THIS POST IS FOR MY NIGGAZ (black dudes) ONLY
Phill_Most
4,594 Posts
Yo, what up my niggaz! Peep this- is it just me, or do you ever find yourself in a situation with a non-black person (especially a female) where you feel like you have to act a little bit nerdier (softer, less aggressive, whatever you want to call it) than you usually act just so that you won't come off as threatening to them? Even though I am harmless as long as I don't have that drank in me or one of my guns on my person, I feel the fear all the time. How about y'all niggaz? Let's discuss this, all four of us! 
Aw, what the hell... even if you ain't one of my niggaz (black dudes) you can feel free to add your 2 cents, although I don't know if there's anything for non-niggaz to add to this convo. Regardless, you are welcome- Soulstrut is an all inclusive forum and I got love for alla y'all niggaz (non-black ones too)! 
Aw, what the hell... even if you ain't one of my niggaz (black dudes) you can feel free to add your 2 cents, although I don't know if there's anything for non-niggaz to add to this convo. Regardless, you are welcome- Soulstrut is an all inclusive forum and I got love for alla y'all niggaz (non-black ones too)!
Comments
Hey Phill,
You are off the chain today!!!! Man, you gotta take your Lithium, cat!!!! I feel you on this topic as I scare White women in my building all the time. They'll open the door on the floor landing, see my big, Black ass standing there, and go "Ahhh!!!!. You scared me!!!". I find that on my morning walk, I'll whistle or something to alert folks that I'm troopin' by. I definitely come across differently around White folks. I code switch big time at work, largely because of my "prof role", and I go back to my Black self when I leave.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
I don't know why I care. I act softer than I am at work and harder than I am in ruff situations. I act I act I act. Now that I don't live in the hood anymore I'm losing my screwface.
One thing is certain. I really am a nice guy who can be a bit of an asshole when warranted. I'm not dangerous to nice girls. That is all.
taza_one of the soulstrut mexican niggaz contingent.
Why? You got as much right to walk down the street as anybody, man...
"I live in MilwauKKKee, baby. Where White folks are shook, baby. Racist-ass, crooked cops, baby. They'll think I'm on some murk-shit at 6:30AM, baby." I also carry a stick with me too, in case a pit-bull wants some!!!!
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
Phill... Could you tone it down a little please? You're frightening me.
Anyways, 3 outta 4 is not bad. As soon as EdPowers shows up it will be on. Oh, and raystar. and drewn. ok 3 outta 6. or is that 7? shit. Maybe an asian strutter will show up to help me with the math....
Ditto on that Aspirin
But yeah... Phill Most, you have been off the chain today... are YOU on that drank?
I don't know WHAT is wrong with me today, mane. I hope I'll be back to normal by tomorrow. I don't know, though... weird shit has been going on with me for awhile now. It might get worse before it gets better!
Damn P, I ain't know you rap! Ha...knowledge dropped.
On a reated note....
Today at my job, we're having a meeting about some upcoming projects right? right! It's like 6 of us in there (I'm the only hommie in that room) and the girls / women start talking about how this one girl has dark curly hair while the rest of the family has blonde hair, right? Right! So she's all complaining about how she's the only one with different hair and shit and goes on to say, "I'm the only darkie in my family!!"...
What?!!
I'm like, here we go again. The whole room goes quiet and everyone gets all awkward and I'm feeling like everyone's eyes are on me and shit. Did I do anything though, nah...mangs, people will be people and my ass is not gonna change how someone (who usually does not find themself is a mixed group I assume) is gonna act or talk. Got bigger fish to fry.
nother one for the books
I am not black and I don't think I'm threatening at all, but at work I always gotta put up a friendly front. I work at a cafe and lots of old people come in, so you know they're always scared about some shit. The greatest shit is when people ask what song is playing in the store (mostly jazz and soul shit) and when I start talking to them about shit, they give me the "is this mufuckah bullshitting me?" look.
Damn! That's fucked up, though. I would have thought you'd left that behind at TIS.
Damn!!!!!!! Ooh, ooh, I've got a good one too. I remember some faculty member at a university in Western Ohio said I was the "right color" for a job opening they had. It was one of those Dave Chappelle's "that statement was so racist I didn't know what to say" type moments. Then, ole' girl got all ashamed and shit asking, "oh, did I offend you?" I was too shocked to say "Hell yeah, bitch. What the fuck did that mean?".
