What is Black? Let’s Talk About “Acting White”

In 1989, late Whitney Houston was booed at the Soul Train Awards because her songs appealed “more to the white folks, rather than the blacks”.

When a reporter asked her what she thought about that? She made one of the most famous quotes of all time – “What is Black?”

Over the years, there have been conversations that if you study for so many degrees or speak a certain way or style your hair a new way or you are too successful, you are “acting white”.

Although Nigerians have taken a lot of inspiration from the western world, for example vocal frying (the way Kim Kardashian talks), tanning (yes, you won’t believe how many folks do that in Lagos), and we have to point skin lightening.

Do all these present itself as blacks acting white?

At a town hall meeting held earlier in the week, President Barack Obama said there is “no authentic way” to the black.

“Sometimes African-Americans, in communities where I’ve worked, there’s been the notion of ‘acting white’ – which sometimes is overstated. But there’s an element of truth to it, where, OK, if boys are reading too much, then, well, why are you doing that? Or why are you speaking so properly? And the notion that there’s some authentic way of being black, that if you’re going to be black you have to act a certain way and wear a certain kind of clothes, that has to go. There are many different ways for African-American men to be authentic.” Obama told a group according to CNN

Do you believe that being overly successful or trying out new ways of the western world, shows blacks as acting white?

Let’s Talk About It!