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.
Bump!
The solution is simple. Simply expel all the troublemakers from the schools and flunk out those who either don't want to or can't keep up. The world needs gas station attendants, fast food workers, ditchdiggers and bus drivers too. And you don't need 12 years of schooling to perform any of those jobs.
They all need basic education for a strong country. But the way schools are structured now, the NEA and the DNC run the programs with their army of poorly educated teachers. It has marginalized all students and their futures - and the future of our country.
I think you need only wait until you apply to colleges and for scholarships to those colleges.
When you see how much money you are going to be offered, then you'll get to see what the icy stares of white people look like ;-)
So how does she proceed in that climate?
She doesn't have to put her race down on anything,thinking she could get something out of it. Everyone INCLUDING WHITE PEOPLE think they can always get something for their color. Sheesh.
She has to MOVE FORWARD do whatever she wants and block out stupid people. No matter what she does there are always the crowd who'll say 'oh you got that because of affirmative action'. For some, no matter what black people do it'll never good enough for whites. That's such an easy out for people. AND AND AND stay away from the black student union. Those people can be poisonous to your mental health.
Good advice.
>>So how does she proceed in that climate?<<
Just the way she has. As a Strong Black Woman with a mission!! God love her!
She has a tough road and sounds like her family is behind her (and most probably her church). She will be fine.
The problem is that so many more girls may not be this strong. They may fall into the trap. I wish I had the solution.
This happens in the hills as well. When my wife went to college, her cousins accused her of "getting above her raisings".
Actually, the white people who would think she was there because of affirmative action would be the least of her worries. It's the crowd that inhabits the BSU office she has to watch out for *LOL* I speak from personal experience!
Courage. This kid is going places.
Getting above her raisings? How sad.
Continue to excel. It doesn't matter whether it's high school, college or the workplace. If she keeps the focus on the task to be done, and not on what others may think of her (e.g., in high school = "Oreo," in college and the workplace = "affirmative action baby"), she'll be just fine.
Looks like she's bucking Sharpton and Jackson. Bravo for her!
Wonder if Condi Rice has had any impact on her and other young, black women?
She was one of the few that didn't have a child in high school. She's rather uppity that way.
Why does it have to be Condi Rice?
I don't notice girls around me having babies as young anymore. That should be a good thing.
This is EXACTLY what Bill Cosby has been attempting to address to his community. Even though it's a cliche- it bears repeating how significant pressure from one's peers is in grades 1-12.
All it would take for the trend to change is a few young black musician "stars" to start talking about learning as cool...
The other was a self-appointed organization, usually called the Black Student Union. Assorted radicals belonged to it. In other words, the BSU was blacker than its duly elected counterpart, the SGA. I was president of the BSU at Bethune-Cookman College and founder and editor of the BSU newspaper.
These divisions -- who is black enough and who is not -- were not isolated to college campuses. The phenomenon defined black life at all levels in black communities nationwide. ***
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