Acting White: The Oreo Myth of Selling-Out | ✨ EP. 2 WhiteWashed Web-Series ✨
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- Опубліковано 18 сер 2024
- A video essay critiquing the concept of 'acting White' and the 'oreo.'
#ActingWhite #Oreo #SellOut #Coon
✨ MORE FROM THE WHITEWASHED WEB SERIES ✨
Ep. 1 The Awkward Black Boy Trope
• The Quirky / Awkward B...
Ep. 3 The Black Girl Who Only Gets White Guys| Analysing TikTok "White Boy Test" Ft Colorism, Acting White
• The Black Girl Who Onl...
Ep.4 Acting White: Self-espression in the Black community?
• Acting White: Self-esp...
timestamps ✨
0:00 Skit
0:33 Examples/ Reason for Video
1:08 The Meaning
1:50 The Harm
2:40 The Experiences
4:13 The Sum Up
4:30 Subscribe, Like, Share
socials + contact ✨
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tiktok: @TownofTawiah / townoftawiah
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@KellyStamps
@jjolatunji
@chriseubank180
References In Order of Appearance
Chris Eubank
Chewing Gum (TV Series 2012)
@PatriciaBright
@jjolatunji
Candace Owens
Yara Shahidi
'Some for the homies' gif - Lakeith Stanfield in Sorry To Bother You (2018)
Private School TikTok
• You are in a Private S...
@akalamusic
@SydTheCreative
@MarieLaureQuayson
@KellyStamps
#StopCallingMeAnOreo
@princesscatmaya
@TyroneMagnus
‘I hate it’ gif. Donald Glover in Atlanta (2016)
Music Credits
Orchestral music
• ROYALTY FREE Classical... [FREE NO COPYRIGHT BEAT 2020] FREE INSTRUMENTAL TRAP #11
• [FREE NO COPYRIGHT BEA...
Buying Black Series Intro Song
Masego - Navajo (EKANY Flip)
• Masego - Navajo (EKANY...
if acting white isn’t a thing, acting black shouldn’t be either.
I agree.
Edit: "Acting a race" is not to be confused with cultural appropriation which is not a myth.
Although you do have to keep in mind that there is a power dynamic at play. If a white person acts "Black" they only benefit from being more relatable or whatnot whilst facing none of the (systemic) racism a Black person has to face everyday. If a Black person acts "white" they're benefiting from being more relatable to white people but they remain in a marginalised position.
@@atmangostickyrice Okay what if they dont have the bad effects ? Why does it matter
Facts!
@@sunsundks3891 what r u talking about
This topic was even brought up in an episode of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air where Carlton was not able to get into a fraternity because he wasn't considered a "brother". The episode ended with uncle Phil asking a question " when are we gonna stop doing this to each other?" the Fresh prince aired from the early to mid-late 90s. It's a shame that it is still an issue in 2021.
I remember that episode, I discussed it in my last video on the Awkward Black Boy Trope. I thought the moment that Carlton stands up for himself and tells the fraternity member that he was 'the real sell-out' for excluding him, was priceless. I know right, 20 years later and not much has changed on that topic.
If we stop talking about, it’ll be forgotten.
@@LastManFilmsUS i don’t think that’s how it works lol
@@TownofTawiah I salute you lol
Carlton was the normal one for me and I thouht will was strange
I've been told I acted white for reading manga and watching anime. When those things originate from Japan, goes to show you how ignorant some people can be.
you acted like a weeb :)
Are you excited for bleach return?
I love manga and anime
@@SilvioSamuge I am
I commented something like that under this video and people were literally twisting my words thinking i said anime was white. Like no it’s Japanese but just like you said it’s sad that people associate anime with whiteness
I’ve been called white for:
Liking anime
Being into literature
Being quiet/having anxiety
How I speak
Where I live
How I dress
Breathing
Edit: When I mentioned anime I’m talking about things i have been CALLED white for. Doesn’t mean I’m calling anime white. I am well aware it’s Japanese animation. Please be nice 💀
lol I'm pretty sure black people liking anime isn't a surprise. I'm pretty sure every race likes anime
@@coolkid7377 yeah we know that but i've seen many black people get made of for liking anime
you and i are literally the same omg
@@coolkid7377 You’re right, a ton of black people watch anime, but before it was trendy I would get made fun of by mostly black people for watching it
@@aly5453 I’m glad there’s someone like me 😂
As a black immigrant, I’ve always been confused by black Americans saying they are not monolith but also shaming anyone who doesn’t fit their idea of “black.” Like???
Tell me about, lol.
I'm not even a person of color and it just baffles me. It's like saying there's no rules to be Black, and then giving them specific guidelines to be Black. They aren't "rules," but they're guidelines that you're heavily pressured to follow. You don't need to, but it's hard not to.
OK! because you know every black person in the U.S. Miss me with the bullshit! Who is stereotyping now? Most of the animosity is because many black immigrants employ the same racist stereotypes against African Americans that white people do.
@@bluestocking3628 I think you let get your head ofc not all Blk American are like that
@@bluestocking3628 black Americans hate foreigners because they do better than them and don’t complain
I’ve been told I act white for
- reading a book
- having 2 degrees
- Being “quiet”
- wearing heels all the time 😑
- owning a business
- how I speak (I speak fluent Ebonics.. so I feel like they mean the sound of my voice not my word choices)
- existing
Telling someone they don’t act black because they have a degree.... what low standards do we have that possessing a degree is something not for black people?
The wearing heels all the time is sooo true. Got told only white girls act girly, then the same guy got mad when a black girl overpowered him like which one is it Tyrone????
THIS!!! Same. I’ve been told I think I’m better than people and trying to be white for reading a BOOK! It’s such a toxic mentality and is definitely rooted in an inferiority complex. Thanks for sharing your experience x
Why do some members of the Black Community gatekeep success? Black people are fighting for success, yet are also pulling others back and saying it's"too white."
Wait what is fluent Ebonics? Just curious
@@delilah277 lol I just meant my word choices are definitely African American vernacular English all the time. words like “aint” “finna” and double negatives.
