Ummkay, so the background information is: Woman called in to get information to pay account up to date. Woman spoke eloquently. White or black you say? WTH does it matter you say? He said black, I said white. He said she speaks very professionally, very pretty voice... for a black woman.... DEAD SILENCE...BIRDS CHIRPING...CRICKETS MAKING OUT... So that started a very heated discussion. Wanna hear it, here it goes. He said: Well you know what I mean. The average black woman doesn't speak that well even over the phone. He said most of the times they don't pronounce their words correctly, and they rarely ever emancipate (he mean enunciate) <<-- dumbass
I said: Who is the average woman? What black woman are you talking about? Tell me, because I need to know who she is! He said: You know I'm not talking about you. When you're just talking to me face to face, you sound black because I know you're black. When you're on the phone, you speak differently. You know you sound white. I said: WTF!? DO WHAT?! No, sir, when I'm on the phone, I'm professional. When I'm with a customer, I'm professional. When I'm in a BUSINESS SETTING, I'm professional. He said: You already know you sound like a skinny white woman on the phone. I said: EFF YOU Keep in mind, this is definitely NOT the first time I've heard something like this. I've been hearing it all my life. Sometimes, even when I speak with family and they don't catch my voice, they think they've got the wrong number. I've got a deeeepppp southern drawl, and I just sound like me, i think. Now I'm not a neck twisting, to the booty, koolaid weave wearing type of woman, this is not average to me at all, but I am my own definition of the normal, average, black woman. Hell naw, I'm above average, superb, extraordinary, and all that jazz. This conversation just stuck with me though... So, I ask you this question, WTH DOES AN AVERAGE BLACK WOMAN SOUND LIKE?
Friday, February 19, 2010
Average Black??
Ummkay, so the background information is: Woman called in to get information to pay account up to date. Woman spoke eloquently. White or black you say? WTH does it matter you say? He said black, I said white. He said she speaks very professionally, very pretty voice... for a black woman.... DEAD SILENCE...BIRDS CHIRPING...CRICKETS MAKING OUT... So that started a very heated discussion. Wanna hear it, here it goes. He said: Well you know what I mean. The average black woman doesn't speak that well even over the phone. He said most of the times they don't pronounce their words correctly, and they rarely ever emancipate (he mean enunciate) <<-- dumbass
I said: Who is the average woman? What black woman are you talking about? Tell me, because I need to know who she is! He said: You know I'm not talking about you. When you're just talking to me face to face, you sound black because I know you're black. When you're on the phone, you speak differently. You know you sound white. I said: WTF!? DO WHAT?! No, sir, when I'm on the phone, I'm professional. When I'm with a customer, I'm professional. When I'm in a BUSINESS SETTING, I'm professional. He said: You already know you sound like a skinny white woman on the phone. I said: EFF YOU Keep in mind, this is definitely NOT the first time I've heard something like this. I've been hearing it all my life. Sometimes, even when I speak with family and they don't catch my voice, they think they've got the wrong number. I've got a deeeepppp southern drawl, and I just sound like me, i think. Now I'm not a neck twisting, to the booty, koolaid weave wearing type of woman, this is not average to me at all, but I am my own definition of the normal, average, black woman. Hell naw, I'm above average, superb, extraordinary, and all that jazz. This conversation just stuck with me though... So, I ask you this question, WTH DOES AN AVERAGE BLACK WOMAN SOUND LIKE?
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I understand your frustration. Why is it that all of our negative stereotypes become our average but everyone else's positive stereotypes are boasted as their average?
ReplyDeleteI've had this conversation a thousand time. Bad part is, it's perpetuated by black people. My own family calls me an Oreo. My white co-worker who happens to be a good friend of mine actually thinks she's blacker than me. I let her get away with that mess.
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