We never really discuss race around here....

[praxiz]

I'm white.

I get nervous around black people.

Is there something wrong with me? Now what?

[NMDemDist2]

1. you get "nervous" ????

you need to hang out with a more diverse crowd man

seriously!

[tatertop]

2. Why is that?

[Thtwudbeme]

3. Ok, ok...self edited

Sorry mods.

[northamericancitizen]

10. Believe me it's wrost when you worry about specific posters(writers)

[BuyingThyme]

4. All of 'em, or just the young men?

How 'bout young white men?

[SPKrazy]

5. Get To Know Some Black People

Prejudice (prejudging) is based in fear

black people are no different than white people or anyone else.

I'm white, and I get nervous around some white people

I get nervouse around some people regardless of their color.

But race is just the exterior, inside is the person, their soul, that's what matters.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. I'm human

but melatonally challenged. It's funny who I am nervous around. I feel quite at home with my Somali Sufi brothers and sisters, but feel very uncomfortable being in conversation with certain born-again "Christians" who talk about killing and hatred.

As for your nervousness-I am always aware of what shade of skin people have, though I wish I didn't. I think that a subtle racism is ingrained into all of us, and it takes different forms. The way to work out of this is to concentrate on the individual rather than something superficial like appearance.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

7. Were you raised in an all white environment?

It makes a huge difference if you aren't raised in a diverse environment.

We had NO blacks in our town while I was growing up, and to my knowledge there are still none. Even though I was raised by a mom who made sure we knew that blacks were no different than whites, it still took me a few years to be totally comfortable.

Other than needing to expand your horizons, there's nothing wrong with you.

[praxiz]

8. Come to think of it, I know a lot of colored people

I grew up with a guy called Tom Mario, from Indonesia, one of my best friends during my AD&D-time was from Vietnam,

hell, my brother married a girl from South-Korea last summer.

christ one of my best friends during my university times were from Nigeria, and HELL i even went on a date with this rasta-girl who's parents were born in Kongo.

So why am I still nervous around Black People?

[Lars39]

15. How much 6 o'clock news do you watch?

They've been pushing the lie that only blacks commit crimes for a long time.

[SPKrazy]

16. Colored People?

Wow, psychadelic man

rainbow striped people, or solid colors? or what?

[Erika]

17. Colored people? Are you putting us on?

We're all colored.

[alarcojon]

18. Just so you know...

"colored people" is a pretty dated term, and some people will write you off just for using it.

[China_cat]

9. It's good that you recognize that

and ask the question. It shows you don't want to give in to irrationality.

How many black people do you know? I mean really know? People you have in your home or you visit at theirs, go to church with, have your kids play together, etc? If few or none then your nervousness is simply a matter of not knowing the culture of being afraid of saying something that might be misunderstood, etc.

My question such as you asked came the day I found myself getting nervous in broad daylight walking down the street in the shopping district of town and a black man was coming toward me. Not doing anything suspicious, just being there. I had to ask myself if I would react in the same way if he'd been white and when the answer was no, I had to face my own prejudices and call myself on them.

Give yourself kudos for asking if it's something wrong with you instead of blaming it on 'them'.

[Dan]

11. Relax...

My thoughts...

Age,
Gender,
Region of nation where raised (not born),
Did you have a diverse educational background or homogeneous,
cultural and class influences,
Parental influence,
education level,
personal experiences - impact therein - or only via mass media,
and finally,
who are you and where have you been....

Now, answer question - 'why do I get nervous around Black people'?

Now, do the original questions apply?

[Erika]

12. I get nervous being around people who get nervous about

being around people of a different ethnicity.

We're all one race, the human race. Why would people sort by skin color?

We're all born, we all share this planet, we all die.
There's much more commonality in these shared conditions.

[SPKrazy]

19. Exactly, Melanin in the skin is related to the geography and how much

sunlight they were exposed to, it's evolution.

People are people!

We do share the same planet, (at least most of us)

We are all connected

[HysteryDiagnosis]

13. I'm not nervous around many species of

animals.... but people... now people can make me downright edgy.

Pearl Jam, Animal

One, two, three, four, five against one
Five, five, against one
Said one, two, three, four, five against one
Five, five...five, five...five against one

Torture from you to me
Abducted from the street

I’d rather be...
I’d rather be with...
I’d rather be with an animal

Why would you wanna hurt me, oh
Oh, so frightened of your pain...yeah...ooh...

I’d rather be...
I’d rather be with...
I’d rather be with an animal
I’d rather be... (2x)
I’d rather be with an animal

I’d rather be...
I’d rather be with...
I’d rather be with an animal
I’d rather be...
I’d rather be with...
I’d rather be with an animal

Said one, two, three, four, five against one
Five, five...five, five...five against one
One, two, three, four, five against one
Five, five...five, five...five against one

[alarcojon]

14. My first question is - are you being serious?

If you are, I congratulate you on admitting what many people feel but very few will acknowledge. We have all been bombarded with negative, frightening images of black people since childhood. Myself (I'm Latino), I will admit to getting nervous around some black people under some circumstances, but I can say the same about some white people, or some members of any other group.

While it is worthwhile for you as a white person to acknowledge this fear, it is counterproductive to stay stuck in guilt mode. Learn about white privilege. Acknowledge that you have it. Most importantly, cultivate friendships with people of all types. Black people do not all act or think a certain way.

[mrcheerful]

20. Those are learned reactions and behaviors caused by those that raised us.

Fear the dark skinned man as he will rob, kill and rape your women. The only difference between the racism of today compared to the pre 64 racism is today its not out in the open, theres no more signs that say white only. Today its more subtle, we watch shows like cops or america's most wanted and what do we see? Blacks and Latinos killing, robbing, gang banging, drug dealing. Even though whites are committing the same crimes at higher rates, you only see minorities on cop shows and even on the nightly news. Its so one sided on what stories make the news, most local news stories involve one of 3 things, black man robbing a white man, a black man stealing a car or anything that installs fear of minorities. There is a bias against minorities in the news.

[JI7]

21. you are nervous in what way ?

nervous in the sense that you might say something offensive or that you don't belong ?

or nervous in that you fear fearful for your safety ?

can you give us more and some examples of situations you were in ?

[praxiz]

22. I'm on a limb, here .. I'm stepping on so many toes.

Look.

I am ... not asking for trouble ... and if you knew me, you'd ... help.

Crap.

I really opened the Pandoras snatch with this one, didn't i.

I went into this with a love of all religions and races --- with a completely open mind towards all religions (even though I think all religions are bogus). AND races!


crap.

Im fucked.

[jazzwinders]

23. We never really discuss race around here....

I'm black.

I get nervous around white people.

[zippy890]

24. no I don't, I noticed your from Norway?

are you an ex-pat or Norwegian?

don't expect there are too many black people in Norway, could be wrong.

[panzerfaust]

25. imagine how 'nervous' you

would be if you were a black person in the deep south in 1955 - or a black person in the New America in 2055

My first girlfriend was black, I'm not.

People are people.

Get a life.

[jazzwinders]

28. or...

...2006

[ck4829]

26. Race is a myth

'Nuff said.

[alarcojon]

30. Disagree

it has a very real impact on people's lives.

[Ripley]

27. This is the kinda shit that pollutes

DU.

Why do yall allow it?

[drthais]

29. man, where do YOU live?

I am in Louisiana
and I am on the faculty at a TBCU
(that's shorthand for 'Traditionally Black College and Universities')
...in short
best faculty position i've ever had
best students I've ever had
best coleagues, also

and, by the way
I'm a white girl

you need to get out more!

[Parrcrow]

31. locking

the opening poster has been banned.