When Black People Say Other Black People Are “Acting White”: The Harmful Myth of Racial Behavior
I was in a corporate meeting one day with a former colleague who said to me, “You sound and act like a white man.” I was initially astounded as I have a Caribbean accent which I proudly hold on to. My colleague was also Afro-decent (I sometimes interchange with Black or black throughout this piece). At conferences and meetings, I have heard similar statements from European-origin people (I interchange with white throughout this piece), claiming my accent sounds British. These were often Americans who had never traveled to Britain.
I thought the whole thing was weird because I have met people from various origins and with many backgrounds, all sounding different and speaking different languages. I had never been in a place where I was lumped with a group and not individualized, especially in a place where it was assumed that individualism is the key to one's success. I wondered why people of Afro-decent attacked each other in support of this global quest for whiteness when it harms everyone.
Origin Of White Behaviors
Thomas Sowell’s book “Black Rednecks and White Liberals” provides a historical perspective on the issue of self-hatred in the black community. He argues that many of the negative behaviors and attitudes exhibited by the poor in black communities are not inherent to their race but rather the result of cultural patterns originating in the Southern United States. Sowell contends that these patterns are a legacy of the Scotch-Irish settlers who migrated to the South and brought their unique cultural practices. It seems evident because enslaved Africans had their culture and language stripped away to subjugate them, so they needed to fill that cultural void for acceptance. “Act like the oppressor, and maybe he may accept you.”
While Sowell’s argument has been debated among scholars, it highlights the importance of recognizing that self-hatred and negative stereotypes are not inherent to black or Afro-origin communities. They result from centuries of economic racism, colonization, and the perpetuation of damaging stereotypes through various forms of media.
The irony is my colleague criticized me because they perceived me as not fitting in or adhering to the community's norms. But what does it really mean to “act white,” and why is it such a harmful myth?
Race is Fake. Stop Supporting It!
Race is a social construct, and the idea that people of different races have inherent behavioral traits is a pseudoscientific idea. It’s a concept that was created to justify the oppression and subjugation of particular groups of people. Black people who say that others are “acting white” are perpetuating this harmful myth and reinforcing the idea that inherent behaviors are associated with different races.
The reality is that there is no such thing as “acting white.” There are simply people who don’t fit into the narrow expectations that have been placed on them based on their race, like me. When Black people tell other Black people that they’re “acting white,” it’s often a way to police behavior and enforces conformity within the community. This can lead to a culture of fear and shame, as people feel pressured to conform to a certain standard to fit in. My brother, who went to school in Florida, reminded me one day that he would get beat up in school by other black kids because he got good grades. They said he was also acting white.
These Small Boxes Hurt Us All
But the harm doesn’t stop there. The idea that there is a right way to “be Black” can also be used to exclude people who don’t fit into that narrow definition. This can include Black people who are LGBTQ+, have disabilities, have mixed ethnicity, or come from different socio-economic backgrounds. It creates an environment where people feel like they have to choose between their identity and their individuality.
As one Black writer put it: “There is no such thing as ‘acting white.’ There are only Black people who have different experiences and different ways of expressing themselves.” By recognizing that race is a false premise and that there is no one “right” way to be Black, we can start to build a more inclusive and accepting community.
It’s time to let go of harmful myths and stereotypes and embrace the diversity and richness of our community. As one Black activist said: “We don’t have to try to fit into anyone’s boxes. We create our own.” It’s time to stop judging each other based on false premises and instead celebrate the unique and varied experiences of all Black people, regardless of how they choose to express themselves.
