time when having and making friends was the issue of the day. Being called an "Oreo" or "Miss Smarty-Pants" and "brainy" became normal, but I was never completely numb to the implications of these words. When the people who should be complimenting and congratulating you on your accomplishments are treating you as if you sell drugs, it doesn't feel as if you are doing the right thing.
This feeling has continued into high school and probably will continue throughout my entire life. But I am tired of being surrounded by those who don't apply themselves because they are afraid of what other people will think.
What will people think when they see you working at McDonald's? Will they think about you or the black race as a whole? I'm looking for a place — a school, a university, a community — where being "young, gifted and black" works for me and not against me. Where I can display my intelligence the way I display my clothes, and speak the way I was raised to speak. And that's not white, black, yellow, green or blue — it's simply the proper way to speak.
I was raised to respect my education and the fact that I am blessed to have an opportunity that others before me didn't have. And I will not waste my opportunities. I will continue to take advantage of them so I won't have to settle for flipping burgers and salting fries.
I will be successful, have an impact and continue to flourish as a young black woman. And for all those who are curious, the only Oreos I'll see will be the ones in my dorm room. But what does it matter — I only eat the cream anyway.
She needs to go to a school where she will be wanted.
I wish public schools could be cleaned out with a fire hose and good teachers (those not indoctrinated in schools of education and who hold degrees in their subject matter, not educrat theory and LIBERAL-speak) walked back in after they dried out.
Kids who don't want to put forth the effort or just don't do as well in classes rag on those who do well. If one of their friends starts to move in a trajectory that will put them on a road to success, the peers will try to pull him/her down. If those people aren't happy for your success, then they aren't your friends.
At the other extreme, "brains" or "preps" can be fiercely competative in out performing their peers. If there is a drawback among this group, it is that they can be similar to workaholics.
Absolutely and also teach kids to be respectful of others... well I suppose being in school to learn would take care of that.
It has a lot to do with the soft bigotry of low expectations. LIBERALS blame everyone but the student for not learning. People like to hear it isn't their fault - then they don't have to try, so they laugh it off without seeing they are sucked into lives that fullfill the lie of LIBERALS. But people, like this girl and her family need to be seen and heard.
Bump!
It is a shame the NAALCP doesn't address this crap. Instaed they worry about a flag in SC.
I read a book back in the 70s (I can't remember the name title, I think it was written by a married couple)in which the authors documented -- among other things -- the continual and steady decrease in the number of words children at given grade levels were expected to be able to read that started when ed schools did and got worse as they strengthened.
This woman's situation is a small example of it, but we all know it goes much further.
I mean, she's seeing it at a deeply personal level, via her everyday interaction with friends, but it's also the fact that there are people who will group her, categorize her and basically attempt to stamp her with a particular type of "minority status" that will impact many aspects of her life outside of her personal friendships. It may be helpful, but nothing comes for free. The same programs that are allegedly set up to benefit her may, to some extent limit her future as well.
We've seen recently in California that black families are unable to get "testing" for the children in Public school to determine if they need particular attention so that they can obtain help and focus on specific aspects of their education. Such tests have been deemed "Racist and unfair" because liberals believe it is unfairly biased against blacks to begin with. So as a result, these black families are excluded from such aid because of their race. This is the very thing that such benefits were designed to avoid.
It's a very sad situation with no immediate solution. Even more sad, if someone was able to promote a solution, it would be met by the same liberal crowd as being biased and unfair to one group or another, and most likely this would effectively eliminate that group from ever obtaining the aid it may need.
People are waking up and realizing the confinement of such programs and that they are as much an inhibition as they are a help.
And I tell you, I dread this sort of thinking. My children are Americans, but one look will tell you they're mixed race and by their looks alone could easily be grouped into like situations by those impaired by racial bias on behalf of the left.
If we just sat back, the left would implement segregation all over again with each particular group receiving a different level of social acceptance and service. By "coincidence" those groups would probably translate directly in their equivalent voting block.
People are so unfamiliar with the real history surrounding the rat party. They stood against the "Equal Rights Act" in the 60's, with Al Gore's father being one of it's greatest opponents. It was the Republican party that freed the slaves. It's conservatives now who try to view all people through God's eyes and attempt to open society to mimic his view of all men being equal.
You just won't here that from the left. They use code words like "Fair" and attempt to justify confiscatory public policies by promoting certain groups as being too pathetic to comply to normal standards for social performance. The damage they end up doing is heinous and unspeakable.
This, plus even if we were to raise a voice of protest, that voice would be condemned as "racist" regardless of whatever the message might be.
I wish I had a solution, but the only thought I have is that the left must be defeated at all costs. Anyway, so much for my rant...
This girl is gonna do just fine! God bless her.
Hard working people are tagged "workaholics" so others can work their 8 and hit the gate without hurt feelings.
There are no superlatives anymore. Just those afflicted with a PC disease.
I actually knew one workaholic at work who would arrive early, stay late, often to avoid his homelife/family.
Did you see him on Dr. Phil or Oprah?
I see this more as having similarities with Rush letting us all know other people had strong conservative thoughts and Bill Cosby letting people know other people had strong conservative thoughts - only they needed a high visibility black man to step up and loudly proclaim it.
I believe it. From the third grade to the eight grade, kids lose ground.
I have seen a little bit of Dr. Phil while seated in a waiting room but did not see much value in the program.
Bump!
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