While it's fresh in my mind...

[sexyscholar]

I was going to filter this post originally, but then I decided against it.

~~~

I got a comment from a previous post saying,

"wait
ur blak?"

Yes, I quoted directly.

~~~

I was taken aback by the comment, to be honest with you. I replied very nicely, even added a smile, as uncouther pointed out. I didn't see any reason to be snarky about it.

I've never made a secret of my "race."

I've never broadcast it either. I've never made a post that says:

Hi! I'm Mona and I'm Black!

Why? Because I don't think it's necessary. You'll either like me, or you won't.

Do any of you care that I'm Black?

(You'll notice I don't use the term "African-American." I don't use it because I'm not African, and it can't be relied on to be indicative of skin color. Dave Matthews and Charlize Theron are technically "African-American.")

Does it make you want to get to know me more or less because I'm Black?

Does it mean I'm any more or less "cool?" *snerk*

If my skin color has any bearing on what people think of me...why should I bother?

What do you think?

Comments

[evilshell.livejournal.com]

Quite frankly, what *difference* does your race matter? You're an intelligent, beautiful, interesting woman. Fuck this idiot if he/she doesn't suddenly like you because you don't fit the mental image he/she had of you. (not to mention that you use your own photos as userpics sometimes!)

I suppose the spelling (or shall I say lack thereof) is the real key here. The person is ignorant.

[doulamel.livejournal.com]

You're you, regardless of whether you're black, white, purple, whatever. Just like I'm me regardless of whether I like men or women. I don't see why it should matter. Period. We're people and that doesn't change, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, religion, anything.

[misterfader.livejournal.com]

It does not matter to me, and you are right about Dave Matthews and also Charlize Theron, they were both born in Africa. Are your posts and comments suddenly different now because you are not white? For me personally, I do not care at all.

[greyyguy.livejournal.com]

OMG! You're black???

All this time and you didn't tell me?

Geeze... I really am color blind...

:)

[doulamel.livejournal.com]

LOL!

[uncouther.livejournal.com]

HOLY CRAP THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING!!

actually, wait, no it doesn't.

[sexyscholar.livejournal.com]

:)

Rock it, guerro loco!

Bah

[beerkeeper.livejournal.com]

Why should it matter at all? Plus, since it's the internet, we don't really know for sure if you're a gorgeous black woman, an anorexic Latino, or a 45 year old white guy named Hank with a really hairy back and a wife-beater t-shirt.

I only think it's at all interesting because you can then make a better mental picture of the person on the other side of the words and have a little better perspective of them.

[spitkitten.livejournal.com]

dooood, I did a wee bit of research and remember, always consider the SOURCE of any comment. In this case, all I gotta say is, "Oy."



And for the record, I'm yellow with white stripes, and the occasional green streak...
*shrugs*

xoxo

[uncouther.livejournal.com]

haha... yeah i made the same mistake... good lord.

[stormy-brow.livejournal.com]

It doesn't change my opinion of anybody what their race is. However, I *will* admit (and have to Mona) that I was quite excited to find out that she was Black, simply because the 'net seems like such a white place. It didn't change my opinion of her, or make me more or less likely to talk to her. I love Mona simply because...and she knows it. But I was still happy to have some diversity added to my life.

What bothers me, and this is what I think is part of the true definition of racism, is when people expect a person of one ethnicity or the other to be a representative or embassador for everyone else in that race.

*snort*

[dragon-spirit.livejournal.com]

I saw that and I admit, it elicited a guffaw from me. I'm kind of spoiled by living in San Francisco, it still floors me that people care what race other people are.

When I first friended you, your user icons were pictures of you. So I'm afraid your heiritage did not come as a shocking surprise to me. ;)

For the record, I'm white. Unalterably so. But I hope you won't hold that against me and will continue to be my friend!

Re: *snort*

[sexyscholar.livejournal.com]

You're White?!

Oh, darnit.

Well, I already love you to pieces, so I'll just have to be okay with that.

;)

[mandelion.livejournal.com]

i don't even think of a race when it comes to online until i am told or see a picture.

too bad everyone can't just let people be.