When ppl told me I talked white, I clapped back and asked them to explain and most people don’t have a response for this level of ignorance
Exactly. Just being foolish on autopilot, like most ingrained prejudices and ideas about race.
i remember that whitney houston faced a situation in the late 80s where she was booed at the soul train awards bc Black people at the time thought she was a sell-out for only singing pop music. this video was so wonderfully done and i loved it so much!!
Pop music is black music ironically. Same with country music both black and white people had roots to it. Pretty much all genre of music invented in America has black roots.
This reminds me of the hate Jim Hendrix received because he played psychedelic rock.
Time truly is a circle. It's a shame not much has changed.
I don't understand why people racialise behaviour and speaking. How can the colour of someone's skin determine their attitude?
It can't.
Segregation.
Different communities whether white, Hispanic or black, speak different forms of English.
Before the 1970’s communities were separated by race.
Ignorance.
People think that cultural differences btwn people have to do with racial identity and biology. Which is false.
I can only understand racialising speaking. After all if you only see a certain race that typically talks a certain way it's understandable. Whenever I listen to music and then learn later of a person's race wasn't what I thought. It's surprising. Since in life you always hear your own race talk and sing with soul, slang, grit, and sometimes with eloquence. It's interesting to learn there are others who may sing or talk a certain way just like them...unintentional or not.
The evidence is in the history but I don't think people talking like others is a bad thing so long as they're being their natural self.
I know. I dealt with this from my own black people cause I wasn't black enough. And so I couldn't connect with black kids my age throughout all of school life.
@your mom you missed her point. You cannot racialize behavioral traits. Like thinking because black people are shown to be in disparaging roles in media and have a specific cookie cutter way of thinking and talking; to make that the definition of being black. All races are multifaceted. Now when we talk about speech in the idea of accents or region differences is not bad. Thats just a product of culture.
@your mom That needs to be changed so people within the same race of yourself can be accepted with open arms. That's called a community. And if you think its healthy to convert everyone into only one way of behaving and achieving. Look at Japan and look at the unhappiness and alienation and high suicide rate they suffer from in that society.
If Yt people can listen to Megan Thee Stallion or Kendrick Lamar and still be seen as white then what I like and how I speak as a black person shouldn’t change how black you see me as. Everyone is different, let’s start understanding that more and accepting the differences in people of the same race.
I'm white, but I know race only goes skin-deep. It isn't something that makes you think a certain way and like certain things. How is the Black person who loves Panic! At the Disco less Black than the Black guy who likes DJ Khalid, Drake, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, or, heck, even the Hamilton soundtrack?
@@awesomedude5558 But you wouldn’t understand, you’re not us living in a world in which your foreparents set the precedents is wrong. Just because i’m articulate and I can speak coherent English doesn’t make me less ‘ethnic’ in actuality most caucasian people I know speak English farrrrr worse than I do.
But I digress...... theirs nothing wrong with rock music neither.
@@babytt8487 there’s* ◡̈
Exactly, some people have a herd mentality. I noticed this as a kid when I was ostracized for not being able to afford expensive clothes. Most black kids equated listening to Rap with being black and Rock being only reserved for white people. This is a lack of history regarding our race, given that we pioneered Rock n' Roll music and white people felt inspired to play it.
I'm a Metal guitarist, I love Metal. I dye my locs, wear black etc,..I also know who the Deacons For Defense were as well other things related to African history. It's interesting that being articulate is associated with being white when black civil rights activists were often well spoken and intelligent.
@@babytt8487Skin color doesnt determine what you do and dont understand
Acting white is my story of life. I developed some social anxiety when it comes to speaking because of how most other black people made fun of my accent.
@Blaze Héft ok, I just expressing my own grievances at the sentiment. I never excluded anyone else. Like I’m sure there are people here who have said the same thing and relating to the subject matter but sorry that happened to your friend.
@@momob7174 you’re too nice, should’ve cussed that ass out.
I go through the same thing, white people and black people have told me I talk white which is such bullshit. And I do try to speak more modern or play "dumb" to fit in but...its not me. Like why do i have to get side-eyed hanging with a hispanic and white person at school. Bruh...they have the same interest as me, you and me don't.
@Blaze Héft This comment screams ‘what about me’ and being condescending for no reason
Same
I'm a linguist and I wanted to say that the varieties of English spoken by Black people (in the UK and the US, for example) are not "less articulate," or "improper," they are just considered less standard. There are incredibly articulate people within Black communities who use African American Vernacular English or Multicultural London English, with all of the grammatical, phonological and lexical characteristics associated with them, in incredibly inventive and sophisticated ways (one must not look further than to rap music which is indeed a form of extremely sophisticated use of poetic language), but it's just not considered "standard" in the societies they're a part of. What you call "articulate" is just high/middle class, educated, white English (usually General American or some sort of Estuary variation of Received Pronunciation)
Thank you for sharing this! I recently had a similar conversation in this comment section. What I refer to as ‘articulate’ is someone who has done their due research and forms a valid argument, that’s all. I only intended to critique the problem with associating articulation with whiteness and the premise that black people are shamed for using what you referred to as ‘high/middle class, educated, White English’ when in many cases it is the first and only form of English they know and therefore they can use it how they please, without it being referred to as White English.
Some of the clips I used in this video suggested that there was a ‘proper’ and ‘improper’ form of English which is problematic for the reasons you addressed and more so thank you for clarifying on that part!
Honestly, this is a way of providing yet again, white empirical standards of validity. Even if it doesn't fit certain standards, it should be left alone and preserved if that is what a group wants.
I'm doing linguistics with culture and language studies and I agree with you
I would like to add to your comment sir.Some of the words that belong to the english language were stolen from us indigenous melanated indians. Spaniards also did the same
They also say Appalachian English is improper and inferior but it's not. It's its own variety of English like any other. Unfortunately, a lot of Appalachians are taught that the way they speak is backward and many believe that.
I was born and raised in the Southern US so in addition to talking “white” I have a country accent. Most black people instantly dislike me because they think I’m “trying to be white.” It’s the craziest thing ever. I just want it to stop.
