You are so black!

So today I was rockin’ my scarf my friend and I bought in New York, some 80’s wash pants, and an MTV Yo Raps! shirt. For those of you who don’t know what that show is, you should all be embarrassed, its only the greatest MTV show that has ever been produced, mostly because it actually has music instead of drunken, screaming, overly tanned girls like some of their more popular shows, like The Real World.

Anyway, I noticed that I was getting a lot of comments like, you look so black today. Seeing as how I never hear things like that, I was really flattered. But then it got me thinking about something I started wondering about some time ago. How does a person look or act black?
I look like I am straight thuggin’ and all of a sudden I go from my nerdy white girl appearance to a certified gangster? How does this happen? Easy, stereotypes.

I can’t count the number of times someone has told me that I was so white because I didn’t act ghetto enough. I can’t count the number of times I have heard people tell their friends that they were so black because they just quoted 50 cent. But believe it or not, there are white people who don’t like country music and there are black people who don't like rap.

When you tell someone that they’re black, you’re simply buying into stereotypes. We, as a society have decided long ago what white and black is.
Black people like:
1. rap music
2. bitches and ho’s
3. Cadillac’s
4. canes and pimp cups
5. d’s on dat bitch
6. two steppin’
7. menthol ciggerettes
8. fried chicken
9. purple drank

White people like:
1. mayo and cheese sandwiches
2. golfing and wearing golf clothes when not golfing
3. political prisoners
4. firsbee sports
5. new balance shoes
6. girls with bangs
7. grammar
8. knowledge

plus khaki shorts

While I do enjoy my bitches and ho’s, I must admit to liking girls with bangs and grammar as well. So where do I fall? I have never met anyone who has liked all of these things listed in the above categories, so why is it that we either assume these nationalities do, or that if they like one, then they can easily be generalized into one of the above? People are too complex to be analyzed based on this criteria alone. No one is black, or no one is white, at least not in their actions. But I will continue to wear my rap shirts, alternating days with my Cash and indie ones.

Peace.