NationStates Jolt Archive

This is a hypothetical question. Let's suppose it were possible for you to switch roles permanently and spend the rest of your life as a black person in the US. You'd have no control over who specifically you would be, only that you would be black. Would you agree to this? Why or why not?

Consider it carefully. Even if you were honest and law-abiding you would be 3 times more likely to be assaulted and 6 times more likely to be murdered than your fellow countrymen. You would also be more likely to get a penalty than a warning for violating a law, and more likely to get in trouble for just about anything from jaywalking to drug use. You'd have to deal with outright racism from time to time, and if you were male you'd have as good a chance of getting locked up as you would graduating from college (depending on behavior of course).

On the plus side? If you happen to be among the black elite you'll get all the bonuses of affirmative action. It usually goes to black people with the highest credentials, and that usually means rich blacks. You could also make it big as a comedian if that's your thing.

So what do you think? Would you do it?

One word: HELL NO!

White privilege might not be fair, but it certainly exists, and I'm a tad too worldly to give it up.

given that i dont have any desire to change what i am now

why not? its as good a choice as any. i see plenty of black people doing well, so i dont see why i shouldnt be able to do as well if i put my mind to it.

given that i dont have any desire to change what i am now

why not? its as good a choice as any. i see plenty of black people doing well, so i dont see why i shouldnt be able to do as well if i put my mind to it.

It's easy for people like us to imagine that effort translates directly into success, but the USA is not a friendly place for blacks economically. Well, I guess it's one of the friendliest if you look at where blacks actually live, but still, equality is a LONG ways off.

edit: Please note that I'm not trying to play down your own judgment -- this is just what I have learned in my own life

iam not sure if i would...good question tho

It's easy for people like us to imagine that effort translates directly into success, but the USA is not a friendly place for blacks economically. Well, I guess it's one of the friendliest if you look at where blacks actually live, but still, equality is a LONG ways off.

edit: Please note that I'm not trying to play down your own judgment -- this is just what I have learned in my own life
im not saying it would be easy, just fairly possible. life isnt supposed to be easy.

of course im arguing with the knowledge if have now as if i wouldhave it then. if i were going into it as a tabula rasa it would have relatively poor odds of turning out well.

I like me just the way I am. So, no. Besides, my family would be awful surprised.

For great insight into this question, may I recommend you read:

Black Like Me (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0451192036/103-2931562-6968659?v=glance)

I like my life just fine right now, thanks. Why take a gamble on a new one?(whether I became black or not)

Being black would probably suck to some degree wherever in the world you are.

Not a bad idea, being poor and black is major leverage to getting into any college you'd like. In my financial situation, I'll take that anyday. Dead honest.

I want to meet a racist Buddhist (that is, believing in the superiority of...uh...Asians? Yeah, I don't want to meet some goateed college Buddhist) now. :| I wonder what he'd say about being reincarnated black.

For great insight into this question, may I recommend you read:

Black Like Me (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0451192036/103-2931562-6968659?v=glance)

i loved that book...it was so cool... i think its awsome taht guy did what he did

I’m rather comfortable being an English, French, German, Jewish, Norwegian, Albanian Hybrid. This is me, and I see no reason to change.

Not a bad idea, being poor and black is major leverage to getting into any college you'd like. In my financial situation, I'll take that anyday. Dead honest.

What about life before and after college?

It would depend on whether I'd be reincarnated as a random black (which case US statistics make a bleak prospect) or as an equivalent black (so I'd probably be the son of a college professor recruited from South Africa or something). The first is far too risky, the second wouldn't be amazingly bad.

Meh, I'll worry about that later.

Also, I believe blacks are many more times likely to kill each other because they were left to living in the ghettos of larger cities [read: white flight], and if they don't live there then they won't get killed. Simple as that.

I do if I get to be Jimi hendrix (and hes still alive)! :cool:

Sure, but I don't think I'd pursue it too heavily or pay money for it.

I'm happy being white, so, no I've never wished to be black. I don't think I'd mind being black, though, but since I'm not, I don't think I'd want to change.

Bl-ack per-son? :confused:

The day you see a black, anthropomorphic red fox, then you can sign me up... until then, nope. I'll stick with my brown-haired, blue-eyed white-guy-who-can't-dance body.

