"Woke" black people. Can we discuss these shirts, hashtags, and memes?

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

I think it's much ado about nothing. She created the show based on the sometimes uncomfortable experiences she had meeting new ppl, which can sometimes lead to awkward situations. Of all the grievances to hang ur hat on, the unimaginative title of a web series seems pretty miniscule

Look, I'll grant her personal character reflections.

But the whole "black assertion" thing is so obvious and indicative of how scarred we are as a demographic.

 

[TRFG]

Being "woke" is another avenue for Black people to show off for each other.

If you ever find yourself in the company of more than a handful of "over-woke" Black folk it'll be the Black equivalent of @4d 6f 6e 65 79 in Higher Learning discussing geopolitics with clones of himself that are completely oblivious that they're basically the same person.

It's all mental masturbation and it almost always fails to be constructive, because everyone present is more concerned with proving that they're more intelligent/woke/informed than their Black brothers/sisters. No one is interested in listening, they're all talking over each other because there's no room for anyone to be wrong when they all believe they're right. It's a big fukking waste of time and all it does is turn off Black onlookers who will eventually find the shyt to be overwhelming and exhausting.

 

[Woman of god]

we're speaking about the catalyst of her referring to herself as "awkward Black girl". My opinion is that it's to appeal to white folks and to signal that she's different from other Black people.

If anything I'd imagine she's trying to appeal to the "non cool" black crowd. I don't believe that so called alternative black ppl are necessarily shucking and jiving by asserting their identities. Sure they CAN be, but verbalizing that u weren't 1 of the cool kids isn't in and of itself screaming for white acceptance

 

[Woman of god]

Look, I'll grant her personal character reflections.

But the whole "black assertion" thing is so obvious and indicative of how scarred we are as a demographic.

That's a hyperbolic statement. Her qualifying a self ascribed personal trait with the prefix of black indicates that we're a scarred people in what way?

 

[King of Creampies]

What is the point of all this?

I love the show "Insecure."

I'm not a fan of Scandal, but Kerry Washington will always get my respect and support.

But kitschy shirts/phrases/messages like this with these ironic to the point of gauche and tacky just seem to be utterly counterproductive.

The world knows your ass is black. You know you're black. Anyone you wear this shirt around is probably black (unless you're on some tip).

That shirt won't change shyt about how the world sees you. If nothing else, it seems like an (no pun intended) insecure coping mechanism for a world designed to overlook, dismiss, and trivialize your existence.

I get it. Some people have prayer beads. Some people have pocket totems. Some people have lucky underwear. Some people have special blankets.

I get it. We all need that little item to push through

But this shyt is just indicative of all that is OVER-woke and ultimately counterproductive.

That shirt won't be a surprise to most white people. I don't wear shyt like this as my skin is already a loud target and a statement especially the fact I am a black man and carry myself as a black man who doesn't tolerate fools.

That is problem enough. No shirt needed. I really think we as black people really need to stop wearing these messages and gain some cultural privacy. Meaning always keeping non black people guessing always...

 

[Raava]

I feel that's a very lazy and non-thoughtful analysis, Black people wear these shirts to signal a message to someone, they want someone to know they're "quirky" or "awkward" or "insecure".

Lazy or that's just not what they meant by wearing the shirt. Everyone is not doing analysis beyond "this shirt is so me"

Everybody is not out to "send a message" sometimes it's just about accepting yourself and liking a shirt. Especially if accepting yourself was so hard to do or you were ridiculed for it.

Sometimes it's just wanting to wear your hair naturally not that you want a white man. Sometimes you like shea butter because it's good for your skin not because you are a feminist Sometimes you have dreads and you aren't a hotep or drill rapper. Sometimes you just like skinny jeans and aren't trying to try too hard. Sometimes you dress a way or wear something because that's just want you like. You say people do this in order ward off assumptions but you are the one making assumptions. You talk about people Black people making assumption trying to police what black people are and you are doing the same thing.

 

[The D-List Vet]

I mean I watch anime and listen to rock music and shyt but I never felt the need to stand on a pedestal and tell the world "I listen to rock and I'm black, isn't that so cool and unique?"

As someone said in the Tariq thread .... They feel rejected by the black community for like this stuff... So they try to get accepted by cacs

 

[Matt504]

Lazy or that's just not what they meant by wearing the shirt. Everyone is not doing analysis beyond "this shirt is so me"

Everybody is not out to "send a message" sometimes it's just about accepting yourself and liking a shirt. Especially if accepting yourself was so hard to do or you were ridiculed for it.

Sometimes it's just wanting to wear your hair naturally not that you want a white man. Sometimes you like shea butter because it's good for your skin not because you are a feminist Sometimes you have dreads and you aren't a hotep or drill rapper. Sometimes you just like skinny jeans and aren't trying to try too hard. Sometimes you dress a way or wear something because that's just want you like. You say people do this in order ward off assumptions but you are the one making assumptions. You talk about people Black people making assumption trying to police what black people are and you are doing the same thing.

