to be fair, it probably wasn't the greatest example, but I just wanted a quick example of a popular rapper who isn't black. Logic is biracial and doesn't identify as black as far as I know. He is also obviously white-passing so audiences don't perceive him as black either. This kind of goes into my own ideas about race and identity, but that's a topic for another time.
@@T1J I think he does identify as biracial being black and white from this interview: www.npr.org/2017/05/15/528159035/logic-is-ready-to-tell-the-world-who-he-is
Sometimes I felt excluded from Black culture because I was born to Black Caribbean immigrants and grew up in a predominantly white and Asian suburb. It was clear from early that through the diaspora black Caribbean culture and black American culture developed unique attributes which made them distinguishable...so distinguishable that I stood out ethnically even when I easily blended in racially. I struggled...how could I feel African American when I never felt fully American to begin with- being first generation? But later I realized that neither blackness nor black culture is one thing anyways...it's not a monolithic entity, it's a very malleable, complex one- the very message of this video!
Me and my 1st Gen friends call it immigrant culture, and that makes funny situations when we talk about immigrant culture in front of our white immigrant friends because we often use the word immigrant as a synonym for brown people.
@Rerun Bubba Spudskin You think we chose to think about our skin colour, hell no! We ARE FORCED to think about our skin colour, because white racist do, and even those who are not because of bias and stereotype. If I don't think about my skin colour around a cop, I may die. If I don't think about my skin colour in some stores, I may get arrested. If I don't think about my skin colour in many workplaces, I may get fired! For what? Because unless I act suppressed, and express regular human emotion, I'm gonna be seen as the angry black man, the thug etc. My parents, and friends get stopped by the police for no damn reason all the TIME! I've been lambasted by white people in my country for the better part of last year and this year saying stupid shit, like "we aren't racist around there", "actually you people are not black", or "racism is your fault because you talk about it". Always trying to INVALIDATE an experience THEY DON'T HAVE TO LIVE WITH. I am fucking fuming right now, if we were in real world you'd hear me screaming, and shortly after the police would be on my ass because I dared be black and angry. The only thing we have to live with that experience, are those cultural short hands like "immigrant culture" and make joke about it. Almost nobody calls my white immigrant friends immigrants, but every 1st Gen coloured friend sure are call this all the time. EDIT: And if you think we think about our skin colour out of parent indoctrination, your wrong, most coloured parent let their kids think they're not different for as long as possible, until the racist world they live in catch up qnd their kid raise the subject.
@Rerun Bubba Spudskin Your response is ridiculous. When Donald Trump vowed to create a border wall at the Mexican border, what he was truly concerned with was keeping MEXICANS out of the US, not immigrants in general. The fact his wife is a white immigrant makes this even more apparent. White immigrants and immigrants of color have two entirely different experiences in the United States. In fact, immigrants of all races and ethnicities have different experiences than one another. Its easy to say "thinking as an equal in humanity first far overshadows your differences in skin tone in the grand spectrum," if skin color isn't something you have to think about. Society in fact sees skin tone as overshadowing everything else, and that is the painful truth and reality that millions of Americans have to live with every single day, and being an immigrant could in many circumstances make this experience even harder. What you are describing is purely idealistic. It would be wonderful for people to see each other for who they really are, but it doesn't work that way, and everyone needs to be more sensitive to this.
"When you're excluded from the mainstream culture then you kind of have to make your own" - You just answered a question I've had for probably over a quarter of a century. Kudos.
I've been thinking about this with connection to when I see black people saying someone isn't black enough in some way. I can't figure out why they do that unless it's that because they had to make their own while having pressure to conform to a white idea of culture there's some pressure from the group to conform to 'our' culture. But again that's so nebulous. And people get to be interested in other things and it seemed to me early the black people I knew didn't all have one culture. I've had black friends from all over the country, all over the world, and many religions and stuff. So when one friend called another an 'oreo' it really pissed me off. She was a New Yorker and he was a christian from Ohio, but they were both of them just as 'black'.
This effect is noticeable not only within traditionally marginalized races and ethnicities but also in the more short-term areas of exclusion. An example of this occurring in the short term is, as one might guess, nerd culture. Being excluded for their hyperfixation, nerds tend to gravitate towards each other, and since they are excluded from the norm, nerds have made their own culture which is home to many subcultures, including the Doctor Who fandom, Trekkies, computer geeks, and classical nerds.
We didn’t make our culture out of thin air though. This is the direct result of being able to maintain some elements of various African traditions, artistic expressions, and mannerisms.
@@mellonlord4616 when some says a black person isn't black enough just means they can't relate. We share the same history but at some point the paths diverged. This is the problem with multiculturalism and a dominant culture forcing you into itself for survival.
This can kind of happen to a lot of minority groups. In reality, there are many Black cultures, I find. As for my personal experience, Indigenous cultures are often distilled down to an imaginary shared culture between us, when Navajo, Cree, and Inuk cultures are all incredibly different from each other despite all being Indigenous.
@@charliekahn4205 There are common aspects between cultures, but that isn't really the same. It's more like how different peoples within Europe might have similar customs on occasion, but maintain different languages, traditions, and identities as seen between various Germanic peoples like the Danish, Dutch, and Germans.
If you eat meat, you like fried chicken. I've never met someone who hates fried chicken unless they were meat-free. That black people are somehow pigeonholed (and I guess judged) for liking something that _everyone likes_ will never not be mind-boggling to me.
@@crediblesalamander8056 yesss 100%. If someone found a way to make Mary browns or Popeyes but with fake chicken, you had better believe I would be all over that.
I'm not sure if this is true or not, so take that into consideration. I heard somewhere that fried chicken became a stereotypical "black" thing was because in the south chicken was relatively affordable for black people and fried chicken was a Sunday after church dinner. It became a tradition for some families to gather for a big Sunday dinner and fried chicken was the main course. Again, not sure if it's true but it would explain the origin of the stereotype.
I’m so over all of these tethers being so fascinated by us and making money off of talking about us. Focus on your own damn lame ass cultures and leave ours alone!
@@alexengland-shinemercy When I let go of the "it's too long" notion and just immerse myself in a long one, even if it's 8 hours long, I find it incredibly informative and captivating. I don't mind splitting it into parts spread out into several watch sessions and/or days. There are some incredible ones out there; MauLer is probably my favorite one regarding film criticism.
in Get Out I really appreciated how we see the first interactions with the family from Chris' point of view, and cringe with him at the dad's attempts to greet him and talk with him, treating him differently with slang and gestures (exactly as you discussed) because of his race. it wasn't exactly foreshadowing for the later events of the film, it was more just like a little lesson to the white people watching imo....like, you don't do the other stuff portrayed in the film, but you're still guilty of racism if you're doing shit like this. thanks for another amazing video!