Back to the morning walk, imagine the mental picture of a big, Black man with a stick walking through the White MilwauKKKee suburbs at 6:30AM. Shiiiit, I carry ID on me just to be sure. It's a shame you gotta think like that in 2005, but all Black folks look alike to po-po.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
ain't nothing left behind in the 50 states hommie
One time I was calling around for housing. I put on my professional voice and asked if they did background checks. (I was tired of living next to crackheads). She replied that it was a great complex with only one non-white family. I said, "that's good to know since I'm not white." She said, "I really put my foot in my mouth" I said, "Yes you did, thankyou" and hung up.
Hearing her squirm over the phone was worth it.
Jesus fucking Christ. Guys, ya'll are definitely the bigger people for putting up with those kind of situations with any kind of composure. Much props.
As far as Asprin goes, I have to admit that it wasn't the color of his skin that scared me when he walked in the door to meet me at Truly vegan restaurant last week, but rather the (multi)colors of his Fishbone -styled plaid shorts.
Best belive it... under a microscope on the daily... it seems like it at least.
Never scurred to push the fashion barrier holmes (my girl got me those short
I live in a real nice apartment building, the kind that white folks would feel "safe" in because it keeps people that look like me out of it...or so they think. Anyway - I HATE when I have to walk in behind somebody because I will always get the look like "should I hold the door for him, or make him use his key?"
So this lady and her daughter walk in before me and I'm like "Oohh shit, here we go!" I was moving pretty quick so they didn't have a chance to close the door on me, and just to show them that I belonged there I held up my key to the electronic lock thing and walked right past them without saying a word. I stroll into the elevator...then overhear moms saying something like "you shouldn't just let anybody in like that..." To which the daughter responds, "why not, people let me in!" as they both get into the elevator. Well at least the daughter wasn't scared of me, but moms sure enough was worried and even made some bullshit conversation about a magazine subscription to her daughter while I stood motionless in the elevator with them. (I know it, because I make up the start up the same awkward conversations in uncomfortable situations)
It???s to the point where if I???m walking down the hallway behind someone and they go into their apartment in front of me, I do a hand motion like ::click-click:: the sound of that door lock and get happy as hell when I don???t hear it.
I am the most un-intimidating dude in the world and it irks the shit out of me when peoples get shook when I cross their path.
I???m not about to generalize or hatt on anybody because of all this and I don???t let it keep me from doing my thing, but I will never be cool with it.
I totally feel you, Phill. Let's not even get the elevator stories going!!! I bring terror to White women on Otis Elevators.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
You hit the nail dead on the head, my brotha!!!! By the way, guys, there is a flip side to this phenomenon. It seems like the response from White folks, especially women, is extremely positive when you strongly contradict the "Black man" stereotype. I notice that when I'm suited for school, I have White women staring and smiling at me, versus when I'm in sweats and a hoodie. Also, they stare when I drive by in the truck too, on some status shit (I guess). So, I think they kind of "subtype" us, depending on how we're dressed or based on status symbols. I think we're seen as more imposing when we dress street vs. suited or dapper or appear to be of means.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
Although it is great when you do overhear a comment, and if I'm with someone, I can talk stink very easy.
See, this is the shit that white people (including me) will never truly understand. The fact that you even have to think about using your key first speaks volumes about race relations in this country. And it's precisely the reason I get so incensed when I hear anyone say racism is dead.
Not to mention the fact that Dr*w is probably the nicest, most amiable person I know. Not only that, he looks[/b] the part too.
fucking ridiculous.
That's funny... As a white man, I fel like I have to act more stereotypically "black", and a bit more aggresive in order to talk to white girls... Maybe I'm picking out the wrong girls in the club (white girls in hoop earrings, terry-cloth sweatpants, permed hair and a visor).
Seriously though... I'm a big, bearded, hairy white dude, with a constant scowl, and furrowed brow, in Japan. As if the foriegn thing doesn't have them on edge already. Anyhow, I've tried to soften my image lately by wearing pink shirts, and I think this could work for any color peoples, looking to take the edge off.
Peace...
FNM
I'm not far from you in Chicago...I'm African-American and over six feet tall. I understand WHY you have to do that, but I'm insulted that we'd have to something like that in the first place.
Yeah Pickwick,
You'd think that a man with shorts on, T-shirt, socks, knee-brace, and sneakers, walking rhythmically down the street swinging his arms would be perceived as exercising. That's true, but not when it's a Black man at 6:30AM. I've seen folks look at me suspiciously, especially when I first started walking. Now, I guess I'm more "acceptable" because they learned my routine. But still, we shouldn't have that extra layer of crap to deal with. Research suggests that such issues contribute greatly to hypertension experienced by our people (see Clark, Anderson, Clark, & Williams's, October 1999 article in American Psychologist entitled "Racism as a stressor for African-Americans: A biopsychosocial model"). It speaks deeply about the physiological, psychological and social ramifications of discrimination on well-being. Deep!!!!
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak