Tonya, I'm not sure I understand your question. Maybe it's because I've not experienced the situations you described. I'm an educated white woman, proud to have studied (in a limited fashion in college) some of the amazing music/culture african-american artists have given this country. I speak of it when it music comes up in conversation, i.e., Howlin' Wolf, BB King, Hendrix, and more recently, Chris Thomas King. I'm not aware that any of my friends are afraid to speak about ebonics, R&B and rap. It could be that they know nothing of these things, so are not inclined to discuss it. Maybe people are afraid to sound ignorant so they don't discuss these things at all? Can you be more specific about your experiences?
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Name : Kimberly, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 31, City : Kalispell, State : MT Country : United States, Occupation : emergency, Social class : Middle class, If this is the case then your 'friends' are not like most of the white kids I know. We listen to the kinds of music we like and will talk about it with anyone. I personally don't like rap, but I listen to jazz and am proud of it! I don't think that the people you know are very tipical.
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Name : E-Smith25414, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : object to q, Religion : Christian, Age : 16, City : Seattle, State : WA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, Why do white people act as if they have no idea about black culture when around their white friends? For instance, "black" music such as hip-hop and jazz has been around for a long time, and some whites feel that when they are around blacks it is OK to release their 'knowledge' of rap or R&B lyrics. When around their white friends, however, they pretend they do not have a clue about black music or rap. They act as if knowing rap, or liking it, is a sin. Or they act as though they can't comprehend slang, Ebonics or any other kind of rap/hip-hop terms, when they know they are fully aware of the language. Why is this?
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Name : Tonya, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, City : carrollton, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : student, Social class : Middle class, Let's face it: so-called 'ebonics' is nothing more than sub-standard English used by people who are ignorant of standard English to begin with.... Especially, in the work place where standard English is the norm, 'ebonics' are nothing more than a turn off..... Concerning so-called 'black culture'--jazz, etc that has been around for a long time.... Individuals have a right to listen to whatever kind of music they want too--a question for the questioner: WHY DO BLACKS THINK THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO FORCE THEIR JUNK-MUSIC ON THOSE WHO ARE NOT INTERESTED? FURTHER, WHY SHOULD WHITE INDIVIDUALS WHO SPEAK STANDARD ENGLISH--AND OTHER LANGUAGES FOR THAT MATTER--CORRECTLY--ACCEPT SUBSTANDARD ENGLISH AS 'CORRECT?'
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Name : jane-doe20935, City : anon, State : NA Country : United States, Hey, I am very well oriented with rap and R&B and slang terms, and my white friends are, too. Believe me, I am open to discussion about anything with anyone. I have friends who like rock music, and then I have friends who like rap, and I can talk about both without a problem. So, it might just be the people you know that do that, but not all do that.
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Name : Jules, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 15, City : East Hampton, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, I don't think that the people you know are very typical. All of the people I know are willing to talk about the music they like, from disco to hip-hop to classical.
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Name : E Smith, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : mixed, Religion : Christian, Age : 16, City : Seattle, State : WA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, i'm not so sure that you've observed whites in their 'natural habitat' enoughlike. whites talk whites amongst one-another, but they do share rap lyrics and speak popular black slang with one another. i think that what you're seeing is that many whites try to 'act black' paticularly around black people.
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Name : blAmmo23088, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, City : chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, I have listened to jazz, rock and blues for my entire life, so I feel I can contribute to conversations about those types of music. I do not listen to hip hop or rap, so I don't have any knowledge about any of the current events, releases, culture, etc. There's nothing wrong with liking it, it just doesn't suit me. I don't think that is because I'm white, because I have plenty of white friends who think I'm stupid for not knowing anything about rap or hip hop - and they're not afraid to say so, either. I want you to know that just because I don't like it or lack specific knowledge doesn't mean I don't respect it.
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Name : Jessica, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 23, City : Huntsville, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Personaly, I me and my friends don't like 'rap'. Nothing to do with it being black, just that we don't like it.
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Name : Robert29549, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 33, City : Vancouver, State : NA Country : Canada, Occupation : Telecom, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, Not all white people act like that i love hip hop its my favorite music all my freinds love it too.Maybe it has to do with where u live cause alotta white people where i live love hip hop and talk in rap/hip hop terms. If the white people u know act like that they are just plain dumb in my opinion.
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Name : Jen30994, City : Providence, State : RI Country : United States, Right now I am a Junior in college. I am a white male, and I was given a white male as a roomate. It turns out he is very racist and it annoys the hell out of me. I come from a very diverse part of Chicago, and I have friends and a girlfriend of a different race. My roomate lives only 40 minutes from me, but is not diverse at all. He hears my rap and R&B and says it is 'nigger music' and that he cannot understand it since it is in ebonics. I was of course extrememly angered, especially since he knows I have biracial nephews. But, it just showed me that most white people are so sheltered that they really do not know much, and when they are around black people they put on a huge front. This opinion is also based on other people that I know, but he is by far the most ignorant.
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Name : Jonathan-S29078, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, This is obviously not the answer you're loking for, but Im white, and a lot of my friends like rap, r&b, ect. and they talk with it openly, even though im totally ignorant on the subject. This could also be because there's only about 30 black people in Canada...
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Name : Nick20016, City : Edmonton, State : NA Country : Canada, I am white that is far from being true whether im around black white or hispanic people i act the same i talk to white people the same way and about the same things i talk to an african american person about or a spanish person i dont know any white person who acts like described in fact i see more white people using ebonics with their white friends than with their black friends because they dont wanna say something and end up looking stupid because their white and using slang they donat want peope to say oh look at that white girl/boy trying to act black (i dont beleive using slang means your trying to act black i dont beleive black people have a certain way to talk or act) it may be because wher i live in deltona florida alot of people who live here are black and spanish because alot of people that live here are from new york and new jersey.
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Name : mia, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 15, City : deltona, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : school, Social class : Middle class, I can understand how some white people would have dificulty understanding what is said in some rap lyrics. Being a person who loves rap and I also do some writing myself, I know that some things that are said are regional. For example the way someone might say 'word' in NY is the same as someone saying 'squole' in Detroit. They both mean he same as if someone were replying a statement with 'really?'. As far as ebonics is concerned I don't believe in ebonics. I don't know where it comes from, but ebonics to me seems like it is something that white people made up to make black folks look stupid. I could be wrong though. As far as your question goes, it makes no sense why white people would act like they're down in front of you and then act completely different behind your back. In my experience a lot of racist white people know exactly what to say in front of your face not to pissss you off. When they get behind closed doors it's a whole different ball game. Why should anyone be scared to admit what type of music they listen to in front of their friends? That says something about the person and his or her friends if they have to be embarassed about the kind of music they listen to. Keep doing you baby girl, and damn what any hatin' faces have to say. Holla - to those who are in front of your friends - goodbye.
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Name : ken26433, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 21, City : detroit, State : MI Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, its the same with everyone...people live to impress. Of all the black people I know, when they're with their black friends, they bring out their 'ghetto booty' and just skrate out dont undastand da whites...yet when they're chillin with me and my skaterboys theyre speakin properly and singing the punk songs with us...they have to be 'cool' and 'in'...most people (not me) but i will admit, my best friend, does it...shes doin crazy white girl dances with me, then gets out her grindin and ebonics with shaquanda...its all about the image
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Name : Jill, Gender : F, Age : 16, City : orlando, State : FL Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, 
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