And, most of us white folks really don't factor in how old/ prominent those caricatures, are. Khadija Mbowe has had good videos on the ubiquity of them. I think, specifically, her "digital Blackface" one.
I struggle with labels vs. identity. Labelling others is often about setting limitations and exerting control, while claiming an identity can be an act of embracing personal truth and empowering. Yet the same words can be used to do both, sometimes simultaneously, and context is everything! This shit is hard.
Claiming an identity, I feel, is like using crutches. You need it for a specific, helpful reason. To heal, in this case. Once you heal, those crutches get in your way when you're ready to sprint.
Why is AA culture always talked about as though it’s some internal journey of blackness that one must embark upon? Like what about Hoodoo, or Nola second line parades, or DC gogo/beat ya feet, hbcu marching bands, zydeco, etc.? We’re much more than rap/hip hop, but we’re also much more than our past “contributions” as well. We have an objective culture with various traditions, beliefs, and expressions within it, which is a direct result of us having a bit of African retention despite our history, no different from an Afro Brazilian for example. For anyone reading this, feel free to check out the African American Culture playlist on my channel for better perspective.
Yes, I hate that it's seen as a club other people can join. Me dancing kompa will never make me Haitian but there is an idea you just have to be around us to be us as if there are no ehtnic markers. Yes, we are so much more than Hip HIp. I make a whole slideshow on the diddleybow and the gourd banjo and African American quilts (Gees Bend), sweetgrass baskets.
It always weirded me out how people think of "racial culture" as monoliths at all. I mean, a white American has very little common culturally with a Finnish person. Expecting everyone to slot into a specific, preset culture based on skin color is kinda crazy.
Blackness and Black culture are often seen as interchangeable for example people appropriate both in different ways Black music for example has been heavily appreciated by kpop for example while things like Black fishing appropriate Blackness through commercialized black features There's also the rampant exclusion of black people from so many cultural spaces the rampant racism in so much of these spaces have lead to this formation of black culture
@original human color but wouldn’t those sports be apart of American culture in general not just white people? Genuine question. If that’s the case, racism is a part of White people’s culture too. I feel like you can’t compare the two because there are different music styles/genres made by specific cultures for a reason.
Re: "You're not there yet" on 2 hour video essays. I appreciate what you do for what it is, so don't stress about it. :) You're already there, just do what works for you. Thanks for the video!
Being black is like being one of the many sauce packets in that one drawer is our kitchens. On a grand scale, there's a lot alike, You may find 2 of the same sauce, but there's still an array of flavors.
I was born into an uncommon socioeconomic class than most people, let alone, Black people. When I talk about my life experiences, people would rather believe I'm either insane or lying than telling the truth. Even my own children have at times been somewhat incredulous. I was explaining something to my sons and son number 2 says, "Mom, it's not like you had a pony!" To which son number 3 sheepishly replies, "Well, yes she did" and the room erupted in questions. For a lifetime, my Blackness has been in question by people of all groups; most painfully when I used to care, by other Blacks. No matter what part of the country I'm in, the locals are sure, I'm not from there; the unsubtle inference being I can't be a product of or belong to the local Black population. Neither money or class separated me from the Black experience and the risks that comes with it that we all share. Like every Black parent, I had to have, "the talk" with my children; just as, so many years ago, my parents had with me before I could walk out of their front door alone into the world. I'm always, first, an American Descendant of Slaves (ADOS) a label I am proud to bare despite how some would attempt to use it against me as a slander.
I hope you aren't like legitimately hard on yourself for the length of your videos, not everything has to go into some deep theory and your videos are just so amazingly succinct without being curt or even just over simplified. Hearing your perspective always gives me something new to think about and I thank you for that. Amazing job!
Being a white person, whenever I think of "black culture", I think of hip hop music, the N-word and TV shows with a black cast that also created by black people (like The Proud Family, for instance). Whenever I think of "black culture", I tend to think of anything that was created/appropriated by black people in order to appeal more to black people than other races. But I totally get the message behind this video, that a black person shouldn't be disqualified from being considered black just because he/she doesn't participate in what is considered "black culture". I think this video does a really good job at explaining how black people aren't monolithic but tend to get stereotyped as being monolithic and how people tend to make assumptions about what a person likes/dislikes just because of the color of their skin.
That's because you are white. It's actually startling to me as a black woman to see your take because mine is completely different. Because I belong to the group who's culture we are discussing, I see it as way more than that. Black culture to me is black hair care, AAVE, Motown, stories passed down from slavery and Jim Crow era, our national anthem (Lift Every Voice and Sing), HBCU's, black artists like Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Alvin Ailey. All sorts of music with real meaning and depth - blues, funk, jazz, soul, R&B, gospel, hip hop (real hip hop like The Roots, Common, Jurrasic 5, The Fugees, not crap like Lil Wayne or Soulja Boy). The prepackaged, manufactured garbage they show on TV for the masses isn't true black culture. It's Hollywood's interpretation of it. Like T1J said, a distilled, caricatured version of real black culture.
@@eklectiktoni That's not "black culture", my family are Nigerian and that isn't a common factor in Nigeria. Or in Africa for that matter. What you are describing is exclusively African American culture.
@@eklectiktoni I was with you till you start talking that real hip hop bullshit. That doesn't exist. Soulja boy and Lil Wayne are rappers and rap is a part of hip-hop so yes they are hip hop whether you like their music or not
Trying to define black culture as some kind of hegemony is as ridiculous as trying to define white culture as if everyone does the same things because of their feathers.
Is this philosophical question only relating to America? I imagine the answer might be different depending on the country & religion of the persons labeled/identifying as black.
Thanks to the person who left the voicemail and thank you T1J. I feel like I have a deeper understanding on a complex topic now, even without a hard definition.
Maybe you should limit the definition to black American culture? For instance rap/hiphop was founded in America by black people. Just like Jazz and blues. There are correlations with other global black culture. Blues for instance was founded during the Jim crow era? Correct me if I’m wrong. On the Capeverdean islands (also descendants of enslaved Africans) we have the morna (music related to the suffering from slavery and oppression) So there are Some correlations.
