You were raised "Black" when...
 

...you know the meaning of the following:

"Who in the Hell left the gate open?"
"Little Birdie, you're free because I paid the price."
"No my brotha, you gotta get your own!"

Also, if anybody ever told you, "Y'all stop runnin' in and out my house! The air is on (or, "you lettin' flies in")!

AND...if your mama or grandmother made you "dress up" to go to the doctor or dentist (because they didn't want people to think you were poor)...maybe that was just us!

Okay...last one:rolleyes:...if you had "school clothes" and "play clothes"!

did i miss anyone mentioning Kool-aid called by its color, not its flavor?

also, black jesus in a gold picture frame, at least one picture of a black baptism, the only funeral home you can ever think of is the one on the back of the church fan, "dont come runnin' to me if you fall and kill yourself", and licking your finger to rub the ash off your knee...dont even front like you didnt do that...

...when you visit another church and you're surprised to find out that one song the choir sings every Sunday is really a medley of 5 different songs...or maybe that's just my church:o

...when you asked your daddy for something and he said "ask your mother", that's his way of saying NO.

...your mother had you helping out in the kitchen as soon as you learned to walk without falling on yourself. Those dishes won't wash themselves.


...if your cousin is more than 15 years older than you don't call them John, but Cousin John. First-name basis is not for your elders.

...you have that one relative that is really superstitious. If your left hand itches she's suddenly your best friend, 'cause that means you're coming into some money.

Other famous quotes from black mothers:

"I can show you better than I can tell you"
"If you roll your eyes again, I'm gonna knock 'em in the back of your head"
*For the Car* "Don't make me come back there"
"So if (fill in the blank) jumped off the bridge, you gonna do that too"
"I'm not (fill in the blank)'s mother" or otherwise stated as "I don't care what (fill in the blank) does at their house"

and the ever famous:
"If you live under my roof, you will follow my rules!"

FLASHBACK!! FLASHBACK!!

If you go to your grandmother's house and they have hair/funeral programs/pics in the big family bible in the living room.

you know that pop can mean kool-aid depending on which relative you were visiting.

the look meant death when you got home.

after you did something wrong, your mother told you "go in there and tell them what you did." I hated that more than getting whooped.

You know you should have been to the doctor or dentist for some of your injuries but mom said it'll be alright.

you loved to watch soul train to hear your songs and learn new dances (before BET was everywhere and MTV hadn't started catering to us yet)

what about getting a beating with WHATEVER your momma could grab? i got them with fly swatters, house shoes, flip flops, belts, spoons, combs and brushes...ive also heard the tracks from a Hot Wheels set (ouch!), extension cords, etc. very rarely did i get the actual hand, there was always something in it!

And heaven forbid, do not ask "how can you come back here if you are driving?"

I learned that one the hard way! :D

And did your mom ever tell you:
"Be quiet before I give you somethning to cry for"

My daddy did...oh lawd! You KNEW you had to shut up by then!

HILARIOUS!

My mom and dad would tell me to "keep it up and they would knock the black off me!" Remember those paddles that the little rubber ball with the rubber string and you would try to bounce the ball off the paddle? That became a "weapon" for my parents once the ball came off!! OUCH!!!!!