If you're wearing a shirt with a message on it, you're sending a message. If you're wearing a shirt that says "I'm Black and awkward", I refuse to believe you're just "wearing it to wear it", the shyt reeks of insecurity and the point of wearing the shirt is to signal to other people that you're "different".

I'm not policing what Black people are or what they wear, I simply take issue with the dishonesty, I take issue with a Black person wearing a shirt that says "I'm different" and then telling me that they're not wearing it to assert to others that they're different. If you're wearing a shirt that is a description of who you purport yourself to be, it's not a stretch for me to assume that your intent is to mitigate the risk of people making assumptions about your personality or behavior, this doesn't stop people from making assumptions about why you need to signal to strangers who you are.

 

[Mandarin Duck]

If anything I'd imagine she's trying to appeal to the "non cool" black crowd. I don't believe that so called alternative black ppl are necessarily shucking and jiving by asserting their identities. Sure they CAN be, but verbalizing that u weren't 1 of the cool kids isn't in and of itself screaming for white acceptance

I think there's a fine line between trying to get the attention of the "non cool" black crowd and sending a subliminal message to white people that you're "one of the good ones"

 

[Matt504]

I think there's a fine line between trying to get the attention of the "non cool" black crowd and sending a subliminal message to white people that you're "one of the good ones"

the line is so fine that it's practically imperceptible.

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

Lazy or that's just not what they meant by wearing the shirt. Everyone is not doing analysis beyond "this shirt is so me"

Everybody is not out to "send a message" sometimes it's just about accepting yourself and liking a shirt. Especially if accepting yourself was so hard to do or you were ridiculed for it.

Sometimes it's just wanting to wear your hair naturally not that you want a white man. Sometimes you like shea butter because it's good for your skin not because you are a feminist Sometimes you have dreads and you aren't a hotep or drill rapper. Sometimes you just like skinny jeans and aren't trying to try too hard. Sometimes you dress a way or wear something because that's just want you like. You say people do this in order ward off assumptions but you are the one making assumptions. You talk about people Black people making assumption trying to police what black people are and you are doing the same thing.

You sound like you came up with this explanation AFTER the fact this whole meme is getting called out.

You don't seem prepared

 

[Raava]

If you're wearing a shirt with a message on it, you're sending a message. If you're wearing a shirt that says "I'm Black and awkward", I refuse to believe you're just "wearing it to wear it", the shyt reeks of insecurity and the point of wearing the shirt is to signal to other people that you're "different".

I'm not policing with Black people are or what they wear, I simply take issue with the dishonesty, I take issue with a Black person wearing a shirt that says "I'm different" and then telling me that they're not wearing it to assert to others that they're different. If you're wearing a shirt that is a description of who you purport yourself to be, it's not a stretch for me to assume that your intent is to mitigate the risk of people making assumptions about your personality or behavior, this doesn't stop people from making assumptions about why you need to signal to strangers who you are.

Yes if you are wearing a shirt with a message you are sending a message or making an expression and that doesn't have to be for anybody but you. I'm not trying to say they aren't wearing a shirt like that to send or make an expression I am speaking on the purpose of it. It doesn't have to be about a message to white people I'm a safe negro. You are making it into one of those safety pin "I'm a safe white person" type things and it's not. That's your assumption.

It is a stretch and shows more about who you are than the person wearing it. You can choose to believe and assume what you want but don't come in here like its fact. How is it not policing? How is it not like saying skinny jeans are for fakkits and any Black man wearing them isn't a real man? When did expressing or embracing yourself are you differences as an individual mean trying to distance you self from Black people as a whole? We can be so many things, and still be black but we can't express it without trying to appeal to white people?

 

[Raava]

You sound like you came up with this explanation AFTER the fact this whole meme is getting called out.

You don't seem prepared

You sound like you don't really have a retort so you pulled something out your ass to quote me with next time just leave it.

 

[Matt504]

Yes if you are wearing a shirt with a message you are sending a message or making an expression and that doesn't have to be for anybody but you. I'm not trying to say they aren't wearing a shirt like that to send or make an expression I am speaking on the purpose of it. It doesn't have to be about a message to white people I'm a safe negro. You are making it into one of those safety pin "I'm a safe white person" type things and it's not. That's your assumption.

It is a stretch and shows more about who you are than the person wearing it. You can choose to believe and assume what you want but don't come in here like its fact. How is it not policing? How is it not like saying skinny jeans are for fakkits and any Black man wearing them isn't a real man? When did expressing or embracing yourself are you differences as an individual mean trying to distance you self from Black people as a whole? We can be so many things, and still be black but we can't express it without trying to appeal to white people?

Are you suggesting that people are wearing shirts with messages that are meant for themselves? If such is really the case, why don't people get the text on these shirts flipped horizontally so it's readable in the mirror?

 

[Raava]

Are you suggesting that people are wearing shirts with messages that are meant for themselves? If such is really the case, why don't people get the text on these shirts flipped horizontally so it's readable in the mirror?

I am suggesting sometimes people wear shirts for themselves to express themselves and it doesn't have to be a coded signal to the white man


My point is about intent.