When other races separate from their undesireables, they group with their middle and upper class counterparts; not us

[Amestafuu (Emeritus)]

Suburban middle.class brehs hated
Boule hated.
Square regular brehs hated.

Street brehs loved immensely.

Might be something there

 

[TEH]

White people have used everything against us.

Why do we flip flop on when white people’s opinions matter?

I think that’s when most of us said ‘I wish he never made that joke.’ But truth be told I’m sure everyone who agreed with the joke the first time, still thinks what he said he true.

 

[MasterThought]

The major difference between black Americans and every other group is that we are the only group to have their "undesirables" as the overwhelming main representors of that group.

In the black community, the drugdealers, gangbangers and street dudes are literally our biggest representation to the world.

There isn't an artform that constantly projects the imagery of the hillbilly and trailer park trash to the world like there is for the gangbangers and drugdealers.

 

[saturn7]

What would be a better way to word it in your opinion?

I guess it is the classic "Class" dynamic.

People who value stability, family, education, morals etc vs. people who value fukkery and chaos.

 

[Wildhundreds]

Class is more than just income, education, and occupation.

It factors family background, upbringing, lifestyle, social affiliations, network, and values.

You can make $30k/year and still be considered upper class if you were born into an upper class family.

You can make $5mil/year, but if you were not born into the upper class, the highest you can attain is upper middle class at best, granted you have all the accoutrements of that class.

For instance, Oprah and Tyler Perry would be considered black elites. But they are not considered black upper class. We have political elites, academic elites, entertainment elites, cultural elites, etc. They would fall within one of those classifications. But being an elite =/= upper class.

The term black upper class is typically reserved for the group of black folks that are the descendents of the black families whose money originated during Reconstruction, the period right after the abolition of slavery. Or if you go back a little further, the black families that received land, education, or some type of inheritance left behind from a wealthy white slave owning father.

Most of the wealthy people we see in the US are actually upper middle class.

Class can be nuanced and I don't think most people actually understand it.

They really don't. But like i was saying earlier, none of what you mentioned means nothing, if you consistently treat the people in your community like shyt and always looking to disrespect them.

 

[Wildhundreds]

The major difference between black Americans and every other group is that we are the only group to have their "undesirables" as the overwhelming main representors of that group.

In the black community, the drugdealers, gangbangers and street dudes are literally our biggest representation to the world.

There isn't an artform that constantly projects the imagery of the hillbilly and trailer park trash to the world like there is for the gangbangers and drugdealers.

I remember in the 80s when the Cosby show was big, along with a different world. A show that depicted black people in a extremely positive light. You had a segment of black people that hated those shows, because they said it doesn't represent blacks in america..


Now we're here..

 

[Thanos]

Class is more than just income, education, and occupation.

It factors family background, upbringing, lifestyle, social affiliations, network, and values.

You can make $30k/year and still be considered upper class if you were born into an upper class family.

You can make $5mil/year, but if you were not born into the upper class, the highest you can attain is upper middle class at best, granted you have all the accoutrements of that class.

For instance, Oprah and Tyler Perry would be considered black elites. But they are not considered black upper class. We have political elites, academic elites, entertainment elites, cultural elites, etc. They would fall within one of those classifications. But being an elite =/= upper class.

The term black upper class is typically reserved for the group of black folks that are the descendents of the black families whose money originated during Reconstruction, the period right after the abolition of slavery. Or if you go back a little further, the black families that received land, education, or some type of inheritance left behind from a wealthy white slave owning father.

Most of the wealthy people we see in the US are actually upper middle class.

Class can be nuanced and I don't think most people actually understand it.

Class is your relationship to production. If you earn 5M per year, you are a millionaire LOL. At that point, you probably owning means of production. That's your Oprah and Tyler Perry. The 30K child with the upper class parents, is still a working class child.

 

[invalid]

i'm just going to go off of the factors i named since they are less arbitrary.
for example, i grew up knowing households making to 6 figures and just get a double wide in the trailer park lol, even though it seems like most people think trailer park living is lower class based on "lifestyle" or whatever. let uncle sam tell it, they aint receiving those lower class benefits thats for sure lol.

I would agree with you that they are arbitrary. But those arbitrary factors are what has given rise to the "right fit" corporate culture that we see.