I like my life just fine right now, thanks. Why take a gamble on a new one?(whether I became black or not)
exactly what I was going to say ;)

I love my life, wouldn't trade it for anything.....

Lets see, if I became black:
I could call people ****** and get away with it
Everyone would think that I could play basketball and had a big penis
Everyone thinks that I am stupid, so I get automatice Affirmative Action bonuses to all of my scores as a way of balancing
I'd get an three extra die in my muscle score, two in agility, and one in vigor, which means that if I would be capable in pursuing a career as either a Dashing Husar or an Adventurer
I could make an entire comedy career out of the same "White people walk like this, Black people walk like this" joke that is older than God, but some how is still considered hot property if you mildly alter it
Everyone would think that I have drugs and/or a submachinegun in my trench coat

On the other hand (though) I couldn't do the following:
Wear monocles and top hats
Make "filthy commoner" jokes
Pursue divine/technological magic (due to my scholarship score being reduced by 3 dice)
Put on black face (well, I could, but there really wouldn't be much point. Look I am exaggerating and stereotyping features that I already possess.)
Go to KKK meetings and try to figure out which people there I can blackmail about their identity
Talk about my NeoNazi Middle School years, because no one would take me seriously
A complicated question you pose, and so I will choose the smart ass answer of "What's a black person?"

Hell no.

Hmmm, that you're using statistics to determine things about how our lives might go as a person with differently colored skin is kind of strange, but while we're having fun with racial statistics: would my IQ drop and would I become inexplicably more likely to vote Democrat? Because, if so, then most definitely not. On the other hand, if it were simply me in a black body instead of a white one, I'd take the offer in a heartbeat.

I think black skin is sexy, but I do not know whether I wanted to live as black person in the US, maybe in my home nation, Germany.

What Hobo said about Jimi.

No wayyyyyyyyyy I am very happy and proud to be my White mix. German, Austrian, Prussian, and Russian. ANNNND I'm Jewish. I am proud of my race/heritage/and culture and I would not exchange it for anything.

No, simply for the extra shit I'd have to put up with. My best friend since I was little was black, and one day a few years ago I was with him and his half-brother, and we went into the convenience store near my house. The entire time we were in there, the guy behind the counter was glaring at us, making sure we didn't steal anything. I've never gotten that look going in on my own.

He has to put up with that every time he enters a store; I wouldn't want to have to deal with that.

Nah-Not for a million bucks. I'm pretty happy with who I am and not considering changing my race, ethinicity, creed, country or color. Things are all fine with me.

Would YOU want to be Black?


Yes. But only on the weekends.

i loved that book...it was so cool... i think its awsome taht guy did what he did
Los cajones de monstros! Aieee! :D

Too bad I can't answer this question, I'm already black :p

Los cajones de monstros! Aieee! :D

Thats another thing- I'm pretty well set in that department too. No plus for me switching to black.

My countries view: What about the "white folks" that are being oppressed form the outright violance that is happening in Iraq, and other Muslim countries, where the citizens, no the terrorists are attacking us. DO we want a white suppresed society? I think not.

My view: I tihnk I would want to stay white. Getting a skin change thingy would cost too much.

What an odd question. Why would I want to be other than I am?

Thats another thing- I'm pretty well set in that department too. No plus for me switching to black.
ROFLMAO! Good for you! Um ... after my operation, can I borrow them once or twice? :D

Three words: Oh... Hell... No! Us black folk are a private club and youre not welcome. Well... maybe Colodia is...

No, I wouldn't want to be black.

1. I'm happy with myself as I am.
2. There are no advantages besides wielding the racism shield, which I view with absolute contempt.

Too bad I can't answer this question, I'm already black :p

I knew that little technicality would crop up! I'm black too, and I found that for the most part it's alright, as long as you're not poor. Nothing like the horror stories I've heard from my older family members.

What really sucks is being black, poor, and living in the inner city. I spent a summer in the DC ghetto (don't ask me why) and life was really miserable there. Between the way cops treat people and the way residents treat each other I was afraid to show even a hint of positivity.

I knew that little technicality would crop up! I'm black too, and I found that for the most part it's alright, as long as you're not poor. Nothing like the horror stories I've heard from my older family members.