That absolutely ridiculous smh
I am 99% sure this is not most Black people, but hearing about Black-on-Black racism/colorism like this is getting tiring. It really is. Not one soul should be the same. This applies to Black people. Let people talk how they talk and like what and who they like. There's no need to gatekeep race.
Doesn’t that count as racism to both you and white people? Killing two birds with one stone smh
@@awesomedude5558 it's like 90% maybe even 85%. From my experience and learning from others
@@ihatetheheat4524 Huh. Maybe that depends on certain variables. Either way, common or not, it shouldn't happen. At least not to an extreme extent.
Who else is from Khadija's shout out to this channel?
Meee and I'm glad I discovered her channel!!!
Me!🥰
@@justcallmeandy5180 Me too😊
Me!!
@@jermen5137 YAY! 👌🏾
When I was going to public college we had a black woman as a professor, she was very articulate in standard English and didn’t speak in any Ebonic or aave language. After the first class I heard several black kids remarking about her calling her an “Uncle Tom” just because she spoke differently. Like wtf
What did they expect a professor to speak like lmaooo?
@@SoWhosGae she was also a counselor too lol
Speaking in Ebonics/ black cultural dialects isn’t “not articulated” nor it it necessarily “slang” . We need to confront this bias and do better
@@ltd8461 um pretty sure it is. What the hell is 'he a fool'? How is that good english? How is saying nigga at the end of every word articulate? Lol
@@homophobicslutshamer7007 Articulation is subjective tbh. We are only taught "Regular English" in school and we are taught that aave is bad but aave has its own rules, or lack thereof, and in its own ways, can be articulate
I've been called "oreo" most of my life. Most of the friends I've had admit to me that they are friends with me because I don't "act black". I always found it very offence and very toxic to be around. Being placed into a racial limbo by peers is a very uncomfortable feeling, I'm glad to have gotten rid of those toxic people from my support circle.
This so sad but ngl Oreo really that sound so weird who even says that ?
@@jemimakitoko4386 A lot of people do, along with coconut.
@@kennedyjojackson1202 wow that’s messed up fr
I literally did not have black friends until high school, because I was made fun of by my own people by not being “black enough.” Then, got made fun of when I chose not to hang out with them because they bullied me. Then I felt I wasn’t “good enough for my own kind.” It was traumatizing and I fought with my own identity for years. I’m glad we’re talking about it more! I’m glad that I love myself enough now to ignore the ignorance. ❤️
People always tell me I’m “whitewashed,” and I hate that. But, growing up with other blkppl who are “whitewashed,” I realized the colorist views, and idea, that they felt they were better than blkppl who do use the, “ghetto,” accent. I too would be annoyed when ANYTIME a blk person felt the need to use AAVE. I was brainwashed into thinking it was a bad image of ourselves. But, eventually began to realize, it wasn’t, and what makes it, ghetto? My friends who are “whitewashed,” have a very bad image of blkppl, and now that I’m more aware of the society, I do see how being whitewashed can make other blkppl who are not whitewashed want to NOT like us. But, I also think it still has a lot to do with self hate and not wanting to be black. Because, all my whitewashed blk friends are with non blacks.. because they would never date a BM/BW.. if you’re whitewashed and can still date and love blkppl that’s cool, and that’s where I’m at. Before I would only date outside my race. Now I’m more open to anyone who will love me for me.
The part I disagree with is you implying there’s something wrong for them to date outside of their race. Your race doesn’t matter and the fact that they want to date non-white people is their business. How does who they date affect you? So many people care about things that don’t concern them lol. They’re entitled to not find people of the same race attractive. There are plenty of white girls who say they’re only attracted to people with brown skin lol, doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with them.
@@_rhea.b_1305 you implied that. I am implying they date outside of their race because they do not like black people, because self hate. Stop implying what YOU think. I know these people first hand, grew up with them. I know the conversations we’ve had. I am mixed, have dated outside my race... doesn’t bother me... even added, I’ll date who ever loves me for me. It also impacts the future of people, because if they are having self hatred passed on to their mixed kids, you continue the train. So why are you mad? I honestly don’t care who they date, but at the end of the day they are dating because they hate black people. Stop being mad and go take a warm shower.
@@CrazyBunniePanda loooool hun, you’re obviously not intelligent otherwise you’d be able to better deduce when someone is angry and when one is not. I could honestly not give a rat’s arse about some cretin’s irrelevant opinion.
@@CrazyBunniePanda It really turns into an us vs them kinda thing. Like oh yall talk white therefore we don't like you, now they're isolated and when they grow older dislike the people who isolated them. Its a cycle, not a good one but a cycle. Like how nerds look down on the more urban speaking people, and the urban speaking people do vice versa. They "hate" them because they are isolated and shamed by them. Its literally the story of racism, colorism whatever. Its an evil cycle that we can't break: that divides us. Are both sides in the wrong? This isnt a (ok this isnt a pun) black-white situation
@@rizzybone964 how do you know her pfp is her? It looks like a cartoon character to me
Growing up in a school that was mostly Caucasian students, I definitely was used as the “token black friend” and been told that I sound white 🤦🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️ talking eloquently and well-spoken is a trait that ANYONE can have
I’m a black female. I grew up and went to many different schools with different populations because my mother and father both were in the military. So when i went to a school that was predominantly of black students, i got that label of being an oreo or that i “talk and act white” from that school way more than all the other schools i went to. So because of this, i had a harder time even wanting to be friends with my own people. Black people need to understand that the only way for us to progress positively is to stop constantly comparing and tearing down each other for the most ridiculous and ignorant reasons and things. I can’t help how i was raised or how i was taught, just like they can’t. So making me feel like i’m less black than they are just because I don’t go around fitting the black girl stereotype shouldn’t be the way to treat me and other black people like me.
@@anonnnymousthegreat I absolutely agree, we gotta do better as a community and uplift one another, not criticize
@@anonnnymousthegreat Stop calling yourself a female you’re a woman.
same!!