A person could have the right degree, the right work experience, and be a genuine person, but if they are not deemed "the right fit", which is essentially those arbitrary class factors, then they are dismissed as unqualified. And that person will leave not understanding where they came up short.

As black people, it's easy to dismiss this as being racist. But it can be more nuanced than that. And if you don't have a proper understanding of class, you may find yourself always coming up short.

 

[Wildhundreds]

I would agree with you that they are arbitrary. But those arbitrary factors are what has given rise to the "right fit" corporate culture that we see.

A person could have the right degree, the right work experience, and be a genuine person, but if they are not deemed "the right fit", which is essentially those arbitrary class factors, then they are dismissed as unqualified. And that person will leave not understanding where they came up short.

As black people, it's easy to dismiss this as being racist. But it can be more nuanced than that. And if you don't have a proper understanding of class, you may find yourself always coming up short.

The book My kind of people laid this out very well. Very nuanced indeed.

 

[Toe Jay Simpson]

Nah fam, we used to do this

It was the source of our beef with Bill Cosby. Our decade late outrage over Chris Rock’s nikkas joke

 

[Wig Twistin Season]

THIS IS THE TRUTH.

Takes me right back to this.

The Negro Family: The Case for National Action 1965

"It might be estimated that as much as half of the Negro community falls into the middle class.
However, the remaining half is in desperate and deteriorating circumstances. Moreover, because of
housing segregation it is immensely difficult for the stable half to escape from the cultural
influences of the unstable one. The children of middle class Negroes often as not must grow up in,
or next to the slums, an experience almost unknown to white middle class children. They are
therefore constantly exposed to the pathology of the disturbed group and constantly in danger of
being drawn into it. It is for this reason that the propositions put forth in this study may be thought
of as having a more or less general application.

In a word, most Negro youth are in danger of being caught up in the tangle of pathology that affects
their world, and probably a majority are so entrapped. Many of those who escape do so for one
generation only: as things now are, their children may have to run the gauntlet all over again. That
is not the least vicious aspect of the world that white America has made for the Negro."

In addition to that, the biggest genre of music that our people created is actively encouraging our youth to maintain the slum mentality.

Even if a set of parents “made it” unless they completely remove their kids from the environment that drove them to make it, the kids are right there where the fukkery is taking place and getting pressured into what is “normal” in that environment.

 

[Luke Cage]

i always thought it was wild that the black middle makes up the majority of the black population, yet the media will have you thinking that the majority of black people are living in poverty.

yes the black "lower class" is disproportionately high compared to white folks in this country. but its not 50% or higher disproportionate. poor black people don't make up a majority.

yet middle class black representation in music and movies (or at least artists willing to portray themselves like that) is rare.

most of these rappers grew up like Kanye, mom was a teacher, dad was a photographer. that's not Huxtable doctor and lawyer level of income, but its not some momma worked three shifts as maid , and dad was in jail type shyt either.

 

[invalid]

Class is your relationship to production. If you earn 5M per year, you are a millionaire LOL. At that point, you probably owning means of production. That's your Oprah and Tyler Perry. The 30K child with the upper class parents, is still a working class child.

This is according to Marx.

There are other conceptual frameworks for class out there.

 

[Wildhundreds]

THIS IS THE TRUTH.

In addition to that, the biggest genre of music that our people created is actively encouraging our youth to maintain the slum mentality.

Even if a set of parents “made it” unless they completely remove their kids from the environment that drove them to make it, the kids are right there where the fukkery is taking place and getting pressured into what is “normal” in that environment.

This is why money don't impress me. If you're a classless degenerate with money then whats the point? Give me that poor middle class person all day everyday, getting money is easy.

 

[Digital Omen]

i always thought it was wild that the black middle makes up the majority of the black population, yet the media will have you thinking that the majority of black people are living in poverty.

yes the black "lower class" is disproportionately high compared to white folks in this country. but its not 50% or higher disproportionate. poor black people don't make up a majority.

yet middle class black representation in music and movies (or at least artists willing to portray themselves like that) is rare.

most of these rappers grew up like Kanye, mom was a teacher, dad was a photographer. that's not Huxtable doctor and lawyer level of income, but its not some momma worked three shifts as maid , and dad was in jail type shyt either.

Look at Jadakiss (and Ja Rule too). Solid middle class stable household with private schooling.
But hear them tell it, they're both real deal thug gangsters from the foulest hood who move major weight and will kill you and your whole family (it's murdaaaaa...)