Is it a racist term? Because today in English class my teacher was talking about the biblical origin of the term "black sheep" and defined as someone who goes against what everybody else is doing, and usually it is wrong.

She then proceeded to say that "people of color" are often offended by this term because it says that they are doing something wrong and going astray.

First I thought about the group Black Sheep and wondered if they would use the term for their name even if it was somewhat derogatory, or if it didn't exist and they just used it to describe their unique-ness.

I don't think my teacher is a credible source for defining what is racist or not (a few minutes before she said that great leaders are often contradictory and say things you don't agree with at all, but her only examples were MLK and X) and the term could just be a liberal manifestation.

Or maybe Black Sheep didn't care about the name (which I find quite unlikely considering they were brought up in the conscious native tongues click).

Anyways, I'd like to have some information for a rebuttal to my teacher and to be educated about the term in general, as well.


Be Out (c) Mr. Lif



A conversation between two girls in my science class about the definitions of hip hop and rap...

Girl 1: Rap is like just talking.

Girl 2: Yeah! It’s like telling stories and stuff. So what’s hip hop?

Girl 1: Hip hop is like those crazy people from the south like mystikal who yell “GET ON THA FLO” and “SHAKE IT FAST WATCH YO SELF”. Those guys are scary. It’s like jeez why are they so mad?

Girl 2: Yeah I know.

In discman: Illmatic

couldnt it just be that most sheep are white? thus a black one would be the one thats out of the ordinary?

i dont really see any racist connotations, but what do i know. im no shephard.

its all semantics.


nod

god retarded

>Is it a racist term? Because
>today in English class my
>teacher was talking about the
>biblical origin of the term
>"black sheep" and defined as
>someone who goes against what
>everybody else is doing, and
>usually it is wrong.

I never really took it to mean a racist term, but one can wonder why most things that are considered good are associated with white, while everything bad is associated with black or a dark color.

>She then proceeded to say that
>"people of color" are often
>offended by this term because
>it says that they are
>doing something wrong and going
>astray.

The "people of color" that I've been around don't take this as a racist term either, and those people include family and friends. Your teacher seems like someone who likes to assume what minorities are thinking without knowing too many of them.

>First I thought about the group
>Black Sheep and wondered if
>they would use the term
>for their name even if
>it was somewhat derogatory, or
>if it didn't exist and
>they just used it to
>describe their unique-ness.
>
>I don't think my teacher is
>a credible source for defining
>what is racist or not
>(a few minutes before she
>said that great leaders are
>often contradictory and say things
>you don't agree with at
>all, but her only examples
>were MLK and X) and
>the term could just be
>a liberal manifestation.

Your teacher seems to be someone who has little to no contact with minorities, yet thinks she understands our concerns. And I would wonder about her if she can only point out black leaders as contradictory. Look all the politicians and others throughout history and she can only point out two black men?

>Or maybe Black Sheep didn't care
>about the name (which I
>find quite unlikely considering they
>were brought up in the
>conscious native tongues click).
>
>Anyways, I'd like to have some
>information for a rebuttal to
>my teacher and to be
>educated about the term in
>general, as well.

You might want to put this in General Discussion if you want more responses.

>Be Out (c) Mr. Lif
>
>
>
>A conversation between two girls in
>my science class about the
>definitions of hip hop and
>rap...
>
>Girl 1: Rap is like just
>talking.
>
>Girl 2: Yeah! It’s like telling
>stories and stuff. So what’s
>hip hop?
>
>Girl 1: Hip hop is like
>those crazy people from the
>south like mystikal who yell
>“GET ON THA FLO” and
>“SHAKE IT FAST WATCH YO
>SELF”. Those guys are scary.
>It’s like jeez why
>are they so mad?
>
>Girl 2: Yeah I know.

I take it you live in a really white town.

>I never really took it to
>mean a racist term, but
>one can wonder why most
>things that are considered good
>are associated with white, while
>everything bad is associated with
>black or a dark color.

I think the term black sheep only has one partially offensive meaning, and it would probably be when it is categorized as something that is an example of the thought black=bad and white=good. i think this is what my teacher was trying to imply, but judging from the statements I've read, such as:

>The "people of color" that I've
>been around don't take this
>as a racist term either,
>and those people include family
>and friends.

, I think she was wrong saying it often offends "people of color". Although I think she could've been accurate if she cited it as another example of the black=bad white=good theme in history.

This brings me to another question that might need another post, but here goes: Do "people of color" feel the need for people to stop categorizing black as bad and white as good, or do they feel it isn't of much importance and that it would be too difficult to do anyway?