This happens to me all the time I'm only 17. It's gotten to the point where I'm scared of talking to other black ppl because I know they are going to comment about me not being 'black enough'
Just remember people’s problem with your voice is THEIR problem not yours, my love. If they make you feel bad about something that is harmless they are most likely projecting their own frustrations of themselves onto you. You will become more confident with time and it will get better believe me, I could relate when I was 17 x
@@TownofTawiah 💖💖
Story of my f$@@ life
Fr. In ms/hs I was in orchestra and AP/IB classes 😭😭. It was always “ur not black enough” or “ur too black”
I doubt this is most Black people, but I do agree that too many Black people are doing this. I remember someone online said that it's like we're reverting to segregation, and this is similar, but instead of whites gatekeeping certain things from Black people, it's Black people gatekeeping things from Black people. "Too white" doesn't exist when you're not even white.
I’ve come to the conclusion that, if somebody tries to pull that, “you talk white” card, It’s a simple way to respond to these ‘unaware bots’ just tell em, “oh, but don’t you speak English just like me? Which makes you “sound white/white” also. So I guess we both white.. 🙄 lol
😂😂
Tell ´em brotha.This bs has to stop.
Or say, thank you, I’m trying to move up in The world unlike you.” Hahah. joking. But seriously though, I hate when people say that isht to me.
@@mesalouis8976 I don’t think you are making anything better by passive aggressively supporting the concept of white supremacy...but okay. 😂
@@Caprice33 I’m using their own logic against them. Also notice how I wrote joking. Duh. Can’t fight fire with fire.
Super insightful. I don’t know any other English than what’s considered to be white English, and if I attempted anything else I’d be an absolute fake. Thank you for talking about this because I’m just about done with white people getting credit for all of my interests and the way I speak.
What my mother has always told me when someone says that to me is, "they're just insecure, you're obviously talented and doing something with your life." Because it's usually older black people.
An actual sell out is Daniel Cesar. He literally told Black people to cancel him, block him, and stop streaming his music. And so as a Day 1 fan, I kindly blocked him and took every single song off my playlist.
Why did he say that tho? I truly don’t know
@@milodawgg Search up Daniel Caesar and YesJulz on Google and some articles will explain the whole situation. I think you can also find the livestream in which the whole situation happened.
@@milodawgg some people just have a conquered mentality. It's not up to us to save them. Don't argue with ppl Harriet Tubman would have left behind.
If I got paid for every time someone said I talk or act "white" I could graduate from Yale with no debt whatsoever
Rightt, I would be able to buy my own island with the number of times I've heard that 😂
I see Kelly Stamps
I click
I see snoop Maya, I like.
Plus my girl khadija Mbowe sent me here.
@@ladydelight2289 sameeee I liked when I saw Snoopmaya
I was ready to drag someone if she was called a sellout
@@jabulanitheron9268 frfr
@@jabulanitheron9268 Me too! I cape for my girl Kelly! 💅🏿
At my middle school, I've been bullied by my black peers for "acting white" and not being the stereotypical black girl. 😒
You weren’t the only one. In fact, the people I was bullied by were so loud went it came to their private issues to the point where I we why I was really bullied, because I have hard working parents that told me to take education and school seriously. People don’t like that or like when your priorities are different from theirs.
Once moved into an predominantly black area everyone used to say that i was whitewashed, trying to act white, etc. They all assumed I lived in an all white neighborhood but that wasn't the case. The town I lived in was really diverse, there were all kinds of people living there. It just really sucks because when people make comments like that it makes you feel less than, or not black enough.
Growing up and hearing things like "coconut" (poc on the outside but white inside) and "keeping myself white" it was crushing growing up, but now well so what. I am who I am and stuff what others say.
Yessss. In me ppl called me Oreo, I thought that was a compliment bc Oreos are sweet 😭
@@sabrinastars1284 Yes after hearing 'oreo' all the time from both white and black people for years, I honestly just don't care now. I'm at that age(19) where I'm around more mature people but if someone ever says it to me again I'm just walking away. Being myself is not gonna be as exhausting as being fake.
I think "acting white" spans across most minority groups when it comes to acting more like the more accepted majority group. I can relate since, within the gay community there's constant discussion about this too. Gay men who present masculine and dont adopt many aspects of LGBT culture in their life get told they're "acting straight" (which as a term I hate) and shouldn't conform so much to heteronormative values, whatever that means. For guys like me it can feel alienating. Though, like "acting white," there are clear advantages to it. It's a thorny issue, maybe people within the minority group who don't act like the majority feel threatened that their experience might get overlooked in favor of the members of the group who do?
Can we stop calling ourselves ‘minorities’ theirs nothing MINOR about Ethnic people since we make up the bulk of the entire worlds populations. 🙄
@@babytt8487 true, ethnic minority populations in one place are majority populations in others, but the term is useful since it applies to more than just ethnicity. LGBT+ people, disabled people, neurodivergent, etc are also minorities.
I love this video. I remember getting called a “sellout” cause I said I was okay with dating outside my race.
Happened to me too! A black dude who only dated white girls told me that, I just had to...
That happened to me too some guy named nigel called me a coon cos I said i didn’t mind white girls,but the funny thing is that On his Instagram he had only white ppl on his posts also he said to one of my other black friends “You black ppl are ruining our community” just bcos he insulted him,and the funny thing yet I’m the coon like tfffff
@@BR.9x u a sellout that’s it n he was correct u a sellout
@@remainloyaltoyour0wnsoil580 Yh bro I’m definitely a sellout when I’m dating a black girl….
@@remainloyaltoyour0wnsoil580 u probably think any black guy that dates outside his race is a sellout huh😂😂
I take issue with this assertion that lower-class black people think that all well-spoken black people act white. I've never heard anyone say that Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X sounded or acted white. Black people come from different backgrounds, family structures, cultures, educational institutions, economic statuses, and communities. Well-spoken black people and lesser-educated black people tend to frown at each other. I believe this conversation is about class more than it is about "black" people. I recall seeing a young black man on the bus. He did have the "look" of a well-educated black person. When he spoke, everyone looked at him with amazement and confusion. We should all learn to not judge a book by its cover, neither by its vernacular.
It's kind of equal parts class and race because race is used to define class. So if you're black you're lower class until proven otherwise. This was clearer back in the day when racism was more overt and it was accepted that, for instance, no black person could be as good as a white person even if they had the same qualifications. It's more complicated now, but we're living with the after effects. It's just been twisted a lot by black people who think "being black" is all about presentation and not about goals and mindset. I may present more similar to the dominant group, but my mindset is black e.g. against racism and oppression and *for* black liberation.