@@akeiltheseal I would argue that it is broaden, rather then vague. We want to hold on to our legacy, especially with this continiously cultural appropriation (of black culture globally)
@original human color ohw and another thing the original human color is melanated. Like everything in the world, dead things loose their colour. Like the coral for instance. Do you see how it is loosing it’s colour and turning white? (Meaning dead?)
@original human color 🤣because you steal them from us stupid. Like for instance during the atlantic slave trade and Jim Crow and colonization (seggregration). Black (melanated) people were denied of several rights. They would get heavily discriminated when they would patent or sell their inventions. They would get discriminated and denied from basically everything Did you even watch the video moron?
“Over time we should hopefully expect these definitions to shift if not erode completely.” Amen And also, with COVID hesitancy, the handshake / dap confusion is now part of everybody’s greeting routine.
Great video, as always! I think the definition of black culture is getting gets murky when we talk about it, but I think it's because it so often get's conflated with other things; there's a difference between black culture, the black experience, interests any given black person holds, and racist stereotypes. Culture is defined as "the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group." Defining black culture isn't about pigeon holing black people. The young lady mentioned anime, which is a part of Japanese culture. But that doesn't mean that every Japanese person has to like anime and only anime. As a black person, I can recognize hair braiding, or hip hop, or Jack and Jill or whatever as black culture and also not participate in any of those things. Or I can participate in all of those things, but still have other interests too. I think one of the problems is we have a hard time imagining black folks as dynamic, complicated, multifaceted people. We can see black culture, but cant see black individuals.
Idk for me I’ve always felt excluded from “Black Culture” whatever that really is, because I always liked really obscure things growing up, like linguistics and really old music, that very few people I know liked, and practically no black people. I got called “White” or “White guy in a black guy’s skin” a lot growing up, so that always made me feel alienated from Black Culture, which I honestly kinda perceived negatively because most media depictions of black stuff are pretty negative im my experience. I watch videos like these to see if there’s some sort of silver lining to all this or if there’s anyone else out there like me. So yeah lol
@Mohammed Jaliloh, by black culture do you mean Negro Spirituals and the genres derived from it like blues, R&B; black dance that gave rise to the likes of Alvin Ailey as well as most popular dance moves for the last 70 decades or so; perhaps you're referring to soul food, both recipes as well as techniques; black dialect relied upon heavily by the writers of the Harlem Renaissance. Or do you think the persistent negative stereotypes and assumptions about black identity that abound in the media and that have historically portrayed black people as dysfunctional is black culture?
I mostly wanna comment on your video for the algorithm, I try to every time, but I don't have anything meaningful to add except that I liked the video, hmmmmmmmmmmmm... I really liked in the raycon part where you shook your head really hard, that was silly! And it was a good demonstration! There we go, constructive crit! :D
Dear T1J, I think in order to have a strong cultural identity, it helps to have a clear national self-identity* as a common factor. (*not to be confused with nationalism, or even patriotism) However, (generalising somewhat), Black people born in America have the almost unique disadvantage of having a national identity that has been fractured by ancestral slavery and its associated forced relocation from various African countries. Curiously, I have heard it argued eloquently and forcefully both ways (by different Black speakers) that... 1) Black people are still African regardless of where they are born, and that this is the identity that they should celebrate and unify behind. 2) If you are born in America then you are an American; you don't need the qualifier "African American", you are simply a proud "American", just as much any white American is. I express no opinion either way on these views, but surely both these mutually exclusive views cannot be held simultaneously without inducing some internal schism of identity? In contrast, we note that White Americans have the different ancestral history of a nominally voluntary relocation from Europe, with many escaping from worse living conditions in European countries with the hope of a brighter future in the USA. This is one reason why you never hear white Americans call themselves "European Americans", because they have largely abandoned their European ancestral identity and fully embraced being American as their one and only national self-identity. Whatever white American culture is, they think of it as being an American culture practised by Americans, and they never think of it as European culture practised by "European Americans" living in America. NB: I don't pretend to have any magic answers, these are all merely observations and talking points.
That's true about White Americans seeing themselves as Americans only. But this has only happened with the passing of time. Italian-Americans and Jewish-Americans were seen as "not wholly white" in the early 20th century. They are considered "white" now though. St. Patrick's Day is still celebrated in the States by Irish Americans. But living that distinctive identity seems to have gone now, as you say.
I'm a young mixed person, and while I personally struggle with how to identify sometimes, anyone would look at me and think I'm black. I grew up with the white side of my family in the rural suburbs, so there pretty much no black people around for my entire childhood. I'm completely divorced from black culture, and I feel uncomfortable identifying as black because of it. I don't like the stereotypically black things. I listen to punk music, I'm vegetarian, and I speak in a vaguely British accent. But at the same time, I am visibly black. It's definitely a really complicated subject
I'm curious as to whether the topic of cultural appropriation vs appreciation lends itself to people viewing Black culture as a monolithic thing which they cannot or do not have the rights to interact with. Obviously we can all connect as human beings but it's a mentality I've seen kicking about before.
And even with "Black Culture" it tends to change from one metropolitan area and state to the next. The "Black Culture" of DC and its suburbs (where I grew up) is completely distinct from that of New Orleans for example.
Just FYI, I like the 10-15 minute format. Longer essay videos can seem 'intimidating or just 'to long right now'. Although I do like longer ones when I'm cooking or doing chores.
“Culture is not your friend. Culture is for other peoples’ convenience and the convenience of various institutions, churches, companies, tax collection schemes, what have you. It is not your friend. It insults you. It disempowers you. It uses and abuses you. None of us are well-treated by culture.” ― Terence McKenna I think culture is fine to be enjoyed, but when people bow down and worship it, problems arise. People defending "their" culture (as if they had much to do with its emergence) are slaves to culture. Nobody HAS to respect "my culture," and some degree of culture deconstruction and destruction is needed for things to evolve.
I think in 2021 it’s hard to understand but maybe during our parents and grandparents time they would get it. Maybe eating fried chicken in the 60s was a class thing. I don’t know shits good so it’s hilarious now. I was born in 92 so still remember a time when it was an insult but I can’t remember why it would hurt. Especially not now.
I once was talking to a black guy while working and he told me that fried chicken was a Southern dish enjoyed by all races. According to him however, fried chicken was introduced to white northerners by black southerners during the Great Migration and thus white northerners associated it with black people and the stereotype waa created.
Love your vids. You do a great job of explaining concepts and educating people without being patronizing or condescending. You don’t pretend to have experience or knowledge of things that you don’t have experience or knowledge of. However, you express your own perspective well. Always right to the point and on point.
