If Given the Chance, Would You Change Your Race

[Phasad1913]

Hmm, at first I was going to say that I would like to experience being something different, but then I wondered what I would feel if I did enjoy the "preceived" relief or benefits of being another race? I would have to come back to being Black and I would never want to have to dread coming back to Black (lol). So, I think I will continue to enjoy being a beautiful Black woman, someone who others can look at and be reminded of a people who have suffered and overcome. I would prefer to spend my time finding ways to combat the aspects of our society and culture that make me feel like I would ever want to be something else.


It's funny, sometimes insecurities creep up on me and make me question why God made me the way He did. Then I go to my sorority's convention where there are thousands and thousands of beautiful women who look like me, or I go to church and there are such strong and wise Black women and I feel a sense of pride and obligation that I don't think I could ever feel as a woman of any other color.

[Dionysus]

Originally posted by Rain Man
...if I was living in America. Otherwise, no I wouldn't

Lemme tell you why. From personal experience, I think being black and male in America is in itself a very stressful experience. And I'm not just talking about dealing with hidden racism and other oppressive factors in America (thankfully, my experiences with racism has been few and far between).

I am more concerned with my own people trying to "weigh" how black I am, that I like this but don't like that. That I don't conform to the average brother (whoever the ________ that is), be it tastes in music, dress, speech, HAIR, etc. Whereas if I was a white guy, my personality would be taken at face value, without having to subscribe to any silly preconceived notions of how allegiant I am to "my people"

Yes, I love black people and I wholeheartedly applaud the acheivements they have done, are doing, and will continue to do.
But frankly, I am sick and tired of being reminded that I am black, and quite honestly, I get that more from black people than I do from white people. I just want to be ME!

I agree. Back in my grandparents and great-grandparents day, I would say racism is the worst thing about being black. Nothing else coming in second worst, if so, a far second. However, in our days as blacks have more oppurtunity, I think this is the second worst thing if not tying with the first. Not only you have to put up with ignorance from whites, you also have to put up with ignorance from other blacks. If you don't fit into this perfect cookie-cutter ideal of a black person, then you are accused of being a sell-out or having self-hatred and treated that way.

My interests, beliefs, and tastes are about half and half. Half "black" and half "white". It is not because I hate myself, it is because where I grew up. I grew up in an area at least 95% white. It is normal for your environment to rub off on you, regardless if it is of your "own kind" or not.

[deuika]

Wonderful question.


Since we are all in agreeance that race is a social construction even if one chooses to opt out of their current skin tone, the "race" attached to that person may not change.

However, I'll say no. Simply because I love everything about me. There is so much history attached to my complexion, people died for me to have a at least comparable life to those who's tone was lighter than mine. It would be disrespectful in my opinion to change something that shaped who you are. Your experiences are shaped by your complexion, that's the honest to goodness truth.

My friend and I actually had a similar conversation once, she's Euro American as a point of reference. We came to the conclusion that no race actually has an all good life. True, there are advantages to being Euro American in this country, but there are disadvantages as well. Whether or not one chooses to acknowledge that fact is up to them, but no one has it better or worse.

The entire idea of wanting to be someone else is the assumption that this other person has it better than you. But with every positive comes a negative, otherwise there would be no positive.

[abaici]

All of the grief aside, I love being a Black woman.

Would things change if we could change our ethnicities/race?? No, we would find another way to divide ourselves. It's human nature.

[CrimsonTide4]

I notice that only the Black folks have contributed to this thread.



Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


**Baptist finger still raised**

[FeeFee]

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
I notice that only the Black folks have contributed to this thread.



Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


**Baptist finger still raised**

**Holding up Church finger**

I wonder if Black folks are the only ones who are reading this post, maybe the assumption is that you are only asking Black folks this question.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

**Church finger still raised**

I don't think that I would want to experience being of another race. I like who I am - a beautiful Black Woman.

[abaici]

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
I notice that only the Black folks have contributed to this thread.



Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


**Baptist finger still raised**

Well, I'll be...Chris Rock was right!!

Being white is just that good!

[IvySpice]

I'll bite.

I'm a white Jewish woman. I'd absolutely sign up to be a man for a week or two, and I'd absolutely sign up to be a black woman for a week or two. You'd learn more in seven days than you would in four years of college.

A permanent change is too difficult to imagine...I like being what I am, but who's to say whether I might not like something else even better? But the only time I've ever really wished I could make a change is that when I have gotten very frustrated with men, I have sometimes wished I were a lesbian instead of straight.

[SIAsensacion]

INTERESTING TOPIC! I think I would like to try out every different race (AND different culture) to see what it is like, at least for a little while. But the race that I would like to try out the most is Black. I would like to see what its like, to see how employers (or potential employers) treat me, if cab drivers would stop so fast for me, how shop keepers treat me, how Black men treat me, White men, Black women, White women, etc.

I'm sure I have a very different perspective on this topic than a lot of people because I grew up in the DC/PG County MD area, which has a very large Black population. Once my family moved from DC to Maryland, I was ALWAYS in the minority. It was always "Oh you're cool, for a WHITE girl" "She can dress for a white girl" "She can dance for a white girl" "She's white on the outside but black on the inside." When I was in middle school, I ALWAYS thought it would be easier to be Black because the only racism I ever saw was against White people. Of course, that idea is LONG gone now that I am a member of the real world, but in my middle school world BLACK PEOPLE were the majority, the dominant culture who set styles, trends, the way to speak, the way to act, etc. and I didn't know anything other than that.

A couple people have talked about being judged by your own race, having to conform and having Black people judge how "Black" you are. Believe it or not, that exists in other races as well, and you may not think it exists for White people, but it definitely does. People have LONG questioned me about every aspect of my life--my choice in music, clothes, friends, boyfriends, the way I dance, the way I act, my choice in SORORITY--evvvverything. What ALWAYS annoyed me was that if I was Black, many of these things would not be questioned (or if I looked like a typical Latina I wouldn't be questioned), but because I'm "White," people look, stare, do double takes, and/or ask the DUMBEST questions. Anyone who knows me knows that I am what I am (as my mother likes to say I dance to the beat of my own drummer) and I never try to be anything that I am not, but unfortunately many people from my own race cannot grasp the concept of being an individual and therefore love to judge people (i.e. ME) who they know nothing about.

[SIAsensacion]

I just thought of a question relating to this that I would like to pose to the Black women (and men) in this thread. Skin tone/complexion is a big issue amongst Black people, so if you could stay Black but change your complexion, would you?

[CrimsonTide4]

Originally posted by SIAsensacion
I just thought of a question relating to this that I would like to pose to the Black women (and men) in this thread. Skin tone/complexion is a big issue amongst Black people, so if you could stay Black but change your complexion, would you?

Good question. Imma come back and answer it all fully later on tonight during the AI results show.

[Sistermadly]

To answer SIA's question -- I would change my complexion, but only because it would be easier for me to find makeup where I live.

[lovelyivy84]

I would never change my complexion, it's definitely one of the things about myself that I consider to be my best features.

I WOULD change my hair texture though. Some wash and go hair would be nice.

[sigtau305]

Originally posted by SIAsensacion
I just thought of a question relating to this that I would like to pose to the Black women (and men) in this thread. Skin tone/complexion is a big issue amongst Black people, so if you could stay Black but change your complexion, would you?

No. I'm happy with the way I look. I'm proud to be a African-American male.

[starang21]

hell....NO. shoot, everyone should want to be me.