Ok, let's complicate this even more. According to your username, you're mixed. Do you think you have it as bad as full black women?

Dangerous wording.

What does this mean?

Trying can be more successful than people ever know.

Good Lord, you sound like my father. Yes, most black people and some white people are technically mixed with other races. But, we know what the average black person, white person, and bi-racial person looks like.

Yeah it's dangerous wording but let's go there anyway, LOL, because it's an interesting question. You know, I really don't know. I feel like I do, but I am reminded that I am 'different' by my 'full black women' friends a lot. I think this is unfortunate, because I don't feel different, yet to them, I am. Maybe they have a point. It's something I wonder about though.

Do we? Sometimes.

The racial categories that America has created mask within-group variations. I have random people ask me if I am bi-racial, East Indian or Hispanic all the time. I always thought I just looked like a light skinned black girl but people from other cultures and parts of the country are apparently used to different things.

That IS unfortunate. My friends and I would constantly remind you that you're the same kind of black as the rest of us. ;) We range in shades of blackness and life experiences. That's one of many things that makes being black and within the African Diaspora so wonderful.

May I just say that you have all blessed me with your many viewpoints! I've forwarded a lot of this to my cousin, and she's very interested in it, too. She doesn't admit it, but I think she's reading the thread regularly - she quoted something to me that I hadn't said! (HI MONICA!!!!)

Ladies, again, my thanks. I owe you!

I definitely feel discrimination based on being a black woman and have never been in any altercation or had any negative experience (at least that I am aware of) due to my being a woman alone. I believe it all has to do with the social stigma that has always been particularly attached to being black in this country. Black women in particular are singularly viewed and treated differently in this society than any other group of women due to our being the most different both in terms of our physical appearances as well as our unique history in America. As I stated in another thread, history in this country not only shapes the perspectives and expectations of black Americans, but also the perceptions of other groups too. Therefore, if it is historic and tradition to view black females in a certain way by the majority, then that is how we will be viewed unless and until certain measures are taken by all to change those perceptions. By the same token, black females in particular and black people in general will also have certain reactions and feelings that are rooted in the same traditions and history. The uniquness in how we feel as black women will change when all facets and members of the society change their views, perceptions and actions.

If You always consider Yourself a Victim, then You will be a victim.:(

But, if You consider Yourself a winner, You Will be!:cool:

If You wait for everyone to give You something, You will not get it!

But if You work for it , It Is Yours. And No One Can Take it away from You no matter who You are!:cool:

You can take pride in it because You earned it, Not because it was given to You.:D

^^^
Tom,

Congratulations, you have just written the most coherent and cogent item since I've known you on GC...
;)

I encounter more "isms" of being a woman of African descent, than one over the other. The two are intertwined for me personally.

Where I reside in the US there are a lot of stereotypes about how women of African descent "ought" to be, rather than just letting them be who they want to be. Not saying other women of do not go through this, it is just been my personal experience and my personal opinion.

So like, at Macy's or Nordstrom's or places like that, and I decide to purchase a "St. John's Knit" for an event, I am put through a "wringer" that I "feel" no other person should ever have to go through and I know it is because of my skin color and the fact that I would like to have a St. John's Knit in a size they question me about--and I'm on the small side...

But no way could they think that I could purchase and have the bargaining power to actually have the need to make that kind of purchase, but there is this complete, utter, upsetting ignorance displayed by some people.

And the only color these folks ought to be concerned about is the color $$$$.

Call it "shopping while being a black woman"...

You know Oprah had the same problem in Paris with the Hermes people... Guess they got assed out...

And it is so upsetting and humiliating to have to go through something like that or even be accused of being unable to purchase certain things.

A conversation with my husband has now resorted to straight walking out of stores when I get stupidity in customer service. I can deal with about 2 minutes of stupidity, but after that, I have decided to use my money elsewhere. Sorta like the "lunch counter with Rosa Parks in the Department stores".

And if you go to the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. board on GC, they have a whole nice discussion on the treatment of customers at Walmart--just do a search.

:rolleyes: "Earn" is such a relative term in America.

Who said anything about being a victim? No one. It is your white male privilege that makes you think your input in this discussion is required to either validate or discredit the topic.

I know the women currently posting in this thread are a group of accomplished and hard working, educated women. Spare us the song and dance.

I encounter a degree of sexism almost everyday. It's difficult to know whether it is heightened by my being a black woman.

I agree wholeheatedly! There is definitely a difference between being a "woman" and being a "black woman". And despite what others may believe it is not paranoia and it is DEFINITELY not made up. The crazy thing is... I feel that the "MAJORITY" actually made this distinction more overt. Thats just my belief.