@ D-Reloaded,

Girl, I feel you on that. At the end of the day, people rather laugh than sit and be educated. At the end of the work week (with all those stresses, so they say) would you rather watch Hotel Rwanda or Soul Plane? Soul Plane is horrendous, I'm glad I didn't pay for it.

@ prince_onx

Thanks for the welcome, I think…was it one?
Anyway, I've been reading on Nairaland for a while. Just the first time that I posted. I like most of what I read on here or else I would have kept myself an observer.

And I'll be nice to you. I'm very direct, so don't take it as my being rude. Since I tend to be unlike most, I try to research something I'm unfamiliar about. And I know that you see it everywhere but some areas more or less than others. Where I stay. I don't see it a lot. Where I was raised (and I was raised not just in the US but abroad as well), I didn't see it as much. Now in certain parts of Atlanta there is a lot of it but I don't frequent places where I see it constantly.

And I am not giving excuses. I'm not even saying what I was saying was right so I'm not trying to pat AA's on the head and say it's okay. I didn't have the best teachers, I still made it. I had to put myself through college because I had the will to do it. Not everyone does. Most people want the easy way out! I know plenty of people like that not just AA's.

Why are you coming at me about enlightening myself more and all that? Obviously, I know there is more out there to know. Since then, I've met, dated, became friends with people from Africa and elsewhere. So I know that. You don't need to come at me because I'm not CLAIMING to know everything.

You wanted some questions asked so I asked them. Some of the things I said is not something I can personally speak on but I've heard from others, so I typed what I heard.

So please QUIT trying to generalize me. I'm not here for that, thank you kindly. You don't know me well enough to say that I believe America is the “end all to be all”. Please don't assume.

Nice to meet you.

The guy can pay the mortgage and fees with the house.
I wouldn't mind doing the bills. Like electric, cable, etc.
I think it's best to have a joint account as well as seperate. I want MY money as well as OUR money.

I know a lot of black that love Blood Diamond, personally. It's a great movie, no matter how slice it.
People like what they like. Some rather watch Tyler Perry movies and laugh at Madea, and forget about what's going on in the world. People are like that everywhere, though.

@ Hero,

Where are you in your own thread? I'm glad it's a slow day at the office.

@ D-Reloaded,

I think women are like that in general. I've heard bashing from all races. I think women we are innately jealous creatures. NOT all of us, but a good majority. Black women from what I can see, most of the jealousy is guy related. Why? I don't know, I wouldn't fight or be sneaky for a guy or anything for that matter.

Again, not all of us are like that. We have the Sharptons and Jackson's who say “blame the man” blah, blah. I think it's laziness and people not wanting to own their shit.

Coonery? I did a paper on that in college. I made some folks angry. Oh well. I get into this with people here who want to listen to that southern, country rap stuff and not want to mentally enlightened at times. What did they say? It's about fun. I don't want to think, why does everything have to be SO serious. It's annoying, how can we change when people just want to have fun. You can do both. They don't want to see it as wrong because then they might be coerced to change it. Why rock the status quo when everyone else is going along with it.

Back to the prisoners dress. Well, it's big in the inner city because a lot of prisoners come home still dressing the same way. Most rap stars want to be portrayed as hard so they dress similar…and kids emulate that. It's all about who you respect and who your heros are.

Well, I am an American
but maybe those people are just trying to learn and be educated.
Our schools don't really go into the cultures of Africa (modern day and otherwise).
And all most see is what is broadcast on National Geographic or the Discovery Channel.

I'm sure, it's annoying but maybe they just want to learn. I've gotten some questions like that from other cultures when I lived abroad when I was younger. I just chop it up to ignorance, I educate the best I can, or tell them to read up on it and move on.

@ Almond Joy,

The scholarship question. I know for a fact that some teachers pass the student's grade on how "well" they do during their sports season. Sad but true. I can't stand that, they need to bust their butt on and off the field just in case the professional sports career doesn't happen! People never want to have a back up plan, it bugs me!

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post. I am a black American and I can't speak for ALL of us but I can try my best to answer these questions.

@ AJ
In regards to AJ's CDC statistic, my boss works for them so I'll have to ask. But I do know that in Atlanta (which is where I live at the moment), the fact that there is a HUGE downlow scene (downlow=men (usually black)who have unprotected gay sex undercover, while proclaiming their straight) and that usually these men are having unprotected sex with their women who THINK they are in a monogamous relationship. I find fault with the guy for outright deceiving and there are also some men who know they are effected with the virus BUT want to spread it from person to person. The woman needs to take protection into her own hands, popping a birth control pill doesn't scare of diseases. And I think people need to do periodic STD testing but that's just me. I rather be safe than sorry!

@ D-reloaded,

I have no idea what you are talking about, actually. HA. But I don't have any kids so that might explain it.

Dressing like prisoners? I guess it depends on where you are located. In the inner city maybe that's the right of passage, I have no idea. I see some of that walking the streets of the ATL and I personally hate it. I'm a fan of buying clothes that fit and even in the mainstream rappers don't wear things as baggy as they used too SO I hope that awful ass way of dressing will disappear.

@ morenike09

Most of us don't like to be called a bitch. The ones I do are street or “hood” and that's all they know. Once you leave that life (if you want) and get some sense about you, then that way of thinking falls by the side.

The braid thing. All the AA's I know have natural hair. The only person I know that puts his hair in braids sometimes is the African guy I used to know. I personally LOVED it when his hair was out and all over the place but he said the braids helped to keep his hair maintained since he had so much of it.

I don't call anyone nigga, niggaz, etc. I don't like the word and I don't like to be called that word. In fact, I don't even like the word said around me. :

@4Him,

If you knew how some of the school systems ARE in the US, you would detest them too. Most of the schools in the predominately black areas have devastating school structure. Supplies, teachers, activities are sub-par. How can you promote learning and acceptance when everything is second or third hand. Also, most people want to get out of the ghetto, in order to get out, you need to make quick money. Going to school is NOT quick enough for them. Sad but true.

I think the condescension goes both ways. Africans do the same to us and vice versa. I know, in school I was taught Africa was a big continent that was it. I knew nothing about it, I wanted to visit there one day (maybe), the people that I saw kept to themselves. I even dated someone from the Carribean in college and they told me to stay away from my African roommates, it was odd. I don't know what the deal is, honestly. People are scared of what they don't know. Now, I've met a lot of people from your continent and I loved them all but I opened myself up to it. If you are closed off, then it won't work. I still see this on both sides. I've heard just as many stories of Africans looking down between us AA's without realizing that WE aren't all the SAME. Just like you want us to see that you aren't.

Ok, I have to take a little break. I hope I shed some light, somewhat. : )