I literally wanted to make a video about this because it’s so annoying! Like aren’t we fighting for diversity and inclusion but when we become diverse and include ourselves in places we get called oreos
if you do let me know xx
This way is thinking is super rampant in the Asia, specifically south Asian/carribbean community. I told I was “Canadian white” after I immigrated from the carribbean at 6 yrs old among my own family members and cousins. But then that same community is obsessed with being “light skin” 😒
Our ancestors didn't literally DIE for our community to get access to an education just for us to turn around and call educated, articulate black people *hwuight*
*edit:* you can thank nappyheadedjojoba for that fun play on words
That's what I say as well. I'm not going to disappoint my ancestor's.
As a mixed person I've received this statement multiple time and it confused me. I'm black and white so it never made sense. Why should I be put a box based around your stereotypes of black people. The idea that I'm not "black enough" or the idea that other individuals are "blacker than" was downright embarrassing for me as a kid. It made me feel like I could only be seen through my race and not who I am. Even then, who I was would be considered too white. Even my white mom would perpetuate these ideas onto me. It was really annoying and frustrating. They made me feel like I had to separate myself from my culture and be white or black. I'm both and it took me forever to become comfortable with my black culture and identity. I had to learn to love and appreciate that part of myself. I'm still learning today. I'm glad this video was made. It made me realize that I'm not alone in this experience. You put everything I was feeling into words and I thank you for that.
I love you for making this video. My friends and family would always joke about me “sounding white” and “acting white” all of my life. We really need to stop putting ourself in this one box of how we are supposed to act and sound.
I've gone through this all my life, accused of "acting white" if it's not that, "American" and I'm done.
I’m a black female who always got that or was actually called an oreo. The kicker is that i was a loner and one of my bestfriends was biracial (caucasian and philipino). I also grew up in one of the rougher, more poor areas in milwaukee, WI. But was raised by my grandmother who was from Tennessee and lived in wisconsin. Most of my family was educated, traveled because they were in law enforcement or the military. So alot of my articulation in my words and how i carried myself was because of the main influence of the military. Plus, my grandmother was heavily into education and carrying yourself with professionalism, intelligence and respect. So when people call me an oreo or say that i “speak white” or “act white”, i ask them, “how do you speak and act a color?”. And they get flustered in how to explain it because my question points out how ignorant those statements they made sounds.
@@anonnnymousthegreat I also used to ask the exact same question, and the answer was always a blank look on their faces. It's stupid to bully a person because they carry themselves differently or speak in a certain way. What matters is, do you comprehend what I'm saying.
I completely agree and understand. I have felt with it, too. We are just people in the end of the day. And nuanced depictions of people need to be understood better throughout society as a whole.
I mostly agree with this, but the issue I had with Kelly Stamps is when white women were praising her for "not putting out content like most Black girls, who only do hair and makeup", her reply was "Thanks Sis!" Instead of "Hey, that's anti-Black and we don't need to drag Black women who fit your stereotypes of only being interested in beauty, while you praise me for having so called 'higher-brow' more intellectual interests."
Idk why, but something about her doesn’t vibe with me and I can’t even subscribe to her channel just to push her up. Usually, even if I don’t like someone channel, if they’re a Back
Woman, l subscribe just because. She’s pretty and seems to make really chill content (not my taste), though.
There were a lot of black girls telling her that too but if she indeed reply to a remark that she knew was from a white girl, that's really odd.
Well that’s new to me. Tf
I think she’s biracial and she grown up mostly around white people. So most likely she’s more favorable of her white side. And most blacks or biracial. Who grow up around mostly white people. Tend to pick up on their mentality. Definitely if you have a white mom and a black dad. Most likely you going favor your white side. I will never look at her. and see her as the typical black girl. She’s biracial so I won’t fault her for being comfortable with her other side.
@@idontthinkso5685 how on earth is Kelly biracial??? She's a black woman. Both of her parents are black people.
I'm white and I used to use these terms to talk about my black friends. I feel incredibly guilty, but its important to fix our behavior. It's not appropriate and I hope white people see this video.
That's why these conversations are important, so glad this was helpful for you! There are a lot of unconscious biases I have had to unlearn too so I recognise the feeling. Thank you for sharing your experience x
I've finally found somewhere other Black people understand the struggle growing up that I experienced and so many of you did.
We really need to do better. We can't overcome the nonsense from the outside when we're fighting within the community.
I remember being 6 years old and loving reading and being quiet and introverted, I was told by all my grade 1 peers that I was acting white and ostracised from black kids. I stopped speaking my African language, and didn't have a black friend until I was 17 because I didn't listen to hip hop and I spoke English well with a wide vocabulary. This gave me a legitimate racial dysphoria where I would pray to be a red haired girl with blue eyes and freckles when I woke up, because I thought that would stop the bullying and ostracisation (this was alongside body image issues and lack of representation in the media and further bullying all throughout primary school). Every morning seeing myself in the same black body I was demonised for made be so depressed. So much of racial trauma is from this, I feel so seen.
This story is painful but unfortunately not hard to believe. I would love to know more about you. Do you have a blog?
This shit IRKS me. Why can I not talk properly? Why can I not listen to rock music? Why can I not have a different sense of humor?
So whack. I can’t act black or white just like I can’t act orange or purple. 😂 Great vídeo!
Black women in luxury is not a black woman trying to be yt!
I just always find it strange when people have strict preferences with ethnicity and dating. Like, no matter what group we are we're individuals and the important thing is that your partner respects and supports you. Why go after another person for who they love. Also I can understand that there's a bias against AAVE, but we still tend to speak differently in different situations. People in a university or professional context would want to be seen as articulate and having a large vocabulary.
The sad part is that acting white is associated to high class so in other words black people have accepted poverty status that has many times been forced onto them so is that not sell out behaviour in itself?
This issue is not just limited to social status and norms but behaviour as well. For instance if you happen to be more on the sensitive side, very girly and feminine or just aware of your emotions you may be accused of acting white too.