>Your teacher
>seems like someone who likes
>to assume what minorities are
>thinking without knowing too many
>of them.

I agree.

>I take it you live in
>a really white town.

Yes, I do live in a predominantly white town, but the conversation was between a Mexican girl and a white girl, and a black girl was listening in, so that sort of shows how hip-hop's misunderstandings transcend race and it is a worldwide problem!

Be Out (c) Mr. Lif




A conversation between two girls in
my science class about the
definitions of hip hop and rap...

Girl 1: Rap is like just talking.

Girl 2: Yeah! It’s like telling stories
and stuff. So what’s hip hop?

Girl 1: Hip hop is like those crazy
people from the south like mystikal
who yell “GET ON THA FLO” and
“SHAKE IT FAST WATCH YO SELF”.
Those guys are scary. It’s like jeez
why are they so mad?

Girl 2: Yeah I know.

In discman: Illmatic

>Is it a racist term?

No but it would be if you or your teacher said "Nigger Sheep"
Sheep/People...what's the correlation? I would ask the teacher if she thought Black people were sheep or animals. The whole subject she brought up is suspect.

I keep hearing and reading about white folks comparing Black people to animals. TV Guide compared Tiger Woods to the race horse "Secretariat" and other people to thoroughbreds (athletes). Once a older white lady admired my painting of Black/African dancers and right after told me she liked to collect monkeys. Come on!

>Because
>today in English class my
>teacher was talking about the
>biblical origin of the term
>"black sheep" and defined as
>someone who goes against what
>everybody else is doing, and
>usually it is wrong.

Black people are often at the bottom of the social totem pole. Some Black people are against the white supremacist system and are against the mainstream, standard social groups. Other than that there is not correlation between black sheep and Black people.

>She then proceeded to say that
>"people of color" are often
>offended by this term because
>it says that they are
>doing something wrong and going
>astray.

I don't mind being called the black sheep of a social group because I follow the beat of my own drummer and I reject the mainstream as much as I can. My path and my color are two different things. I choose to go my own way but I do not choose my color.

"Doing something wrong or going astray" is only perception. Some white people think it's alright that Black people are seen as threats or lower on the totem pole. Is this perception true? No.

>First I thought about the group
>Black Sheep and wondered if
>they would use the term
>for their name even if
>it was somewhat derogatory, or
>if it didn't exist and
>they just used it to
>describe their unique-ness.

What's derogatory about going against the grain if that means freedom or peace from mental or social oppression/conditioning?

I agree that your teacher doesn't know about Black people, our heritage or culture. The sad thing is that there are many so-called educators out there that are misinformed or ignorant. They're just maintaining the system that perpetuates racism whether they are conscious of it or not.

>Anyways, I'd like to have some
>information for a rebuttal to
>my teacher and to be
>educated about the term in
>general, as well.

The only way to combat racism is to be aware and that means exposing oneself to another group's way of life or studying about them in books written by people who were/are involved in improving the system or destroying it (racism) for Black people.

There is just too much information out there for people to remain in a mental cave, oblivious to the world around them.


"Know thyself"

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you". So we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
-- Hebrews 13:5,6

"There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path"
--Morpheus in "The Matrix"

"It's our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"- Dumbledore to Harry Potter "Chamber of Secrets"

<--- Blame this lady for Nutty.

>No but it would be if
>you or your teacher said
>"Nigger Sheep"
>Sheep/People...what's the correlation? I would
>ask the teacher if she
>thought Black people were sheep
>or animals. The whole
>subject she brought up is
>suspect.

Thanks for the advice.

>I keep hearing and reading about
>white folks comparing Black people
>to animals. TV Guide
>compared Tiger Woods to the
>race horse "Secretariat" and other
>people to thoroughbreds (athletes).

Interesting... i've seen this too

>Once a older white lady
>admired my painting of Black/African
>dancers and right after told
>me she liked to collect
>monkeys. Come on!




>Black people are often at the
>bottom of the social totem
>pole. Some Black people
>are against the white supremacist
>system and are against the
>mainstream, standard social groups.
>Other than that there is
>not correlation between black sheep
>and Black people.

Yeah I think she was probably trying to use it as an example of a black=bad term.

>What's derogatory about going against the
>grain if that means freedom
>or peace from mental or
>social oppression/conditioning?

I guess using black to mean bad (in describing anything, like night and day) isn't considered deragatory by black people judging by the responses I've got, so no, there is nothing deragatory about going against the grain.

