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Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest
Lol at the "Black People Meeting." I totally agree with this but also I've always thought that most Black Southerners (born and bred, especially older folks) express less opposition (at least publicly) to certain things because they are so used to certain things as the norm and also at least some are still stuck in a "stay in your place" mentality where they know not to rock the boat or rock it too much for fear of consequence. Although I'm from the North, I have family still in the South and when hearing about present day stories/incidents from them and asking them why is this? why is that? the answers are usually very sort of on the "that's just the way it is" level, but not that it's okay. Of course, the conversation usually ends with me saying something like..."I wouldn't live there if I had to put up with that!" So the bottom line is, I think that when you're used to certain things and have accepted them as the norm because you feel there is nothing you can do to change it (and it's been a certain way for years and years and you've decided to pick your battles carefully), you might have a less aggressive reaction to something (at least publicly) as opposed to those that aren't used to it at all. Hence the reason why some/many Black Northerners tend to have a much stronger reaction to some things such as some Blacks in the South still accepting the word "colored." A colleague of mine called me "colored" one day and I had to teach her an up North lesson. She is from the South but I still say she should've known better since she's lived up here for so long. She said that she and her family always talk like that but are not racist. It goes back to some Southerners (and others) being just plain insensitive. Just because your neighbors don't say anything, it doesn't mean they are okay with things.
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Yes. "This is how things have always been" often means "I will let these people act how they act and just discuss this later with my friends and family."
I too would correct a nonBlack person who called me "colored." There are other comments and behaviors that are worth ignoring as to not drive myself crazy.