I grew up horse riding, swimming, enjoying spa days, travelling with my family when it was RARE to see black families in first class lounges in the early 2000s, attending private schools all my life and as a “skater girl” at some point who would listen to certain rock bands that were deemed white. This did not mean I did not experience racism in all these sectors but it did not make me a sellout or unaware of who I was as a person either which to me is beyond my race.
It’s just sad that living a certain lifestyle is seen as white because of the power of the media when you have all types of social classes in each race which has been that way for centuries and it does not mean you see yourself as “better” than the other either.
Finally, someone said it. The tendency to "other" within this respect comes from an acceptance of poverty status.
Welcome to Town of Tawiah
Please LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE & SUBSCRIBE!
Let me know your thoughts 💭 ..
DISCLAIMER: Acting a race is not synonymous with cultural appropriation. Appropriation is NOT a myth.
Glad that you pointed that out! 💯
This video is about to blow 💗, and a whole heartedly appreciated the way you are bringing light to this topic because it is a problem and even I have faces adversities when it comes to people saying "I act white".
Thank you for the support girl, that means a lot 💕 Also I just subscribed to your channel, I love your DIY clothes customisation, that's talent right there
I believe it is some African American blacks that have the whole “u act white” thing say. As a black Canadian with Caribbean heritage it’s not a thing among West Indians. Because if you educate yourself you are deemed intelligent, you speak well means that you are polished, when you are well read, dressed nice and or travelled they see it has you have leveled up and have money! But that’s just how Caribbean think. I have been teased a lot of how I was an Oreo or acted white by some black Americans when I went to college in the states.
So I was gonna leave this EXACT comment but I see you already did 😭. Same! Jamaican parents, born in Toronto but raised in Texas and it was mainly black americans who gave me hell for how I spoke. When I got older, I couldn't even play dancehall without my american friends clowning me. Black americans need to chill with the cultural intolerances
@@Decadancehallking very true ! Some of them can be so closed minded or ignorant.
As a strong, proud Afro Caribbean man of African decent raised in Glasgow, Scotland, I endured alot of difficulties being raised in a very prejudiced and hostile environment. I was tolerated and faced social exclusion and other difficulties (that you can possibly relate to) that led to psychological problems. On my returning to London, hoping to find acceptance with my own people I found that my interactions were even more restricted, I felt like an outsider and still do. This has led to social anxiety, loneliness and isolation that I am only now beginning to recover from. What I have learned is to primarily love yourself for who you are, your uniqueness makes you special. Never change yourself to try to gain acceptance from others, regardless of who they are. If a human being treats you with love, honor, respect and most importantly loyalty - reciprocate regardless of their background. Try not to get depressed or self conscious because of the rejection alot of us have experienced for not being "black" enough. Do whatever makes you happy because in all honesty I have seen alot of hypocrisy in people who hold on to this very outdated and unprogressive point of view.
For me, I think “acting white” is when a black person tries to ignore racial injustices or things within the black culture. Or try to distance themselves from black people at a whole. For example, Stacy Dash lost me when she tried to act like she didn’t understand why there is a BET. So that’s what I think is being is “being white” but I would call it more anti-black
what is a BET?
@@notmyopinion4981 Black Entertainment Television
@@destinykristina thank you
That’s what I would call a sellout.
Daniel Caesar did the same thing. He said "Yeah white people have been racist to us in the past but what are you gonna do about it?" He then made a whole apology video after offending everybody... That's what I call kissing white peoples ass right there. Want to be accepted so bad you try and sweep under the rug the things white folks put us through.
Looks like I'm in the sold out category and I'm proud of it.
Lol me too! sellouts unite ✊🏿💅🏿
That's something to be proud of?
@@lochofmceo No Sir, that's the joke we're not ACTUAL sellouts. We just don't fit a black stereotype. So people are quick to call us that. I love being black 💅🏿
@@kennedyjojackson1202 talking proper isn't what gets ppl called sell outs it's being a boot licker to yt ppl.I don't define a sell out as a black person who talks proper but a black person who shuns things common to the black experience and side with...the other
LMAOOO
That’s the crazy part, other black people will act like you don’t go through the same socioeconomic and racial struggles they do because you’re not black enough for them, we still in the same boat though, they just act like oppression is earned for whatever reason
I can relate to this. I work on board trains here in the UK, so naturally I have make announcements and have to speak in a clear concise manner. A few weeks ago I made a train termination announcement and a girl sitting close by basically said when she heard the announcement she didn't think it was me speaking and jokingly said "oh you're doing your 'code switching' thing". I laughed it off but I wasn't putting on any voice. About 2 years again after making an on train announcement, a colleague said to me "after hearing that announcement I didn't think you'd look the way you do". Which we all know what that means!
Love THIS!!! I'm at a point in my life where I'm unbothered how others view my vernacular. I leaped out the "black box"
I went out of my way at 9 years old to watch Dynasty. Not only for the fashion of the time. I watched it for the language and dialogue. I knew that there was more than what I saw and what I heard.
Do any of the folks in this thread find it funny that knowing how to use words in the correct context wrong? I'm like, do you not read a book?
what a great channel. I love your confidence to create a platform like this. More power to you my love
thank you so much 🥺i appreciate youu
This video is golden🏆. Having been told or implied I can’t talk, eat, dress, act, think, express myself, etc. differently throughout my life so far really have me thinkin’, “who made a handbook on this and why didn’t I get a copy?!”
Loved the video and the clear structure is super helpful, excited to see what you do next! Thank you so much for sharing!
Some years back a white chick said to me "you sound like a white person." I said " I know, I had a second grade school teacher beat my knuckles up with a number 2 pencil when I didn't pronounce every syllable.. She was hooked on phonics.. She wanted this dark skinned child to mesmerize and charm people when I spoke. Plus I had a beautiful mouth to articulate my words beautifully
..Thank you Mrs.Street. ❤
You’ve caught the algorithm wave! Very well put together video. This has always bothered me, the internalized racism is real, and it shows with the inferiority complex. So sad to feel fellow people of color not dressing the way they want, speaking the way they want, acting the way they want, because they have this feeling of needing to ‘stay in their lane’. Let people be free man.
