As the article notes; It’s a problem, because too often, black kids who want to fit in (with their black peers) end up letting their grades slip.
FTA:
Folks, no. The research confirms that the “acting white” charge is a real problem that intimidates some black students away from doing their schoolwork as diligently as they’d prefer.
But the evidence that the “acting white” charge is about scholastics and not the hang of your pants is too crushing to ignore. Ogbu’s book is evidence enough. Then there are media articles written nationwide— the Times did a signature one—where it is crystal clear that what’s seen as “white” is doing well in school. Of course bookish black kids will also tend to dress and speak in a certain way—but that doesn’t mean these are what the taunts are mainly about. ==========================================================================================================================================================================
So blacks have now institutionalized the equating of doing well in school and overall success with being white and that if you, as a black person wanted to do well in school, achieve success in life, you would otherwise reject it because you know, success, achievement is a 'white' thing, something to avoid. And which seems to say the division between blacks and whites, no matter the opportunities given to blacks, they will forever fail because the division, gulf between blacks and whites as being in seeming social diametric polar opposition, no matter what.
What it does is to take racism to a new level in which black people subvert any idea of achievement, economic upward mobility. What it does is to take racism to a new level, one that is exponentially more harmful to blacks in its self defeatism, than the overt white prejudicial racism of an earlier era.
NYT:June 26,2000:Growing up, Growing Apart
Excerpt
After school one day, Aqeelah and two other black girls were running down the hall when one of them accidentally knocked a corkboard off the wall. Aqeelah told her to pick it up, but the girl kept going.
''What's the matter with you?'' Aqeelah asked. ''You knocked it over, you pick it up.''
Why do you have to be like a white person? her friend retorted. Just leave it there.
Excerpt
Most young people here seem to accept the racial split as inevitable. It's just how it is, they say. Or, it just happens. Or, it's just easier to be with your own kind.
Original Title:No, ‘Acting White’ Has Not Been Debunked
Reading, writing and arithmetic are all White things? Well...More job opportunities for me!
Is a white or Asian failing in school referred to as “acting black”?
Acting White means going to school every day, on time, working hard, not raping your fellow students, not smoking pot, not stealing, not having random wanton sex. Guess that’s expecting far too much.
Does this suggest the return of segregated schools so whites can learn in their culture, blacks in their culture, Hispanics in their culture, Asians in their culture, Middle Easterners in their culture....
So much for the “Melting Pot” illustration I learned in school.
Maybe it isn’t because they are avoiding “acting white”. Maybe the black kids just aren’t a smart as the white kids, on average.
Before anyone claims I am being racist - I am not saying it is their fault - just that it might be the case.
It goes beyond that.
"The Man be keepin' us down" is the mantra of the black underclass. Racism is the cause of their condition.
When one of them succeeds academically, and goes on to enter the middle class, it's a slap in their faces.
They cannot confront the idea that what's keeping them down is their own lack of intelligence, laziness, and general bad attitudes.
How could anyone possibly think that?
The Rats only want to keep this going because uneducated people are easier to manipulate and control.
Generally speaking, it seems that Negroes have never wanted integration.
Been saying it all along, it’s not about race....it’s about culture.
You cannot choose your race. It’s wrong to discriminate on the basis of something the person cannot control. That was the essence of the Civil Rights movement in the beginning.
The problem is the movement became about trying to dictate that cultures, something a person chooses to belong to, are equal, and if you don’t agree with this, you might as well be a Klan member in their eyes.
“it’s easier to be with your own kind”.
As we here on FR know when groups of immigrants come to this country they’re comfort level is with their “own kind”. They all meld in with us as the years pass and they acclimate. This has not happened with blacks even though families have been here for generations. There are a lot of reasons why but I think enough years have passed for them to fit in. It was thought in some circles that the guy in the white hut would help with the problem but he and his progg friends have only made things worse. Blacks will never correct the culture of “being black” unless they stop “being black” and become americans like other immigrants have done.
“As the article notes; It’s a problem, because too often, black kids who want to fit in (with their black peers) end up letting their grades slip.”
This isn’t a black phenomena. In the small town where I grew up, who made decent grades were stigmatized, physically attacked, and isolated by the ‘cool kids’. There were no blacks or other minorities in that town or school system.
You had a choice. Learn to fight or act dumb. Once the ‘cool kids’ learned you would fight, the usually left you alone. Of course, fighting will get you expelled today which doesn’t help your GPA.
Only black culture could equate “succeeding” with “acting white,” and then blame their failures on white people.
Sharpton's in the 'hate whites' group. So is Holder. It's amazing any black kids want to do well in school and take up the American dream. It's easier for poverty pimps to control the 'black community' if they're 'outraged losers'. Holder likes the 'wallow in pity and rage' thing...then Obama falls down from Alinsky... Alinsky hated the middle class...
Really, black kids who want to make it on their own and achieve the dream have to fight their 'leaders'...
That's odd, I thought our Liberal Betters told us that we cannot talk about minority groups with such sweeping statements. Hmmmm.
“acting white”
So isn’t that racist?
Don't get a education, dat be actin' White, man
Don't be doin' nuffin' to be actin' like the White Man
Sell some crack, run some hos, you be doin' right, man
If you actin' White, then we gonna fight, man.
As someone that’s actually taught for years in an all black school, this definitely exists - I’ve heard students say it in front of me in class.