What really sucks is being black, poor, and living in the inner city. I spent a summer in the DC ghetto (don't ask me why) and life was really miserable there. Between the way cops treat people and the way residents treat each other I was afraid to show even a hint of positivity.
Woah, three black people in a row... trippy.

I really can't even play the race card, I grew up in a wealthy suburban neighbourhood. But, knowing people who live in less savoury neighbourhoods I can say racism is directly proportional to wealth. Or maybe racism is proportional to ignoration and education is proportional to wealth. I dunno.

A lot of people are saying "I'm happy how I am". I understand that, and feel the same way. I wonder, though, if it's partly a way of saying "I wouldn't want to be black, but I don't want to say that"

I don't want to be black. Other than the fun of wearing a different skin, like a halloween costume, I don't see the point. The only experience differences would probably be negative, I'm not sure what postive advantages I'd have being black that I don't have right now.

I'd be much more interested in changing sex, or countries, or growing stronger, or being able to fly, or....

something that will give me a different experience, with new and interesting positive aspects (even if there are negative aspects too)

I just don't see the positive to being black (other than some people finding them more attractive - which I understand, but isn't enough for me)

A lot of people are saying "I'm happy how I am". I understand that, and feel the same way. I wonder, though, if it's partly a way of saying "I wouldn't want to be black, but I don't want to say that"

Perhaps the original question should have been "if you had been able to choose your skin colour in this life, what would you choose?". You would probably get the answers you are actually looking for.

Perhaps the original question should have been "if you had been able to choose your skin colour in this life, what would you choose?". You would probably get the answers you are actually looking for.

Agreed.
On a slightly random tangent, I'm working on an online game of Ironclaw, it's a "furry" game, where the players are all different types of animals.
I'm not into that stuff (I was assigned to this project), but it does provide a really interesting way of handling racism in the game.

Since it's not tied to real-world feelings and injuries, we can happily have certain discriminations, that the players will actively encourage. e.g. "you can't trust those sneaky rats" - especially since the players who play rats would probably want to be not trusted, or would want to be sneaky.

I'm not sure where that tangent was going, just a random comment about what people think and what they say being different, because of how society expects us to act.

Black person stepping in . . .

I find this thread intriguing as I've often fantasized about being white. Go figure.

- Dhidow

Black person stepping in . . .

I find this thread intriguing as I've often fantasized about being white. Go figure.

- Dhidow

I hope this isn't too personal a question, but I'm interested,

What aspect of being white have you fantasized about? The physical appearance? Being part of the majority? Certain aspects of white culture? Being away from the black community you're a part of?

How much of it was "I want to be white" and how much was "I want to be someone other than me"?

I often fantasize about being someone different to be (even though I'm happy with my life) - I'd just never thought of skin colour as being an important aspect, but then I'm not in a community where racism is an issue that I see.

Actually this is kind of an interesting question.

Pros:
* I'd have more aesthetically pleasing skin.
* I'd show wrinkles a lot later.

Cons:
* Increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, etc.
* Don't think I'd like to be black in the current US culture, where as everyone else has stated your chance of being poor/disadvantaged/exposed to violence and cop overenthusiasm would be increased.

While I'm happy the way I am, if I was allowed to remain in Oz and be black (African-Australian as opposed to indigenous-Australian - our indigenous people really got the short end of the stick), I think I'd opt to change. For pure reasons of vanity. I'm a vain critter.

If I had to move to the US, No Bloody Way.

Only if the whole "switched permenantly" thing was "reincarnated," thus allowing me to avoid hell and start all over, on a nice, clean, slate.

No, I like me!

Even if we had the internet 50 years ago you prolly couldnt have a discussion like this back then. It may be a sign of honest progress we are able to now.

As to the question itself:

Would i mind becoming black if i still had the same personality and flaws? No.

Assuming God gave me the appearance i have*, would i want to change: No.


One realization i have had is how strong a character they have that undergo the stresses of racism and do not commit crimes or become racist themselves. For those of you for whom this description fits; i take my hat off to you :D :cool:


* I guess the question this raises might be "Why would God create such superficial differentiation?" ** I dont know, but it sure would be boring if we were all alike.

** Racism itself prolly came about by coming to the wrong conclusions about why God would do such a thing.