Talkin' white

[TheEpitome1920]

Glad to know I'm not alone (hugs) ,lol

A few years back a friend called the house for my sister and asked her "who is that white lady who answered your phone??"

[Pristine1922]

Originally posted by TheEpitome1920
Glad to know I'm not alone (hugs) ,lol

A few years back a friend called the house for my sister and asked her "who is that white lady who answered your phone??"

lol..Funny I get that all the time. People are sad, but then again, you can't do anything but laugh at them. When you know better you do better.

[rho4life]

Just the other day someone asked me where I was from, and I was kind of shocked. I do have a tendency to "create" my own words, but, damn bro, it's just called being creative. Doesn't mean I'm from out of state!

[IncontRHOllable]

Ok I had to recycle this thread because I have got some thing I want to add. Two year ago, part of my job assignment was to call clients. I was working for a nonprofit org then. When I first started I would speak using my regular tone of voice and I always use proper english. Well, in my regular tone of voice you can tell I am black (if that makes sense). After a few weeks it became apparent to me and to my boss that there was a connection between me sounding like a black person and my client list dropping. My boss and I came up with a plan for me to start speaking in a more "white" tone, so when using the "white" tone of voice people thought I was white and I would get more clients. The sad thing is that the plan actually worked. In this day and time, I should not have had to do that especially when I always use proper english. This nation has a looooong way to go before we can stop singing "we shall overcome".

[1browngirl]

Originally Posted by IncontRHOllable

My boss and I came up with a plan for me to start speaking in a more "white" tone, so when using the "white" tone of voice people thought I was white

Interesting, Soror can you explain more? What did you do differently?

[jojapeach]

Seriously.... What pointers did your boss give you to sound more "white"? I'm really sad that once you implemented the plan that the plan actually worked.

[ziasha07]

I have SO often been told by my black friends that I speak too proper or too "white." This has been going on since I was ten or so. As someone prior to me said, I had to learn to be bilingual.

I often tell my mother I speak job interview, standard English, Ebonics, and a little French. I've just learned that you have to speak to certain people, certain ways, in certain settings.

As far as behavior, I've been criticized quite often by my parents and peers. A specific example: My hair is down to my shoulder and I am accused on a daily basis of flipping my hair "like a white girl" with a head shake.

Socially: I went to a get together (or small party) hosted by a White girl where I was the only Black American present and when I got home my father said "Don't you have any Black friends?" Of course about a year later I went to a party hosted by a Black American. There were party crashers, and when my parents came to get me and saw the police there (no problem, just a precaution) they said "See this is why we don't let you go to things like this." Meaning parties hosted by my Black acquaintances. Where is the middle ground?

Furthermore, what is with the Black Community’s pre-occupation with identifiably or stereotypical "white/black" behavior? Why is it often considered wrong for a black person to not adhere to stereotypes?


*Sorry it's long. *

[IncontRHOllable]

Originally Posted by 1browngirl

Interesting, Soror can you explain more? What did you do differently?

Hey soror, first I changed my name to a more "white" sounding name (now that would make for a good discussion about whether or not names can keep you from progressing in society) so I changed my name to Sarah. If any complaints came in about a Sarah the org knew it was me, although no complaints were ever made. In fact, there was one client who did call the org to lavish compliments on me . Next, I started speaking in a nice "white" southern lady accent. My boss choose southern because he said that people tend to trust southern people more. It worked like a charm. Sad, but true.

[ziasha07]

Originally Posted by IncontRHOllable

Hey soror, first I changed my name to a more "white" sounding name (now that would make for a good discussion about whether or not names can keep you from progressing in society) so I changed my name to Sarah. If any complaints came in about a Sarah the org knew it was me, although no complaints were ever made. In fact, there was one client who did call the org to lavish compliments on me . Next, I started speaking in a nice "white" southern lady accent. My boss choose southern because he said that people tend to trust southern people more. It worked like a charm. Sad, but true.

I too did that hence my user name, It's a combination of my first name (not "ghetto" but not usually found) and my middle name which is very common. When I'm on the phone and people hear my middle name combined with my "white sounding" voice, they assume I'm white.

When I got to high school I told everyone that I wanted to be called by my middle name instead of my first name. It's kind of silly and now I regret doing it. I'm just know realizing how great my first name and all the history behind it. I still like my middle name but I think I'll just keep my birth name in college. However shallow it may seem, I'm not sure yet.