Acting: Black Or White

Through out life labels make us or break us. The fear of not fitting in has left many in this world stagnant mentally and physically. Something must be done so that others don't feel threatened when they decide to step out the box.

Recently in my travels I encountered a young African-American male. After we began to talk his eyes told a story that my conversation didn't match my appearance or color. He posed a question " you probably like country music huh?" I replied! "Yeah I enjoy groups like the Sugarland and Ashton Shepard." You would think people embrace versatility, from his look that was not the case. The rage seem to build inside and his next words would express that. " Why don't you act black?" I thought to myself, is this the mind state of the young black man. After all the fight to be seen as an individuals, why do people succumb to labels?

If you were to ask numerous people to define acting black, you would get numerous answers. Although I feel two people would not totally agree on the aspect of acting black, I still will make an attempt to list some attributes that are attributed to acting black:

1. If you don't sag your pants your're acting black

2. If you don't listen to hard core rap music your're not acting black

3. If you don't enjoy certain foods such as watermelon or chicken your're not acting black.

4. If you don't use words like homie, dog, nigga, or any other ghetto derived Ebonics then your're not acting black.

They're many more attributes that I could add to this acting list, but to establish my point on labels I feel these are enough. "Acting black" or "Acting white" are labels designed by propagandist to cause division and promote hatred among different groups. What's even more scary than that is when the group that is being hated on starts to embrace the name calling, negative beliefs, and negative attitudes about itself. What comes with that acceptance is the rejection of others that are not like you.

Not placing all the blame on propagandist, but the environmental history which an individual has been exposed to places a big part in acting. The contingencies around us bring out a condition that either we follow or we deviant from. Looking at the attributes above, if the contingencies were right, it's possible you could see many different nationalities acting the way that so many blacks have called "their style." This could all be made possible because of the exposure in their contingencies. "Acting black" has nothing to do with genetics. "Acting black" is a learned behavior that have been embraced by the young African- Americans.

Acting like someone or something benefits me how? I'm not Denzel or Will, there is no money involved in my acting. Those gentlemen and so many others after they're done return home to there lives and embrace who they are. If the attributes mentioned above are you, then that is all fine and cool. If the attributes mentioned above are coming out of you because of peer pressure from those around you, then that is not fine and that is not you but them. It's not easy looking in the mirror when you don't know what your looking at.

I once read " there is no disaster greater than not being content." The comment from the younger gentlemen " why don't you act black", was heard by me as cry for help. A cry from a young man who is not comfortable in his own skin. He continues to clutch on to his act for survival, cause he doesn't have enough confidence in his own skin. Once he discovers his identity then those labels he was attached too, and propagandist he was listening too, will escape his mental environment. He will then be able to make steps to venture outside of his environment. After that he will soon have to answer the question posed from an actor: "why don't you act black?"