I love talking about culture in America, although I am not in any way professionally educated on the topic, but it is so interesting. American culture is so young and quickly evolving that it is just deeply interesting to me. And of course Black culture is a HUGE part of American culture. Think about the food and music that is unique to America. It is heavily influenced by black Americans in such a unique way to how other cultures influence American culture. Of course so does the culture of Native Americans and Mexicans who were here way before America. Anyways tiny gush rant about my love for American culture over (Don't even get me started on American Literature - My favorite literary novels are American)
It's been a long time since I've watched one of your videos. I last saw you right when you fully switched from "the1janitor" to "T1J." It's really cool coming back and seeing what you're up to now.
Honestly now that I think about it I can’t even define any culture, I can think of certain things such as food and music, but they aren’t exactly pivotal to the culture themselves. Anthropology must be tough
As a person living in a European country the only time I've heard people talk about black culture is when they talk about 💁 rap music, twerk & hair...and food. Or at least that's what they're louder about. I've always wondered why are those the most important ? Maybe I'm just ignorant or I haven't paid attention enough... sorry. But that's what I see the most , from my experience.
I love this channel. Just found it through a youtube comment and it's so very interesting to hear your perspectives on things that are now at the forefront of the public consciousness. I'd like to be more educated on race issues, and your content speaks on it concisely and in a way that is easy to understand. It's a small first step for me being a better and more empathetic person, I hope.
When I moved, I basically said imma start over. Imma be a "regular" black girl. I waddled around school wearing my white forces and started listening to NBA youngboy. Always been a stoner, but I started posting me smoking listening to Von n sht and hid the fact that I listened to X and Lil Peep. It was terrible, boring and it wasn't me. That was my freshmen year, until I went to a Charter school because regular school and normies just didn't work for me. I would drive past the Charter school and see students with blue hair and black boots, and I just needed to be there.. Sophomore year of the Charter school, I gave myself some bright red box braids, started wearing all black again and started wearing darker eye makeup. I openly jammed out to lil peep and X in the hallways with FRIENDS!! Not behind closed doors. 🥲 Come to now, I listen to what I want, wear what I want, and look how I want. Because idc if you've "never seen a black hippie or rockstar" (Like bffr, the hippie era was full of afros bro). Black people are not only allowed to be "black". 🖤
I’m a Mex-American latino... I obviously can’t speak for black people, and much less black culture or the “black experience”, but from my experience I felt more or less pressured into acting/speaking a certain way more from other Latinos or extended family. Otherwise I would be accused of trying to “act white”. Thing is I grew up in a predominantly white town as a kid so trying to force myself into acting a certain way as I got older felt very disingenuous. That whole experience led me to ask what Latino culture was exactly and what it meant “be” Latino. I found most of the time “blackness”/“whiteness”/“X-ness” is defined by the greater majority and then put into perspective by our own relationship to that overall definition. Like one could be black but not “feel” black and not because they hate themselves necessarily but because they don’t identify with greater black U.S culture. I could be totally wrong though...
I think identity cultures are limiting and limited. I'm a 65 yo white guy and I like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Clark Terry, Denzel Washington, ladysmith black mambazo, (and T1J) and many other artists who are black. Does that mean that whenever I'm listening to Lena Horne or Flip Wilson I'm participating in black culture, or am I transcending the label altogether? Another way of looking at it is from the opposite direction: if a black person likes ice hockey, does that make ice hockey part of black culture? Is race participation critical to race culture? What about a black person who likes Handel or Beethoven? I like anything, music, art, business effort, or anything that brings value to the shared experience we call "culture". You do an awesome job, T1J. Keep up the good work. BTW, your distinction of 'black culture' and 'Black Culture" is very adroit. To often the formalization of something / anything creates barriers and changes the inherent nature of something. For instance, I'm a boater and participate in the boating culture: cruising from destination to destination, docktails, sightseeing -- it's all good. But if there was a "Boating Culture" and rules and standards what that meant became a norm, maybe I'd have to hate RV drivers. "Damn, RV drivers. They're ruining everything." But I like RV drivers.
3:51 bingo -- black american culture is not the same thing as black culture, and many africans and afro caribbeans are not always on the same wave, but it's def intersectional & worth sharing
And when marginalized cultures meet and share experiences they create beautiful stuff. Like with music, African rythms influence all traditional latinoamérican music
I've been learning music production lately and the most important thing I realized during my studies is that black culture is American culture. Without the contribution of black Americans none of the modern music we listen to would exist. I just wish that fact could have been acknowledged throughout our history.
this made my day...so enlightening. it will be beautiful when we all can recognize each other as each other without labeling based on what is a forced narrative by the media, the sheltered opinions of others and those who want to remain buried within their own comfort zone. we are all one!
I think the problem is that when people say black culture they are talking about non immgrant black Americans. So if someone ask you what is black cutlure you kinda have to specify if that person is talking about Black American Culture. So if someone ask me what is my culture I would say black Americans with a lineage of 200s years or more often has expects of southern tradtions like hoodoo and black supersitions like burning their shed hair. Our dialect AAVE (not slang words like dope and fleek) stems from the south there is also Gullah Geechee which is spoken on the low countryside. There is also a specific artistic category for African American quilters. There is also alot of black artist like Augusta Savage, Charles White, Faith Ringgold (quilter). If you want to talk about black american literature we have the whole Harlem Renaissiance with writers like Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes. And as far as more current culture we have partner dances like Chicago steppin/steppin and line dancing. I don't know why the answer to what is black culture is always so vague. Sometimes our culture is regional like in Lousiana but there is still commonality with black people from the north.
Got very confused by the Get Hard clip (I think it was Get Hard, not gonna look it up) because I thought terrorist fist jabs were now called daps. Turns out they are not. But now I know what a dap is so I'm happy
Rock and Roll would not exist without black culture. Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton led me back to their roots in the blues of African Americans. And some of Elvis Presley's most successful records were southern gospel. I just wanted to make a comment for the algorithm, but that's something that's always on my mind as I listen to music.
I think a best way to describe black culture from an outsider point of view experience is when Sacramento did an African-American day and it had different things. From southern including Gullah and new Orleans, jazz, hiphop, r&b, African culture itself. All in one place separated in different booth. All is aspects are black culture and I don't think I can have a clear definition since I'm an outsider.