[pink-aster.livejournal.com]

I don't care if you're black. I remember when I first realized it, I was just like, "Oh." But I also hadn't really thought about it. I think maybe you were using a picture of Audrey Hepburn as an icon, or something, and so, I kind of thought of you as Audrey Hepburn. lol

I had a black literature teacher in college. And we read the book "The Bluest Eye" and then were discussing race, and all that stuff. And a black guy in my class says that it pisses him off when people refer to him as "African-American" because he is Puerto Rican. And how about all the white people who live in South Africa? Technically, if they have descendents in America...those are African-Americans, right?

And I'm still "white." No-one feels bad about calling me white. No-one calls me European-American, or whatever. So...yeah...we had that discussion in my literature class. lol

[vonpookie.livejournal.com]

Nope, doesn't matter. Well...to me at any rate. Some other people are stupid.

The comment could have just been someone's surprise at realizing that you're black; not necessarily in a bad way. It's hard to tell online unless you either see a picture or are flat-out told (and even then, they could be lying).

I used to work with a girl named Shawntae. I was talking to my mom one day and said something about her and mom's first reaction to the name was "oh, she's black?"
Me: "um...nope. Quite white, actually"
Mom: "Really? Huh."

I just lump it under 'unintentional stereotyping.' :)

[sexyscholar.livejournal.com]

Hehe...I keep thinking of, "sashay, Shawntae."

The comment didn't anger me. It just threw me off.

I did, however, get a little angry at this person's reply to me, which was:

"lol

wow"

Hmm?

Oh well. :)

[thirtyhelens.livejournal.com]

OMG, I'm white?!?! *snerk*

No worries, Mona. You're just beautiful. :-D

[iggee25.livejournal.com]

Man, I don't care if you were puce and perriwinkle blue -- I love reading your posts and I think you're cool as hell!

[watership.livejournal.com]

I'm dark pink. :P

[sexyscholar.livejournal.com]

Now is this a magenta type shade, or is that a bit too purply?

:)

[frankendorfer.livejournal.com]

I'm fine with it as long as you accept that I look my LJ current icon. :P

Pfffft!

[sexyscholar.livejournal.com]

...but noted.

Yup, I can handle that. :)

[felinias.livejournal.com]

HHMM...if that person had paid closer attention that person would have known. Some people are just so silly.

[ursusmaritimus.livejournal.com]

I'm so white I glow. . .

[sexyscholar.livejournal.com]

You should have a doctor check that out.

:)

[amicablebitch.livejournal.com]

i am SO glad you don't insist upon the african-american thing. that is such a peeve of mine. because being black doesn't make you african american, and, like you said, african american doesn't make you black. if people are going to insist upon that just because they have a tan, then i am going to insist upon being called french-english-spanish-cajun american.

Hey there, foxy French-English-Spanish-Cajun-American

[sexyscholar.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

When the term started becoming popular back in the early 90s, a friend of mine (a White girl) asked me what she should call me.

Should she call me "Black," or "African-American," or "Afro-American," or what?

I said, "call me what you've always called me...

...Mona."

:)

[wdalphin.livejournal.com]

Black... white... we're all red on the inside...

[bitchtransformr.livejournal.com]

I could give a fuck less what color you are.
cause you're cool and stuff. :D

...I wonder if I should point out that I am not, in fact, a nun with an eyepatch...

[uncouther.livejournal.com]

LIAR!

Well...

[buscemi.livejournal.com]

I added you because I thought you were (and are) a fun person.

p.s. I look nothing like Salvador Dali, Steve Buscemi or Lucy Van Pelt. ;)

Re: Well...

[uncouther.livejournal.com]

i think they modeled Gollum from Steve Buscemi.

[itsmesarahmarie.livejournal.com]

i never knew you were black - but i guess in looking at that cartoon icon, i should have guessed. i think I'm colorblind! ;o)

[sexyscholar.livejournal.com]

hehe...

So, now you know. Does that change your opinion of me at all? :)

to quote ...

[big71.livejournal.com]

from a slogan of my youth:
black is beautiful

and you are ... and smart ... and sexy ... and ... and ...

{{hugs & more}}

bo

i thought he was puerto rican, i didn't know he was *cube*an?

[ryl.livejournal.com]

You're not black. You're dark brown. That is, if we're going to be technical about it. If we are, then technically I'm green. Seriously. I've got a strange olive cast to my outer covering.

Ryl the German-British-Welsh?-Irish?-Scottish?-Native American