Looooooool Chris Eubank love it 🤣🤣
😂😂
THIS IS THE STORY OF MY ENTIRE LIFE OH MY GOODNESS. My entire damn life and I have been socially outcasted or frowned upon just because of who I am. I was raised in the suburbs of CANADA. Went to a predominantely white school with, in my teens, predominantely white friends. And I hated being called a "white black person" and it made me question my self-worth and my own identity. I'm glad I'm almost completely out of that mindset and very glad that this is a topic being discussed b/c it is so damaging
khadija sent me!!! so glad this is incredibly comprehensive yet succinct wow wow instant subscribe
This is so good.I love finding small you tubers
🥰
Same, they put a lot of work into their content
THANK YOU SOO MUCH FOR THIS MASTERPIECE MAM
I’m glad you enjoyed it 😌
I completely agree as someone that is a PROUD BLACK AMERICAN that has a very particular upbringing in Philadelphia, I can NOT facilitate or dissect such a social construct in such a concise manner in the fashion that you just did. Bravo 👏🏾 👏🏾 👏🏾 IN SHORT, ONCE AGAIN: WE ARE NOT A MONOLITH! THERE IS A CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN DEMOGRAPHICS AND PSYCHOGRAPHICS! Thank you 🙏🏾
I love this video and thanks, I can truly relate and glad I am not the only one "acting white" we as black people should not be type casted into one way to be. I love classical music , and ballet and get laughed at for listening to classical music around my way a lot . When will we broaden our perspective and lively hood . Life is too short to live it in a box.
This video is very valuable a lot of our people need to hear this. Thank you ❤️
It's so annoying how some black people will complain about the negative stereotypes thrust upon us, then in the same breath call another black person "oreo" "whitewashed" or will accuse them of "acting white" because that other person doesn't act how they think a black person should or isn't "acting black enough".
Girl this is highly needed and it isn’t talked about enough
This was too short!!!! THANKS FOR YOUR VIDEO This was all too real for me x
as a black kid whose currently growing up in public housing, on welfare with a single mother who has two kids which she has to provide for plus her medical bills I'm automatically given this excuse to act "black" or to act "ghetto" to basically do wrong or have defensive behaviour but thats not the case, I have no problem being poor so I chose not to act out on it in a stereotypical matter nor do I resent anyone who does. Having a more tough exterior is a situational caused effect...not a racially caused effect
I always think calling well-spoken black people "white" or "oreos" is kinda dangerous because it can actually push some of them to become colourist.
So glad I've found this channel! Great to hear this type of commentary from the UK too!
I'm white, so if I'm wrong, tell me, but race isn't an act. One cannot "act white" when you're not. All that this means is that you fit within a white stereotype in all ways but your skin tone, but you're not less Black than any other Black person. It doesn't matter how you act or who you marry. A Black person is Black for life, just like how a white person is white for life. Blackness isn't something the Black and white communities can take from you. "Acting white" is just acting as yourself, just like any Black people who *DON'T* "act white." Your taste in music or your level of education aren't white. They're *YOU,* regardless of color. Race doesn't make you less human, and, because of that, the people are just as different as any majority. If "acting white" is getting a good education, I want everyone to "act white," except you're not actually acting white. You're just getting a higher education.
Amanda Gorman graduated from Harvard. Is she not Black? Is she "acting white?" I see her as a hero to all people, and especially Black people.
I’ve been told I act and speak like a white girl as a little girl and I was dumbfounded and confused! I’m glad I’m not alone in this, but it is still upsetting that a calmer, gentler and personally for me, feminine side gets shown I’m ridiculed for it.
"Acting white" was one of the dumbest things Id ever heard. Be free people and do what you want to. Love this video for highlighting the issue.
I'm really enjoying your videos. I'd love to see some videos that go into more depth about specific black characters, black-led/written films, black artists/authors/musicians, or black tropes (either positive or negative). I liked the Awkward Black Boy video because it drew my attention to an archetype I hadn't noticed emerging, and your commentary encourages me to think more critically about the media I'm consuming.
Here from Khadija's channel! Loved the video especially that I'm from the UK as well, and trust me, it definitely makes a difference to speak/articulate yourself properly. New subscriber! 😊
I am from Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 and I’m multilingual you know africans we have many languages but i speak English very well and my whole life i have been called a Coconut 🥥 bro ! It used to hurt me so much but am in a better place now i have accepted thats who i am and bumping into this video and i see its a thing whereby other people callout black people for fluency or whatever as trying to being white like what crazyy !!!!
Three ridiculous things people have accused me of acting white for 1) Cycling 2) Mountain Hiking 2) Being a programmer 3) Having dinner
I kid you not
A little louder for the people in the back!
Thank you for putting out this video. It was educational and entertaining!
Let's support one another and not tear each other down. A house divided will not stand.
I initially avoided this video because I thought it would take a different turn. But, I’m glad where this video went. Keep up the good work sis 👏🏾👏🏾
Great video : ) I always remember when David Starkey said that David Lammy sounded like a 'white man' and I found that incredibly offensive. Blackness exists on a spectrum - we are not a monolith! And we are policed enough as it is for our identity we shouldn't police each other too.
I've personally never been told that "I act white" before. But you shouldn't be told to act a skin colour, you should be yourself. Be your own person 👍🏾
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾yes ma'am!!
Some people, especially our own, need to be enlightened on the words of "acting white"
This is an amazing video, thank you for sharing- instantly subscribed!!
Had this most of my family, being told that I sound and act white from even people close to me, my friends and family. I remember a girl at my school once told me that she forgot I was black... 🙈🙄
Thanks for this video it's nice to see that other people feel the same and understand the frustration.
