Good Question
Being an African-American myself, I believe that I am in a position to pose this next question that seemed to plague me yesterday. The question is: Why do we, as African-Americans, have a hard time trusting each other? The question is meant for one of us to answer but anyone can feel free to respond. I ask the question because I was talking to a younger African-American gentleman last night who said he feels more comfortable receiving any type of information from a White person rather than a Black person. When he said that I immediately felt offended, thus sparking my question.
June 5, 2009 at 8:05 pm
I think it just goes back to slave days. I guess that still has a hold on us today still in 2009. We need to get past that and uplift each other.
June 6, 2009 at 2:05 pm
That IS a good question … as white person I also trust white people more than black people …. why is that?
June 6, 2009 at 5:16 pm
There is no blanket answer to that question. There are good, bad, and ugly goal driven, personality, and me plagued people in every nationality. Help can come from any color. In our community, alot depends on the person’s upbringing and experiences that have defined who they are. Growing up in the South, I was nurtured by my family (mom/ dad), extended family and the community who were black. I was able to see role models of strong black men and strong black women moving and shaking making things work which led to my attending UNCF private black college. Through that experience though I saw and experienced good, and bad experiences from our own. Information at times is not shared the way it needs to be as the crab in the barrel mentality is at times prevalent which I believe goes back to slavery and the mistrust deliberately ingrained by slaveowners to keep slaves in tact. Harriet Tubman for slaves who after leaving with her on the journey to escape slavery killed any slave who changed their mind…for the sake of the many who were on the journey. We’re not 100 yrs out of Jim Crow nor the ability to vote. In some areas in the South, you still have some of us who feel the white man is always right. That goes back again to family upbringing. Some of us are not as fortunate to have positive reinforcement of ourselves, our abilities, our responsibilities to moving forward. I don’t agree with the brother’s statement but I think it more important to delve into on a high level as to why he believes that because the reality is we’d not be out or slavery if that statement were emphatically true. It took the majority of slaves working together as it took people during MLK era to work together and trust each other…We know what the results of that were and are.
June 7, 2009 at 1:41 am
its all about teh media bra …. the media portrays white folk as kind and trustworthy and the black man as the gangster that wants nothing better to do than decieve you for his benefit…..we grew up on the television and sometimes unintentionally we believe subconciously wat we see on it…..when in some cases its true but in most cases its not……its the media sterotyping people…which is starting to change…now alot of young black people can look up to obama….and not think that all other blacks are decitefull
June 7, 2009 at 11:00 am
This is a fantastic question. I would love to hear any thoughts you might have. It’s especially interesting since it seems African Americans think whites are always out to get them.
Another off topic question would by why it’s OK to call me white but not you black? Are you any closer removed from Africa than I am Europe? My grandparents came to the U.S. from Germany in the 1930′s.
June 10, 2009 at 5:34 pm
As a white man I even shake my head when I read something like that. There are so many educated people of all races that have experiences and knowledge that can be shared with the younger generation. The sooner we the people realize that the better place this world will be.
June 11, 2009 at 2:21 pm
The answer to the question, Is there is no answer. On all levels of society people have always treated each other badly and it continues every day. We find justification in our actions and and then we sleep better at night. Why does anyone say or do anyhting to put others down? I think it is a internal question and people need to feel superior over someone else to feel better about themselves. However I do feel that race in this case can be taken out because I don’t think it is limited to African Americans not trusting each other alone. Does anyone trust the police more or less because he/she is white or black? They still have the gun and badge regardless theirfore they have authority over you and it is scary so people dont like it and relay that feeling into one of mistrust. Do you always trust someone or distrust someone because of color? really that is just too broad a statement/question and if you are true to yourself you will base life expierences off individual encounters and not just look at someone as “black, white ect.”
Love yourself and you can learn to love others. Hate yourself and you will always find a way to hate others
-steve