I was expecting to disagree (as I often do with your takes) but this was pretty much exactly what I was going to comment as rebuttal to whatever crap I thought you might cook up. In other words, nice vid, man
I've always despised this notion of "black culture" as some sort of near dogmatic, monolithic identity that I'm supposed to conform to by virtue of skin colour. As a black person from the UK, you'd probably be surprised at just how much notions of blackness have been filtered through the imported black American experience and how often people expect those same things to somehow apply to you. In my eyes, these ideas about "black culture" are dehumanising as they deny us the nuance and fluidity afforded to others. They are free to be individuals but we can only be a collection of stereotypes.
T1J, I have had this question in the back off my head for a long time, and I think you are an intelligent and great person to answer this question; what makes a "Magical Negro?" I know it sounds like a dumb question, but I ask myself if Morgan Freeman from Evan Almighty playing God is putting him in that category? I have also seen people put John Legend in La La Land in this same category. Is any African American that either helps the main white character out or has some supernatural power considered a "Magical Negro?" Does that make Sam Wilson in Captain America: Winter Soldier fit into this category, as he does help the white protagonist and even have his own abilities. There is a Wikipedia article that list "Magical Negro" occurrences in fiction:@t Are all of these true? And final question, in cases like John Legend or Sam Wilson, what makes it offensive. I get characters like Uncle Remus in Song of the South, or Bubba in Forrest Gump, but those characters do not look offensive. If you want to, or if you have the time, please answer these questions. It would mean a great deal to me. Sincerely, a frequent viewer.
Can I just say as a white dude that I don't like shaking hands at all. Its gross and everyone has different opinions on proper grip strength to make a good impression. I'd much rather fist bump, give a hug, whatever. Handshakes are gross. I'm not trying to patronize you if go for a fist bump.
In these COVID/social distancing days, more people would probably prefer a fist bump. But culturally they operate differently. A handshake is more formal and a fist bump informal. You wouldn't give a fist bump before sitting down to a job interview for example. And as for hugging, well that's even more informal.
@@IAMACollectivist Yeah......I don't think that bowing would work in the West. These greetings develop from different societies and bowing in the West is seen as being too deferential. People only bow to royalty. Nodding in place of a handshake or any other "normal" greeting, would seem odd. I think we're stuck with what we have right now tbh.
I'm a black guy that grew up in south mississippi near an air force base. There were lots of different kinds of people, and like most people I have a variety of interests that have been influenced by all kinds of cultures. I like hip hop, but I also play DnD and like computers. I can't cook for crap and I hate spicy stuff. I AM black and still had a distorted view of what it meant to be black. When I was growing up I thought I wasn't black enough because we lived in the suburbs and I didn't use "black slang".
@5:40 I agree that we should expect and hope that the lines and definitions that separate us will change and erode over time, but I am struggling to understand the other valid point that individual cultures and some of their aspects also need to be preserved for the sake of those that want or even need to identify with them. I'm white and haven't really faced any significant struggles related to my race, so I don't know if my idea that cultures are meant to be shared and mixed is one that comes from ignorance. Any thoughts? (Open question to all, not just T1J)
I grew up kind of outside Black American culture... everything I knew was pretty much from my Haitian parents who came to America in the 70s. Now I have friends that are know more about Black culture but it has not affected me as much as I would if I grew up with it. I grew up in a mostly mixed race suburb to a middle class family. Most of Black American culture I've viewed from the outside. Although there is some cross over, I think I'd feel like a fraud if I was toted as an expert in Black American culture. Meanwhile I do listen to Kpop, watch anime and participate in Haitian tradition. At times I feel unwelcome or out of place among Black Americans because of my up bringing.
Loved the video, as always. Just wanted to say that The Great Gatsby isn’t the best example of what you were talking about, in that it was actually a very progressive book for examining what type of person would subscribe to these baseless racial inferiority conspiracy theories, and finds it to be an aggressive, pathetic person, the type who cheats on his wife, gets drunk and beats his mistress, the type that has no respect for himself or others. So it isn’t a black story, but it is one that deals with racism. I think that there were better clips of shows and movies that ignore black people’s existence
As I always tell a lot of people, black culture and black people are not monolithic. There are not traits or cultures specific to only black americans, there are too many variations and complexities to black people to pinpoint just a few specific traits of what "black culture" is IMO.
Why does everyone call Logic white? He's black, or at least half black lol
to be fair, it probably wasn't the greatest example, but I just wanted a quick example of a popular rapper who isn't black. Logic is biracial and doesn't identify as black as far as I know. He is also obviously white-passing so audiences don't perceive him as black either. This kind of goes into my own ideas about race and identity, but that's a topic for another time.
@@T1J i get what you mean, but if i met Logic without knowing who he is, I'd be asking "are you part black?"
@@T1J I think he does identify as biracial being black and white from this interview: www.npr.org/2017/05/15/528159035/logic-is-ready-to-tell-the-world-who-he-is
His dad is half black and his mom is white .
@@kemsat-n6h That's incredibly rude, don't interrogate strangers about their heritage.
Sometimes I felt excluded from Black culture because I was born to Black Caribbean immigrants and grew up in a predominantly white and Asian suburb. It was clear from early that through the diaspora black Caribbean culture and black American culture developed unique attributes which made them distinguishable...so distinguishable that I stood out ethnically even when I easily blended in racially. I struggled...how could I feel African American when I never felt fully American to begin with- being first generation? But later I realized that neither blackness nor black culture is one thing anyways...it's not a monolithic entity, it's a very malleable, complex one- the very message of this video!
Me and my 1st Gen friends call it immigrant culture, and that makes funny situations when we talk about immigrant culture in front of our white immigrant friends because we often use the word immigrant as a synonym for brown people.
@Rerun Bubba Spudskin You think we chose to think about our skin colour, hell no! We ARE FORCED to think about our skin colour, because white racist do, and even those who are not because of bias and stereotype. If I don't think about my skin colour around a cop, I may die. If I don't think about my skin colour in some stores, I may get arrested. If I don't think about my skin colour in many workplaces, I may get fired! For what? Because unless I act suppressed, and express regular human emotion, I'm gonna be seen as the angry black man, the thug etc. My parents, and friends get stopped by the police for no damn reason all the TIME! I've been lambasted by white people in my country for the better part of last year and this year saying stupid shit, like "we aren't racist around there", "actually you people are not black", or "racism is your fault because you talk about it". Always trying to INVALIDATE an experience THEY DON'T HAVE TO LIVE WITH. I am fucking fuming right now, if we were in real world you'd hear me screaming, and shortly after the police would be on my ass because I dared be black and angry. The only thing we have to live with that experience, are those cultural short hands like "immigrant culture" and make joke about it. Almost nobody calls my white immigrant friends immigrants, but every 1st Gen coloured friend sure are call this all the time.
