If you were walking down the street and on one side you see two black guys then on the other side of the street you see two white guys walking, which two would you rather cross paths with? I am going to tell you depending on where we are, the answer is easy. If I am walking with my girlfriend the answer is even easier.
I can write about how wrong it is to stereotype but why? Every time you look at the news and see all the black male violence, you are going to stereotype. I want to be safe and I want my family to be safe as much as possible. I refuse to walk in a neighborhood or on a certain street and not make eye contact with people because they might get offended or want to start trouble. Stop claiming a block or a corner that you do not own. You wonder why the police are harassing you. You need to stop killing and harassing each other. How can you be upset about every time a white man kills a black man when you kill each other every day all day? Start respecting yourself and your brothers around you.
It is time to pull your pants up and cut your hair. Be a man. Take care of your responsibilities. If you are going to have hair make sure that you take care of it. If you are not a thug then stop looking like one. In fact stop trying to live like the guys you seen on TV, they are not real. Technology is too advanced for you to get away with anything. I know I usually do not rant but man. We live in a judgmental society people are going to look at you because of the way you dress or talk and decide that this guy is a liability to my company I will not hire him. There is nothing wrong with having manners. I promise it will not take away your manhood.
If you are tired of being stereotyped sometimes you need to stop looking at everyone around you and look at yourself. You could be part of the problem. It is time to stop feeling sorry for yourself and make changes in your life. Start by wearing clothes that fit and getting a haircut and watch the difference.
Remember to Keep It GC,
Counselor Adrian
Adrian,
This is an interesting topic and something my mother and I used to argue about growing up about the behavior of many black men and women (she absolutely hated that I admired Tupac Shakur growing up). While I absolutely agree with your blog, I do think that many men are stereotyped when they don’t deserve to be and over time, become bitter from it. I have met a few men like this and over time have just had a “why bother” attitude and start to falter on their good habits thinking why not live up to what people expect them to be? I think this is a weakness in men as well as women, and not that its an excuse, but you never know how badly that person was treated or what background their from or what examples they had. I study psychology to understand my own crazy family (not that I’m an expert just yet) and one thing I have learned is how badly a person’s childhood can affect their future and cause a domino affect that is difficult to stop without spiritual guidance and social support. Some men and women may be doing the best they can do considering their past. But to answer your question, I as a white woman actually would prefer to walk past the two black men, showing no fear, and say hello with a smile because not only do I like to see the shock on their faces when I have done such in the past, sometimes that’s all someone needs to prove them wrong causing them to question if someone sees something in them that the rest of the world might not. Of course, I’ve had the few that still leer and comment on my figure or try to get my number those being the ones you may be referring to, but I’ve met a few people in my short life to know that sometimes people have it so bad they feel hopeless and one friendly gesture can make drastic changes in their lives.
Thank you for your comment. We will be doing a round table discussion on this topic. I have story dealing with this issue as well along with a lot of my friends. You do not have to be a thug to be harassed by the cops.