Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences 
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I wish I knew. I have asked myself that for a while. I know people who speak normally and then when the get around others esp. males they speak as if they are talking to someone a mile away. I guess it is for attention, either way it makes no sense. Probably has alot to do with self-esteem, it is in no way ladylike. Some people may just not know any better.
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Name : Tammy, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 22, City : DC, State : DC, Country : United States, Occupation : financial analyst, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I grew up in NYC, hile I was not really a ‘poor student’ I did not have the material things that other students enjoyed. I went a public college where a variety of students from different economic classes also attended. I dont think that money was a really big deal…except in some greek organizations. I can remember times seeing other students driving around in nice cars and other things, I did feel a bit jealous. I felt that some things in life are unfair, and its true. Students who are wealthy have their parents pay for tution and other expenses while I had to take out loans. So when they graduate they will be off and running while I have a hefty debt load. The rich just get richer. However, I have had many great experiences like when I studied abroad in Asia, but I did miss one study abroad chance in Germany since they offered me a partial scholarship and I couldnt come up with the other half. But I have learned that in some instances hard work does not discriminate as I have a B.S. in Economics and International Business. Not bad for a ‘poor’ kid from New York.
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Name : Tammy, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 22, City : DC, State : DC, Country : United States, Occupation : financial analyst, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,There may be no surefire answer to your question. Firstly, Blacks are people and people have different attitudes and feelings towards things, which may or may not have anything to do with race. However, just looking at the numbers you gave, I can see why you are concerned. Sometimes blacks feel they need to put on false pretenses around whites. Not because they want to or because of low self esteem. But, because they dont want to be stereotyped. As if others are waiting for them to do something ‘black.’ Some may have not attented because they didnt feel being on the spot, because letting your hair down so to speak may show others your non-professional side. Speaking personally, I would not want to be my relaxed self for fear of doing something stereotypical of a black person. It could be something as trivial as eating watermelon or using slang. So, when the party is all said and done, my coworkers may look at me differently. It still an OFFICE party. I am in no way saying this is right or wrong, its just a theory. What about office politics? Remember high school and all the many cliques. If all the blacks tend to stick together and one or two of the ‘cooler’ people say they are not going then many other people will not show either. This may be something as simple as the ‘in’ and ‘out’ crowd. You have a diverse group of people, but are they diverse in their thoughts and experiences, are they closed-minded? Just because you have all shades of people at your company does not mean that people will automatically join hands and sing ‘Ebony and Ivory.’ You may want to look for more open-minded and employees when you hire people. Things like this happen often. Do not take it personally. For your next office party why dont you do something fun, where ever one can partake like lazer tag or a mystery dinner? Call it a retreat or something so people have to go. If you do lazer tag mix the teams up that way people get to know each other not just work with each other. Youre in sales be creative! Much success with your company, others could stand to follow your example. Good Luck:)
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Name : Tammy, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 22, City : DC, State : DC, Country : United States, Occupation : financial analyst, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I agree with you totally. I was in Singapore for six months, and women bought skin-lightening products as much as Americans buy weight loss products. In Singapore, the majority of the people are Chinese, but there are also a significant number of Indians and Malays. The power structure there is so evident: the Chinese control everything, the Indians control what the Chinese don’t want and the Malays are the manual workers who fix the streets under the hot Singapore sun. Once again, the closer you are to white, the better you are. I was amazed to see all these beautiful people with such rich and immaculate histories try to be something they are not. It’s a strange phenomena, indeed.
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Name : Tammy, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 22, City : DC, State : DC, Country : United States, Occupation : financial analyst, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,While I have not seen the movie that you referenced, I can say that blacks have been stereotyped as watermelon- and fried chicken-eating, dancing, singing fools. Just think about the old plays with men in black face and ‘Aunt Jemima.’ It’s not really the watermelon that is the issue; it is the types images that are conjured up. Futhermore, your question of ‘Why doesn’t it seem to apply to turnip greens’ is an example of why watermelon may seem offensive. Both blacks and whites eat turnip greens, and yes, it is a staple in Southern cooking. The problem lies in assuming all blacks eat turnip greens. Once again, you have these stereotypical images conjured up about blacks. The watermelon and turnip greens thing is just a symptom of a bigger problem.
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Name : Tammy, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 22, City : DC, State : DC, Country : United States, Occupation : financial analyst, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,When I finished college a couple of months ago. I found myself caught in a catch-22. Everybody wanted experience and my summer time jobs just didnt do the trick. No employer cared what class I took, they wanted experience. Yes, I have a degree, I have participated in many activities and held interships that gave me real-world experience but I could not compete with the person with a HS Diploma and 5 years experience. I must admit, graduating from a top school with a B.S. in Economics I was a bit arrogrant but I quickly got a reality check when I found myself circling want ads for a bank teller. Also, in college you have to choose your major at the end of your sophomore year. Many seniors find themselves wanting to do anything other than their major. So, there are many factors as to why someone with a degree is not at their ideal job. I hope this helps!
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Name : Tammy, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 22, City : DC, State : DC, Country : United States, Occupation : financial analyst, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Blacks do not feel physical pleasure differently than whites just because we are black. People are who they are based on their genetics and, more importantly, their personal experiences. How one interprets a physical encounter has nothing to do with color. It has to do mainly with one’s perception, values and experiences.
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Name : Tammy, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 22, City : DC, State : DC, Country : United States, Occupation : financial analyst, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,
