[Anne]

Do black men feel like they intimidate white women? Do some black men enjoy harassing women of any color just to get a reaction out of them? My girlfriends and I have often talked about being yelled at or approached on the street, often by black men. I don't think we look like 'scared white women' or weak, passive women, so why does it seem like intimidating women is a sport to some of these guys? Do other women out there feel the same?

User Detail :  

Name : Anne, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 34, City : Madison, State : WI Country : United States, Occupation : Counselor, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[AZA23433]

I can't speak for men of any ethnicity who harass women on the street with cat calls and stupid pick up lines. Most of that stems from ignorance, regardless of race. As a black man, I don't go out of my way to intimidate white women. I don't have to because white women are already intimidated by me. I believe the majority of your fears stem from the historical myth of black men being savage and dangerous. Often I notice white women looking behind themselves to see me, and then nervously cross the street or clutch their purse, quicken their step or even walk off the elevator on a floor other than the one they pressed. A person might suggest that these events are not racially motivated, but they occur regardless of the time of day, location, or number of people in the area. Several times I have found myself subconsiously altering my behavior in subtle ways to alleviate this unsubstantiated fear. I get very tired of it. I'm tired of always being looked upon as a suspect rather than an individual.

However, I do admit that one time I got fed up with the reaction I received from this white woman who looked backed and crossed the street in front me, so I shadowed her movements until I reached my car. If she walked faster, I walked faster. If she crossed the street, I crossed the street. She crossed the street FOUR times to avoid me! This took place in the middle of the day, on a crowded college campus, and on that particular day I was wearing a business suit. When I told my friends about it, they laughed because they also have had to deal with the frustrations of dealing with intimidated white women.

I have a question for you as well: 'Why do white women harass black men by assuming that we think you are so beautiful that we are going to go crazy and rape you on the street in broad daylight?'

User Detail :  

Name : AZA23433, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 26, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : med student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Nicole20037]

I guess I can understand where white women are coming from slightly. First, black men do not terrorize only white women. They do it to just about any person they come in contact with sometimes, depending on the person. However, it's only a few ignorant members of the black male population who do this. Don't generalize. Second, all men have this dominating ego and love to intimidate people, especially females. It's just them sometimes. I have been intimidated by white, Hispanic, black men, whatever. Just the fact that I am a woman attracts them to me. And sometimes, depending on the neighborhood, men tend to shout at whatever they think looks good - black, blue, white or green - in a negative or positive way.

User Detail :  

Name : Nicole20037, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 18, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Heather21463]

I just wanted Anne to know she is not alone in her feelings. I was raped by six black men who kept saying, 'You shoulda been down with the brown.' I would also like to know, is it just a power thing or what? I'm terrified.

User Detail :  

Name : Heather21463, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 25, City : Richmond, State : VA Country : United States, Occupation : Teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Mako]

I don't think they are doing it to intimidate you because you are white or because they feel you are passive, but because it seems to be more culturally acceptable among African Americans than whites. I get yelled at all the time on the street by black guys, but so do my black female friends. I think it is also mainly lower-class/uneducated guys who do this. The funny thing is, as offensive and annoying as it is to you - they actually think they are paying you a compliment!

User Detail :  

Name : Mako, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, City : Newark, State : NJ Country : United States, 

[Kristina]

Well, first of all, I am not sure what you refer to when you speak of 'intimadation.' If you are referring to the very forward sexual advances that black men make towards women, well this is a cultural thing, especially among lower-class African Americans. And they are NOT doing it because you are white, for they will behave this way towards ANY woman. This is because in the black community a man is clearly defined by his sexuality. A black man must do whatever he can to prove he isn't homosexual -- this is unfortunately what it boils down to. And since black men are more likely to be raised in a single-family environment with their mother as a main figure, they basically don't have any examples of strong men in their lives. Consequently, the mothers, (who also have not had strong male figures as fathers) have a distorted view of what a true man really is. They inadvertently encourage their son to get as many women as possible, and overlook any children he may produce. This again is a subconscience action. So anyway, this all means that the more women a black man can get, the more of a man he is. And for a woman with low self-esteem, a forward advance is flattering, and may actually work. For black women it may work because the supply of black men are low. So, keeping this in mind, black men continue to use these type of advances to attract women.

User Detail :  

Name : Kristina, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 20, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, Occupation : Transcriber, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Jamara]

Hmmmm, maybe you think too highly of yourself. Why do you assume Black men are paying THAT much attention to you? Or is it that you are actually paying that much attention to them? Are you this worried when Black Men DON'T 'harrass' you? As a Black woman who knows Black men and is married to a strong one, I HIGHLY doubt the whole race of Black Men consider it a 'sport' to walk around looking for whitegirls to intimidate. Stop looking for attention from them.