Great video and love the content. I can definitely relate based on the way I speak. I often get told, I speak so well. My career is in the travel industry and pre covid travelled overseas a lot for work. And I'd have people often say they have never come across a black girl from England. And be surprised by my accent. Definitely subscribed to your channel and look forward to more great content in 2021! 😊
This is one of my favorite videos. When I seen ksi kelly stamp on the thumbnail I was intrigued tbh. This video touched me in a personal way because growing up in a predominantly white area I always hear “ you act so white” bc I don’t only listen to rap and I decide to use my vocab. They always would say “damn I thought you be talking hood/black. It was so degrading but I never knew why until I started to read more and understand what it meant to “speak black” I never liked tying race to ways of speaking/acting and I taught my cousins and my nephews to never believe they act white bc of how they act or what they do and to never let someone say that to themThank god you made this video people Need to watch this.
My dad was a career US Air Force sergeant. I went to Germany on "his dime" when I was a year old and lived there until I was nearly 7 years old. I had two German "nannies" growing up, one of whom talked to me in her native language to the point that I was nearly fluent and had a German accent thicker than Schwarzenegger's double biceps shot...and exactly no one seemed to really notice until my dad decided to retire from the USAF (it was 1971, he'd done 20 years and it was either retire or go back to Vietnam a second time and risk leaving my mom, possibly forever, with four kids who were 12 or younger at the time).
So my dad retired from the military, and moved us back to his hometown...Baltimore, Maryland. I'm 58 years old and I remember my first day in school like it happened an hour ago. I was "invited" to go to the front of the room and introduce myself. I still recall the heads turning, and the "Just what in the Blue Hell is THIS?" on peoples' faces...including the teacher's. One classmate actually yelled a question to me, "Hey, how come you talk like Dracula?" The "acting white" BS started later. By 8th grade, I was a walking paradox...an honor student with a hair-trigger violent temper, and I think the former kept me from getting kicked out of school because I realized that *pencil= weapon* four decades before John Wick did, LOL. I took the long way home more than once all the way through high school, but by then, it was about "what happens to me if this dude actually can't kick my azz and I hurt him bad enough?" FTR, I got mine kicked a lot...but nobody ever came back for a rematch. I actually ran into one of these guys in a high school class and he was like, "Yeah, I remember that fight. I was at home for a few days and gave up bullying people afterward because I figured the next guy would shoot me."
It...helped?... that by modern standards, my dad was a gangbanger who'd also survived two wars (Korea as well as Vietnam), and was also a boxer who had "one shot knockout power" in either hand (I saw this once, once was enough), and he realized his youngest, hopelessly nerd-son needed to be schooled. I shudder to think how much potential...and progress...has been lost in the black community from this "Oreo" bullshyt because I've known many other guys ("birds of a feather") who bided their time, struggled to survive, and when they got out of the community they ("nerds," "lames," "Poindexters") leave and don't look back. IJS, sorry for the rant.
It exempts black people from being dynamic beings.
I have a problem with the 'speaking properly' thing....but still, I understand what they are saying.
I have an idea of what that problem might be but I’m interested to hear it from your perspective. What would you say the problem is?
@@TownofTawiah trying to remember which black creator talked about AAVE recently that made all the points I would make here lol. We have to remove this word 'properly' as if there's only one way to talk that is valuable. But yea, I expect you know all this already and I don't think the two ppl who said it meant it in a disrespectful way but these phrases are being used uncritically and need to be challenged.
@@BeautifulEarthJa Tee noir made a great video on it!
I agree as for much of the black diaspora the English language was used as a means of control and a primary tool in the erasure of their identity so I understand why people choose to manipulate and distort the language how they please because it is not a language that respects other cultures and therefore does not deserve our ‘proper’ respect. But also there are grammatical rules to many slang terms and dialects and therefore the assumption that it is less valid because of who speaks it is problematic. So I understand your point.
this is such a layered topic, thanks for mentioning it!
@@TownofTawiah I don't think our language is a distortion LOL. We speak the languages we speak for a multitude of reasons. As a Jamaican our language was borne of necessity as I'm sure is the case across the Caribbean. Someone else spoke about this topic recently, might have been Kat or Khadija. Anyway, I may go searching for more videos on this, it's definitely layered and could take a deep deep dive.
@@BeautifulEarthJa I don’t think your language is a distortion and I wouldn’t and haven’t stated or implied that lol. I can’t speak for your experience but I still believe people have the right to distort the English language (I use distort in this case by definition of bending and reshaping) as they please which is what I often chose to do when I sometimes use Twi grammar in an English sentence.
I recently discovered Khadija’s channel so I’ll keep an eye out to see if I find the vid, sounds great! I haven’t come across Kat though, I’d love to check her out. What’s her UA-cam name?
Damn,your voice is so calming,Godd,it’s heavenly
I love finding little gems like this channel💖
I have been called fake white for coming from a middle class++ family, I'm young married in long time relashionship with my other half, and no kid for the moment, never lived in ghetto areas (not meant to insult!), only been in privates schools/universities,, well educated and good manered🤦🏽♀️. I've been living in differents country so I'm very open mind. I'm graduate, speaking 5 language and 4 fluently. I work for a pharma group as executive at the same Time manage my own company. My husband is also half african and is manager in an ingeneering international group + pilot. I hate all for of stéréotypes.
That's the reason why I only have 1 black Friend because to avoid their propaganda on me. We are all differents and Il refuse to let people who never lived my life or been in my shoes tell me how I should me.
Commenting for the algorithm ✨✨
The same thing happens to me
Everyday. I'm always singled out
For "acting white " or "not black enough" for
Several reasons such as:
-reading
-being educated
-watching/liking anime
-liking/ playing soccer/hockey
(but not football)
-perfering the suburbs over
The hood
-liking white girls/women
-listening to ALL kinds of music
(Besides rap and R&B)
-not smoking or doing any drugs
-talking proper
-Being polite and nice
-being myself
-being normal
And
-existing
I really don't know how "black" they'd expect me to be. But if it mean to be an ignorant, uneducated, simple-minded loser then that not what I want to be at all.
To quote Carlton from fresh prince of Bel-Air:
"Being Black isn't what I'm trying to be,
It's what I am"
Don't get the wrong idea, I'm proud to be Black, I am what I am, I ain't hiding nothing. But I really don't care about acting any kind of race. The only thing that matters to me what I'm trying to be
Is just myself, THAT'S IT!!!
There's a reason why a boy who grew up in the suburbs talks differently from a boy who grow up in Brooklyn.....