black culture Archives - The Race Card Project

She is the Black People’s Victory!

March 18, 2022March 18, 2022 apologize, Bigotry, black culture, dark complexion, discriminate, Ebony, illness, inequity, light skinned, mental illness, murder, name, nameless, prejudice, She is the Black People's Victory!

Ebony Nichole,
Cincinnati, OH

For three days after my birth I was nameless because my Mama didn’t know she was having a girl. Born very light-skinned, my now very dark complexion didn’t come in until I was a week old. My mother’s friend came to the hospital to visit and brought her an Ebony Magazine. My mama asked her friend for girl name suggestions, and she recommended to name me….Ebony! My Daddy was adamant in choosing my middle name which is….Nichole. I share this naming story because it will become very significant in just a little bit, but first let me share some knowledge about racism.

Racism is a mental illness in case you weren’t aware. Just think about it, to harbor feelings of hatred towards disliked groups for reasons of skin color which is outside of anyone’s control. To physically attack, demean, belittle, have prejudice, bigotry, murder, discriminate for the mere reasoning of one’s hatred of skin color is delusional, and these are symptoms of mental illness. In America, it has become the accepted norm for the vast majority of it’s white population to have this mental illness. I am living in a world specifically in a country where living with the mentally ill has been tolerated, but no longer. I will no longer be a victim subjected to this kind of treatment and abuse. Since, I was a child I have been traumatized by racist acts against me, because of my dark skin. Normally, when someone is deemed mentally ill they seek mental health treatment, and/or hospitalization.

Now, here’s where the significance of my name comes into play. I have a purpose here on earth. My name was given to me by divine design, one that I was not aware of until just a few years ago. Let me break down the meaning of my name Ebony Nichole. Ebony means Black, and Nichole means the Victory of the people, now put those two together and you get…… Black People’s Victory!

I no longer apologize for my blackness and my black culture. I utilize every moment as a teaching moment for my white brothers and sisters to give them knowledge. You see Racism is not a black issue, but a white issue and they just need some education and connection in order for them to understand and accept that there is a problem in this country, and they can make a difference. I will continue on my mission to try and make a difference in this country and stand against racism, inequality, and injustice.

My name has a meaning and a purpose, and I will do everything to fulfill it.

Only black culture holds blacks back.

March 10, 2022March 10, 2022 black culture, blacks, David O'Neil, FL, Florida, Greenacres, hold back

David O’Neil
Greenacres, FL

Great project long overdue

Black culture is alien to whites

May 21, 2018May 21, 2018 Alien, An American Werewolf in London, black culture, Charlottesville, Jane Levin, Slaughtered Lamb, uncomfortable, VA

Jane Levin,
Charlottesville, VA.

There’s a fantastic scene in the film, An American Werewolf in London, where the American backpackers go into a pub called the Slaughtered Lamb. They are so uncomfortable because they are so out of place and completely clueless about the local culture. To say they feel conspicuous and uncomfortable is an understatement. That’s what it’s ike for whites to enter a completely black gathering. We don’t have enough exposure to the uniqueness of being immersed in African American culture.

Ashamed of American Black culture today

May 16, 2018May 16, 2018 American, Arrested Development, ashamed, black culture, Canada, Chester, culture, Digable Planets, hip hop, Keville Bowen, music, N word, PA, Rap, teachers, Trinidad

Keville Bowen,
Chester, PA.

I’m a Black man of three countries. Born in Trinidad, moved Canada and ended in America. Though I have little memory of Trinidad, my recollection of Canada and America are vastly different. I was only know as a Trini in Toronto and as I gained friends, I referred to them as their family birthplace (Italian, Polish, Indian, etc.) We all where apartment kids and lived in what was the bad section of the city. I grew up loving Rock and Heavy Metal, I watched all shows even the Cosby show and Fat Albert, Eddy Murphy and Whoopi Goldberg. There was no past or deeper meaning to me because their was no White and Black.

The move to America was devastating to me. I finally had a Elementary School I liked, all the girls liked me and the new American girl wanted to date me. Yeah she was white but what’s color? A 12 hour drive later and I was in a school of Black kids that made fun of my “White” accent, shamed me for drawing “White” characters and picked a fight with me because I wasn’t Black enough. The move to a Baptist School didn’t help because I was pulled aside for dating a White girl and not having consent from the church. He (mis)used the book of Ruth to prove that interracial dating was wrong. My mother’s ex boyfriend, also a Black pastor, flipped the switch on me by saying I should be friends with my own “kind.” All the while my mother continued to preach “Be proud of being Black.”

That was hard to hear over and over again, but something clicked. At that time I could only be proud of the shows and music around me. Rap and R&B became the voice of Black culture. Arrested Development and Digable Planets became my teaches, “A Different World” and “Static Shock” became the life I aspired to live in. These where the voices and images I thought was going to change America. The voices that could reach across the divide and bring us together. And they did for a time bring White and Black people closer under music and movies.
So when it changed from “educating all nations” to “let’s sing and dance to make them laugh”, I gave up. Media today is filled with Black musicians acting like rich tugs or hookers, Black movies/shows unwittingly enforcing negative stereotypes, and Black leaders willing to defend the double standards on the N-word and Ho. I lost all hope when I worked as a prison guard and experienced all the abuse from Black inmates that had received when I first moved here 23 years ago.

We could talk about changing the system and having Black leaders all we want, but all of us are influenced and shaped by the media we see. If we don’t change the tone of Black media culture now, then you will never change the dreams of Black children in the future.

I am African-American. You’re Black.

February 6, 2015 African American, African culture, Black, black culture, different, father, Ghana, Jake, USA

Jake,
USA.

My mother is from Ghana and my father is from New York. I am African-American and it drives me crazy when people who have a distant relative from Africa consider themselves African-American when they have no cultural ties to Africa. Black Culture is different from African Culture.

A white minority during my youth.

January 16, 2014 black culture, class, culture, family ties, Jean Millard, MI, Milford, Minority, religion, sex, size, white minority, youth

Jean Millard
Milford, MI

I wanted to be part of the black culture around me because I could see the tight family ties they had. I was bullied by the kids I wanted to connect with. I remember when the first black family moved into the neighborhood. I was shocked by the comments I heard from the neighbors. I could not understand why the new family was judged by their skin color. They had done nothing wrong.

But has anyone asked me how I feel before they assume I am a black hater?

No. I am me and you are you. No color, no sex, no culture, no size, no religion, no class. Using our brains and not what media or what “history” tells us, to learn more about the person in front of us. We might even make a new friend.

Modern black culture mitigates successful opportunities.

April 18, 2013November 4, 2013 black culture, Dean Morgan, Des Moines, IA, mitigates, opportunities

Dean Morgan
Des Moines, IA

It is my belief that individuals who embrace a number of aspects of modern American black culture mitigate successful opportunties for themselves in our society. Modern cultural characteristics include children without fathers, gangster rap, educational indifference, or selecting for children multi-syllable African influenced first names. Admittedly, the lack of opportunities is perpetuated in poverty and lack of many role model (although hopefully President Obama will positively influence black and multi-racial children). My comments regarding the multi-syllable first names is not meant to be racist, but I can tell you that employers (who have told me this) seeing names like LaQuita, Zuelema, or JaRon immediately surmise that an applicant is African American and likely will not receive an interview offer unless there is something striking on their resume or application.

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