EDIT: And if you think we think about our skin colour out of parent indoctrination, your wrong, most coloured parent let their kids think they're not different for as long as possible, until the racist world they live in catch up qnd their kid raise the subject.
@Rerun Bubba Spudskin Your response is ridiculous. When Donald Trump vowed to create a border wall at the Mexican border, what he was truly concerned with was keeping MEXICANS out of the US, not immigrants in general. The fact his wife is a white immigrant makes this even more apparent. White immigrants and immigrants of color have two entirely different experiences in the United States. In fact, immigrants of all races and ethnicities have different experiences than one another. Its easy to say "thinking as an equal in humanity first far overshadows your differences in skin tone in the grand spectrum," if skin color isn't something you have to think about. Society in fact sees skin tone as overshadowing everything else, and that is the painful truth and reality that millions of Americans have to live with every single day, and being an immigrant could in many circumstances make this experience even harder. What you are describing is purely idealistic. It would be wonderful for people to see each other for who they really are, but it doesn't work that way, and everyone needs to be more sensitive to this.
"When you're excluded from the mainstream culture then you kind of have to make your own" - You just answered a question I've had for probably over a quarter of a century. Kudos.
I've been thinking about this with connection to when I see black people saying someone isn't black enough in some way. I can't figure out why they do that unless it's that because they had to make their own while having pressure to conform to a white idea of culture there's some pressure from the group to conform to 'our' culture. But again that's so nebulous. And people get to be interested in other things and it seemed to me early the black people I knew didn't all have one culture. I've had black friends from all over the country, all over the world, and many religions and stuff. So when one friend called another an 'oreo' it really pissed me off. She was a New Yorker and he was a christian from Ohio, but they were both of them just as 'black'.
This effect is noticeable not only within traditionally marginalized races and ethnicities but also in the more short-term areas of exclusion. An example of this occurring in the short term is, as one might guess, nerd culture. Being excluded for their hyperfixation, nerds tend to gravitate towards each other, and since they are excluded from the norm, nerds have made their own culture which is home to many subcultures, including the Doctor Who fandom, Trekkies, computer geeks, and classical nerds.
We didn’t make our culture out of thin air though. This is the direct result of being able to maintain some elements of various African traditions, artistic expressions, and mannerisms.
We would have made your own culture anyway. People tend to be with people similar to them. Even though this isn't always the case.
@@mellonlord4616 when some says a black person isn't black enough just means they can't relate. We share the same history but at some point the paths diverged. This is the problem with multiculturalism and a dominant culture forcing you into itself for survival.
This can kind of happen to a lot of minority groups. In reality, there are many Black cultures, I find. As for my personal experience, Indigenous cultures are often distilled down to an imaginary shared culture between us, when Navajo, Cree, and Inuk cultures are all incredibly different from each other despite all being Indigenous.
There is a common culture. Plus or minus twenty thousand years' separation.
@@charliekahn4205 There are common aspects between cultures, but that isn't really the same. It's more like how different peoples within Europe might have similar customs on occasion, but maintain different languages, traditions, and identities as seen between various Germanic peoples like the Danish, Dutch, and Germans.
@@surgeland9084 Notice I said twenty thousand years
@@charliekahn4205 The cultural commonalities were there beforehand though. Unless you mean the shared history of oppression specifically.
@@surgeland9084 Exactly. Then they were separated for millennia and the cultures gradually lost most common aspects.
If you eat meat, you like fried chicken. I've never met someone who hates fried chicken unless they were meat-free. That black people are somehow pigeonholed (and I guess judged) for liking something that _everyone likes_ will never not be mind-boggling to me.
Heck, I'm meat free and I like fried chicken. Do I eat fried chicken? No, but I can still admit it's delicious.
@@crediblesalamander8056 yesss 100%. If someone found a way to make Mary browns or Popeyes but with fake chicken, you had better believe I would be all over that.
White women of the 50s: Shake and Bake
Also see: Chicken Nuggets (whatever a “nugget” is)
I'm not sure if this is true or not, so take that into consideration. I heard somewhere that fried chicken became a stereotypical "black" thing was because in the south chicken was relatively affordable for black people and fried chicken was a Sunday after church dinner. It became a tradition for some families to gather for a big Sunday dinner and fried chicken was the main course. Again, not sure if it's true but it would explain the origin of the stereotype.
The whole talk about metaphores just being a metaphore is just big brain time.
Metaphorès** ;P
T1J is so chill it makes me calm
Right??
I’m so over all of these tethers being so fascinated by us and making money off of talking about us. Focus on your own damn lame ass cultures and leave ours alone!
“I’m not the kind of video essayist who makes two hour videos. I’m not there yet.”
I’m gonna hang on to that YET
I like the more manageable ones.
@@alexengland-shinemercy When I let go of the "it's too long" notion and just immerse myself in a long one, even if it's 8 hours long, I find it incredibly informative and captivating. I don't mind splitting it into parts spread out into several watch sessions and/or days. There are some incredible ones out there; MauLer is probably my favorite one regarding film criticism.
in Get Out I really appreciated how we see the first interactions with the family from Chris' point of view, and cringe with him at the dad's attempts to greet him and talk with him, treating him differently with slang and gestures (exactly as you discussed) because of his race. it wasn't exactly foreshadowing for the later events of the film, it was more just like a little lesson to the white people watching imo....like, you don't do the other stuff portrayed in the film, but you're still guilty of racism if you're doing shit like this.
thanks for another amazing video!
+
And, most of us white folks really don't factor in how old/ prominent those caricatures, are. Khadija Mbowe has had good videos on the ubiquity of them. I think, specifically, her "digital Blackface" one.
Yeah, she’s amazing.
Watching this video was my workout for the week.
I struggle with labels vs. identity. Labelling others is often about setting limitations and exerting control, while claiming an identity can be an act of embracing personal truth and empowering. Yet the same words can be used to do both, sometimes simultaneously, and context is everything! This shit is hard.
Claiming an identity, I feel, is like using crutches. You need it for a specific, helpful reason. To heal, in this case. Once you heal, those crutches get in your way when you're ready to sprint.
Why is AA culture always talked about as though it’s some internal journey of blackness that one must embark upon?
Like what about Hoodoo, or Nola second line parades, or DC gogo/beat ya feet, hbcu marching bands, zydeco, etc.? We’re much more than rap/hip hop, but we’re also much more than our past “contributions” as well.
