Acting White

Image from racialicious.com

So I was reading this article about the phenomenon of acting white on Racialicious.com and it brought me right back to middle school! I remember growing up as a kid, all throughout elementary school, most of the people around me didn't look like me. That is to say, I went to a majority white, middle class school where there were only a handful of black kids. I never really gave it much thought in elementary school and we were all friends.

Then, I moved on to middle school and boy was I in for a surprise! Not only was the school bigger and more diverse, it was significantly populated with black students. It also had students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. I remember the shock to my system as slowly but surely I was singled out by my new black peers. I was one of only two kids in the advanced classes and I can just remember all the white kids trying to set us up together. It seemed so obvious to me that the only reason they thought we should be together was because of our similar hues.

But it wasn't until I moved to my second middle school that I can remember being accused of "acting white". I never really felt this coming from black guys, it was usually the girls that wanted to point out how I talked or dressed or who I hung out with. I became so self-conscious that I changed how I dressed and was very aware of how I talked. It was torture!

So, now that I am an adult and I work in the public schools, it is sad to see that this trend continues. It is disheartening to see black children feeling the need to prove their "blackness", however you are supposed to do that. It is even sadder what some kids think being black means.

Take a moment and check out the article then come back to share. What were your experiences growing up? Were you ever teased for "acting white"? Or, were you part of the crowd doing the teasing?! No worries, we won't judge here. I am just interested to hear about your experiences and how you dealt with them. Hit me back!