User Detail :  

Name : Jamara, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 26, City : Anchorage, State : AK Country : United States, Occupation : Office manager, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class, 

[DDees]

Why is it that you feel you are being harrassed? If a white guy said and did the same thing would you feel the same way? I am a black female and the two times I have been followed to my car have been by white males. On one occasion I had to run and pray that he was too far behind me to catch up. Black men aren't the only ones that yell at you on the street. Guys that yell at you on the street are not doing it because of their race but because of their lack of class and lack of respect for you. I have been yelled at by every race so please don't assume that they're trying to intimidate you. It's simply what some men do when they see women.

User Detail :  

Name : DDees, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Presbyterian, Age : 40, City : Atlanta, State : GA Country : United States, Occupation : Self-employed, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Wayne C.]

First, let me say that there is no way that I can truly understand the horror that you have been through. I have several former girlfriends, and an ex-wife, that had been raped (though none of them had been gang-raped), but no man can truly understand what this means to a woman. But don't generalize your fear to all Black men. Men of any race might do this. I recall an incident told by a White woman -- her best friend and herself had gone to a party with a couple of men they had recently met (White men). Her friend went upstairs with one of the men. It was already late, and she wanted to leave, but they told her that her friend said she would get a ride with one of them. Unfortunately, she didn't insist on talking to her fried personally. The next day, she discovered that several men were upstairs raping her best friend. These aren't Men -- they are Monsters. My point is that Monsters can be of any race -- Black, White, Asian, Indian, etc... And no one race is more likely to produce Monsters than any other. You happened to have run into 6 Black Monsters. But all Black men aren't Monsters, just like all White men aren't. And if you concentrate strictly on avoiding the Black Monsters walking down the street, you might not notice the White or Asian Monster standing right beside you.

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Name : Wayne C., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 41, City : Parsippany, State : NJ Country : United States, Occupation : Marketing, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[Margee Ramsey]

Well Anne that is an interesting question and this is the only answer that I ca supply maybe you already have a fear of black men and the slightest thing may seem like and attempt to scare you. Its like thios I'm afraidof dogs and if I see a dog running towards me I would assume that its trying to harm me even if it has no bad intentions. Tyhe next time it happens think if it was a white man would every movement then seem like an attack

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Name : Margee Ramsey, Gender : M, Age : 14, City : Columbus, State : OH Country : United States, 

[Michelle20564]

To AZA of New York; You may get pissed off by people assuming you to be dangerous, but stalking a women as punishment for her being afraid of you and then laughing about it with your friends is insensitive and cruel. She may have been attacked or raped in the past and your actions could have terrified her. If you read the newspapers or speak to female friends you would learn that harassment is a daily occurence for females, and that that their mistrust of men is totally warranted. Though I am not in the least intimidated by black men, I exercise the same caution around them that I do with men of other races. If I had to choose between the inconvenience or being perceived as a potential rapist or face the daily possibility of being cat-called, harassed, groped, attacked or raped, I'd pick the inconvenience anyday.

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Name : Michelle20564, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Janet20966]

Why would you say 'black' men intimidating women. Men who make comments on the street derives from ignorance and lack of civilization. I hear it from all types of men. If you walk around in a street where there are more black men it may be black men making the comments. If you walk down a street where Mexicans are hanging out you will hear them. If you are in an all white neighborhood . . . So don't generalize. That is so unfair.

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Name : Janet20966, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[bonnie]

yes, i feel intimidated when a black male is walking behind me or towards me at night. but i also feel scared when there is a white male or an asian male or an older or younger male of any race when i am alone. i am not intimidated because a person happens to be black, but rather becuase they happen to be MALE. maybe this makes me sexist, but isn't it more likely that a male is going to jump out of the bushes and assault me on the way home? it doesn't matter what color they are, i am equally anxious.

User Detail :  

Name : bonnie, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 21, City : State College, State : PA Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Dan-Cubrich27335]

Heather, you've got to understand something about black guys, in African tribes they rape their own women if they lose their virginity before they get married! Since most white women are better looking than black women now you see why they would rather rape a white woman. Dan C.

User Detail :  

Name : Dan-Cubrich27335, City : Omaha, State : NE Country : United States, 

[Dawna]

Black men are the same to white women as they try to be with black women. However, I believe black women were raised to not accept bullying from anybody. We were raised to hold our head up and apeear ourselves to be intimidating. We demand respect. African americans also see white women as more passive. Hence the reason some black men chose them as life partners(relationships). The few black men at my high school choose to date white women because they could supossedly get more out of them with less 'attitude.' My father chose a white woman for the same reason.

User Detail :  

Name : Dawna, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 18, City : Kansas City, State : MO Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

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