>I agree that your teacher doesn't
>know about Black people, our
>heritage or culture. The
>sad thing is that there
>are many so-called educators out
>there that are misinformed or
>ignorant. They're just maintaining
>the system that perpetuates racism
>whether they are conscious of
>it or not.

Being in a suburban school I've seen many educators who fit this description. It's pretty dissapointing.

>The only way to combat racism
>is to be aware and
>that means exposing oneself to
>another group's way of life
>or studying about them in
>books written by people who
>were/are involved in improving the
>system or destroying it (racism)
>for Black people.

I'm in the midst of reading many of the type of books you mentioned and already finished some (such as Malcolm X, manchild in the promised land, race matters, black like me, roots, etc.)

any other book suggestions?


Be Out (c) Mr. Lif



A conversation between two girls in
my science class about the
definitions of hip hop and rap...

Girl 1: Rap is like just talking.

Girl 2: Yeah! It’s like telling stories
and stuff. So what’s hip hop?

Girl 1: Hip hop is like those crazy
people from the south like mystikal
who yell “GET ON THA FLO” and
“SHAKE IT FAST WATCH YO SELF”.
Those guys are scary. It’s like jeez
why are they so mad?

Girl 2: Yeah I know.

In discman: Illmatic

Sounds like you are doing okay by yourself, reading books that definately deal with the Black experience in America. You may want to recommend some of them to your teacher (respectfully) or point out a few issues and use quotes from the books, i.e. the lesson Malcolm learned in prison about the definition of the words black and white.

Some other books:

Civilization or Barbarism by Cheikh Anta Diop
The Destruction of Black Civilization by Chancellor Williams

There's a great book called "Ethnicity: Theory and Experience" by Nathan Glazer and Daniel Moynihan. In this book, the writers explore the origins of "black" as it relates to race. To call oneself Black rather than Negro was a way to defy the white supremacist system (1960s). Calling oneself Black distinguishes us from the white or dominant group/society. Thus, "Black is beautiful" and "I'm Black and I'm proud" became popular phrases in the 60's and 70's. Rather than run away from negative connotations of the word black, Black people transcended the traditonal definitions and created a new one based on ethnicity. We chose to deny the relevance of white ancestry or history by embracing "black".

The book also looks at how Black people were perceived as animals:

"The designation of Negroes or blacks as an ethinic group through a symbol designating color tage which has made it possible or easier to attribute biologically hereditary characteristics to the group. I think particularly of the allegations, which have been especially prominent in Southern racist ideology, to the effect that blacks are either like children or like animals."

My opinion is that people have issues. They have false perceptions based on their social status in this society and this status is often based on race or ethnicity. By relating Black people to black sheep, in this instance, people are dancing the same old waltz that kept us slaves and white folks masters. It's time to let it go. It's over!

"Know thyself"

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you". So we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
-- Hebrews 13:5,6

"There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path"
--Morpheus in "The Matrix"

"It's our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"- Dumbledore to Harry Potter "Chamber of Secrets"

<--- Blame this lady for Nutty.

Thanks for the book suggestions. I'll add them to my list.

Be Out (c) Mr. Lif



A conversation between two girls in
my science class about the
definitions of hip hop and rap...

Girl 1: Rap is like just talking.

Girl 2: Yeah! It’s like telling stories
and stuff. So what’s hip hop?

Girl 1: Hip hop is like those crazy
people from the south like mystikal
who yell “GET ON THA FLO” and
“SHAKE IT FAST WATCH YO SELF”.
Those guys are scary. It’s like jeez
why are they so mad?

Girl 2: Yeah I know.

In discman: Illmatic

The Black Sheep Squadron ... it was awesome.
-----
deities & calligypians|milk & cheese

everything black, is considered negative. (except for black body radiation)

But it's part of overstanding the king's english.

peace
k. orr

http://breddanansi.tumblr.com/

>First I thought about the group
>Black Sheep and wondered if
>they would use the term
>for their name even if
>it was somewhat derogatory, or
>if it didn't exist and
>they just used it to
>describe their unique-ness.

im thinking they were using the same mentality of the first black person who used the word :nigger:
(not saying i agree)

and it could be offensive
just like that song..why does the black jellybean taste the worse

and white lies are better

BLACKLISTED


u know ..the usual bullshit

its usually not thought about though because some people are getting shot for a wallet..dragged in the back of trucks.....being refused for various things....

but it all adds up...could be the straw that breaks the camels back for SOMEBODY

but if u think about it...it is derogatory

the bad thing about it is im not too bothered by it


>

im on some shit that u can't deal with-a fellow arsonist


without music OWW! ill go crazy- marv and eric

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https://linktr.ee/storibrooks