The Answer Lies Within My Friends

This is a question and answer session to one of the perplexing questions most Black American really have these days:

The Secret To Being Black and Succeeding in America

A Resolved Question:
Why do some successful black people get so much negative attention from the black and white community?

Sometimes when a black person gets a good education, finds a good job and success, the black community accuses them of acting white. Why is that? Take Michelle Obama for example, she's a smart, well-educated strong black woman. I've heard some black people say she acts white. Which is weird because Michelle Obama seems like she LOVES to be black, although there's nothing wrong with that. But the fact that she has so much pride in her race and doesn't forget where she comes from makes white people accuse her of being racist.

by ericktra...
Member since:
October 14, 2006
Total points:
10512 (Level 6)

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
This is a misconception that you seem to have and that some racists want you to believe. The Obamas are very respected in the black community and very few people would call them sell outs. To understand this issue you have to go back to the root of the problem.

From the very beginning black culture was looked down upon as inferior and it was ridiculed...

This was necessary in order to justify the racism and oppression that was going on at the time!!! By dehumanizing blacks slavery became justified and racism was seen as acceptable. What did this do to black people? It created a sense of self loathing and a need to break away from one's black identity. A lot of black people felt the need to do anything possible to avoid been identified as black this meant...change speech patterns, changing clothing patterns, changing religion and sometimes even changing physical attributes.

They did everything they could to appear more acceptable to the whites even at the cost of denying their own identity as black people. This is why even today blacks are suspicious.

Been successful has nothing to do with race but in America being successful was always seen as an exclusive attribute of whites. Blacks were seldom expected to be successful and those that made it were viewed as unique exceptions.

What we as a race need to do is find pride in our identity and break away from white expectation! They are not the ones that determine our futures and we should strive to be successful while mantaning a strong cultural identity instead of trying to satisfy white expectations. Until we do that we will never really be free.

This was all discussed 3 months ago - relevant then, relevant now, relevant always.

And the answer the asker was looking for:
Asker's Comment: You're absolutely right.

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