We have an objective culture with various traditions, beliefs, and expressions within it, which is a direct result of us having a bit of African retention despite our history, no different from an Afro Brazilian for example.
For anyone reading this, feel free to check out the African American Culture playlist on my channel for better perspective.
Yes, I hate that it's seen as a club other people can join. Me dancing kompa will never make me Haitian but there is an idea you just have to be around us to be us as if there are no ehtnic markers. Yes, we are so much more than Hip HIp. I make a whole slideshow on the diddleybow and the gourd banjo and African American quilts (Gees Bend), sweetgrass baskets.
Say That!!!💯
It always weirded me out how people think of "racial culture" as monoliths at all. I mean, a white American has very little common culturally with a Finnish person. Expecting everyone to slot into a specific, preset culture based on skin color is kinda crazy.
"Culture are a Jamaican roots reggae group founded in 1976."
“Originally they were known as the African Disciples.”
Rest in peace Joseph Hill.
Blackness and Black culture are often seen as interchangeable for example people appropriate both in different ways Black music for example has been heavily appreciated by kpop for example while things like Black fishing appropriate Blackness through commercialized black features
There's also the rampant exclusion of black people from so many cultural spaces the rampant racism in so much of these spaces have lead to this formation of black culture
There's also this trend of people still regularly view black culture as inherently lesser or not compatible with the idea of high culture
@@tyronechillifoot5573 Yeah, run that one by Misty Copeland and see how it works! XD
@original human color how is that cultural appropriation if it’s just a sport?? Who’s to say that white people invented basketball and football?
@original human color but wouldn’t those sports be apart of American culture in general not just white people? Genuine question. If that’s the case, racism is a part of White people’s culture too. I feel like you can’t compare the two because there are different music styles/genres made by specific cultures for a reason.
@original human color no they actually didn't unless you think basketball is consistent apart of blackness
Re: "You're not there yet" on 2 hour video essays.
I appreciate what you do for what it is, so don't stress about it. :) You're already there, just do what works for you. Thanks for the video!
Being black is like being one of the many sauce packets in that one drawer is our kitchens.
On a grand scale, there's a lot alike, You may find 2 of the same sauce, but there's still an array of flavors.
Most of them might contain tomato paste, but none of them contain quite the same amount of paprika, and some have habanero oil…
They're all pumped full of propylene glycol with too much sodium and fructose?
Guess that explains the BMI issue lmao!
I was born into an uncommon socioeconomic class than most people, let alone, Black people. When I talk about my life experiences, people would rather believe I'm either insane or lying than telling the truth.
Even my own children have at times been somewhat incredulous. I was explaining something to my sons and son number 2 says, "Mom, it's not like you had a pony!" To which son number 3 sheepishly replies, "Well, yes she did" and the room erupted in questions.
For a lifetime, my Blackness has been in question by people of all groups; most painfully when I used to care, by other Blacks. No matter what part of the country I'm in, the locals are sure, I'm not from there; the unsubtle inference being I can't be a product of or belong to the local Black population.
Neither money or class separated me from the Black experience and the risks that comes with it that we all share. Like every Black parent, I had to have, "the talk" with my children; just as, so many years ago, my parents had with me before I could walk out of their front door alone into the world. I'm always, first, an American Descendant of Slaves (ADOS) a label I am proud to bare despite how some would attempt to use it against me as a slander.
I hope you aren't like legitimately hard on yourself for the length of your videos, not everything has to go into some deep theory and your videos are just so amazingly succinct without being curt or even just over simplified. Hearing your perspective always gives me something new to think about and I thank you for that. Amazing job!
your set up is amazing
This is so interesting to hear as a Nigerian-American who lives outside the us
The "When was the last time you saw a black person advertising something healthy" had me like "Damn."
Kendrick Lamar was advertising something healthy?
Being a white person, whenever I think of "black culture", I think of hip hop music, the N-word and TV shows with a black cast that also created by black people (like The Proud Family, for instance). Whenever I think of "black culture", I tend to think of anything that was created/appropriated by black people in order to appeal more to black people than other races.
But I totally get the message behind this video, that a black person shouldn't be disqualified from being considered black just because he/she doesn't participate in what is considered "black culture".
I think this video does a really good job at explaining how black people aren't monolithic but tend to get stereotyped as being monolithic and how people tend to make assumptions about what a person likes/dislikes just because of the color of their skin.
That's because you are white. It's actually startling to me as a black woman to see your take because mine is completely different. Because I belong to the group who's culture we are discussing, I see it as way more than that.
Black culture to me is black hair care, AAVE, Motown, stories passed down from slavery and Jim Crow era, our national anthem (Lift Every Voice and Sing), HBCU's, black artists like Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Alvin Ailey. All sorts of music with real meaning and depth - blues, funk, jazz, soul, R&B, gospel, hip hop (real hip hop like The Roots, Common, Jurrasic 5, The Fugees, not crap like Lil Wayne or Soulja Boy).
The prepackaged, manufactured garbage they show on TV for the masses isn't true black culture. It's Hollywood's interpretation of it. Like T1J said, a distilled, caricatured version of real black culture.
@@eklectiktoni That's not "black culture", my family are Nigerian and that isn't a common factor in Nigeria. Or in Africa for that matter. What you are describing is exclusively African American culture.
@@rivercanoli3600 she said "to me" not all black people. That's her experience.
The n word is not Black culture because white people said it long before we did
@@eklectiktoni I was with you till you start talking that real hip hop bullshit. That doesn't exist. Soulja boy and Lil Wayne are rappers and rap is a part of hip-hop so yes they are hip hop whether you like their music or not
Trying to define black culture as some kind of hegemony is as ridiculous as trying to define white culture as if everyone does the same things because of their feathers.
@original human color Heilige Basiert
Is this philosophical question only relating to America? I imagine the answer might be different depending on the country & religion of the persons labeled/identifying as black.
Thanks to the person who left the voicemail and thank you T1J. I feel like I have a deeper understanding on a complex topic now, even without a hard definition.
Maybe you should limit the definition to black American culture? For instance rap/hiphop was founded in America by black people. Just like Jazz and blues.
There are correlations with other global black culture. Blues for instance was founded during the Jim crow era?
Correct me if I’m wrong. On the Capeverdean islands (also descendants of enslaved Africans) we have the morna (music related to the suffering from slavery and oppression)
So there are Some correlations.
yeah that's the thing. I know it's a hard-to-define thing but it's hard to talk about it because it's so vague.
@@akeiltheseal I would argue that it is broaden, rather then vague.
We want to hold on to our legacy, especially with this continiously cultural appropriation (of black culture globally)
@original human color ohw and another thing the original human color is melanated. Like everything in the world, dead things loose their colour. Like the coral for instance. Do you see how it is loosing it’s colour and turning white? (Meaning dead?)
@original human color culture vulptures, invaders, enslavers and colonizers. Well that is something to be proud of “sarcasm off”
@original human color 🤣because you steal them from us stupid. Like for instance during the atlantic slave trade and Jim Crow and colonization (seggregration). Black (melanated) people were denied of several rights.
They would get heavily discriminated when they would patent or sell their inventions.
They would get discriminated and denied from basically everything
Did you even watch the video moron?
i love your videos so much man, you bring your own unique perspective to different situations and conversations, and it always is super cool to hear
T1J -- a related followup video idea/suggestion for you... How do you feel about the news media's use the term "Black Community"?
“Over time we should hopefully expect these definitions to shift if not erode completely.” Amen
And also, with COVID hesitancy, the handshake / dap confusion is now part of everybody’s greeting routine.
Great video, as always! I think the definition of black culture is getting gets murky when we talk about it, but I think it's because it so often get's conflated with other things; there's a difference between black culture, the black experience, interests any given black person holds, and racist stereotypes. Culture is defined as "the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group." Defining black culture isn't about pigeon holing black people. The young lady mentioned anime, which is a part of Japanese culture. But that doesn't mean that every Japanese person has to like anime and only anime. As a black person, I can recognize hair braiding, or hip hop, or Jack and Jill or whatever as black culture and also not participate in any of those things. Or I can participate in all of those things, but still have other interests too. I think one of the problems is we have a hard time imagining black folks as dynamic, complicated, multifaceted people. We can see black culture, but cant see black individuals.
I think that minorities all over the world do get put into boxes generally and don't have the advantage of difference or uniqueness.
@@toomuchinformation we talking blck ppl.
Here before poc.
@@boxgaming281 Very true.
this!
Idk for me I’ve always felt excluded from “Black Culture” whatever that really is, because I always liked really obscure things growing up, like linguistics and really old music, that very few people I know liked, and practically no black people. I got called “White” or “White guy in a black guy’s skin” a lot growing up, so that always made me feel alienated from Black Culture, which I honestly kinda perceived negatively because most media depictions of black stuff are pretty negative im my experience. I watch videos like these to see if there’s some sort of silver lining to all this or if there’s anyone else out there like me. So yeah lol
Sound like a selfhater.
@@boxgaming281
Uhm, care to elaborate ?
@Mohammed Jaliloh, by black culture do you mean Negro Spirituals and the genres derived from it like blues, R&B; black dance that gave rise to the likes of Alvin Ailey as well as most popular dance moves for the last 70 decades or so; perhaps you're referring to soul food, both recipes as well as techniques; black dialect relied upon heavily by the writers of the Harlem Renaissance. Or do you think the persistent negative stereotypes and assumptions about black identity that abound in the media and that have historically portrayed black people as dysfunctional is black culture?
I mostly wanna comment on your video for the algorithm, I try to every time, but I don't have anything meaningful to add except that I liked the video, hmmmmmmmmmmmm... I really liked in the raycon part where you shook your head really hard, that was silly! And it was a good demonstration! There we go, constructive crit! :D
I feel like this should have been a two hour video essay...It was too short if not just short. I want more.... Please!
Dear T1J,
I think in order to have a strong cultural identity, it helps to have a clear national self-identity* as a common factor. (*not to be confused with nationalism, or even patriotism)
However, (generalising somewhat), Black people born in America have the almost unique disadvantage of having a national identity that has been fractured by ancestral slavery and its associated forced relocation from various African countries.
Curiously, I have heard it argued eloquently and forcefully both ways (by different Black speakers) that...
1) Black people are still African regardless of where they are born, and that this is the identity that they should celebrate and unify behind.
2) If you are born in America then you are an American; you don't need the qualifier "African American", you are simply a proud "American", just as much any white American is.
I express no opinion either way on these views, but surely both these mutually exclusive views cannot be held simultaneously without inducing some internal schism of identity?
In contrast, we note that White Americans have the different ancestral history of a nominally voluntary relocation from Europe, with many escaping from worse living conditions in European countries with the hope of a brighter future in the USA. This is one reason why you never hear white Americans call themselves "European Americans", because they have largely abandoned their European ancestral identity and fully embraced being American as their one and only national self-identity. Whatever white American culture is, they think of it as being an American culture practised by Americans, and they never think of it as European culture practised by "European Americans" living in America.
NB: I don't pretend to have any magic answers, these are all merely observations and talking points.
That's true about White Americans seeing themselves as Americans only. But this has only happened with the passing of time. Italian-Americans and Jewish-Americans were seen as "not wholly white" in the early 20th century. They are considered "white" now though. St. Patrick's Day is still celebrated in the States by Irish Americans. But living that distinctive identity seems to have gone now, as you say.
@Nicholas Lee, have you been reading Dubois?
@@andreabrown4541 Sorry, no. I admit that I am not well-read on the whole subject.
I'm a young mixed person, and while I personally struggle with how to identify sometimes, anyone would look at me and think I'm black. I grew up with the white side of my family in the rural suburbs, so there pretty much no black people around for my entire childhood. I'm completely divorced from black culture, and I feel uncomfortable identifying as black because of it. I don't like the stereotypically black things. I listen to punk music, I'm vegetarian, and I speak in a vaguely British accent. But at the same time, I am visibly black. It's definitely a really complicated subject
Like I dead ass was a black girl who loves emo punk music, was vegetarian and “talked white”.
I'm curious as to whether the topic of cultural appropriation vs appreciation lends itself to people viewing Black culture as a monolithic thing which they cannot or do not have the rights to interact with.
Obviously we can all connect as human beings but it's a mentality I've seen kicking about before.
And even with "Black Culture" it tends to change from one metropolitan area and state to the next. The "Black Culture" of DC and its suburbs (where I grew up) is completely distinct from that of New Orleans for example.
Just FYI, I like the 10-15 minute format. Longer essay videos can seem 'intimidating or just 'to long right now'. Although I do like longer ones when I'm cooking or doing chores.
“Culture is not your friend. Culture is for other peoples’ convenience and the convenience of various institutions, churches, companies, tax collection schemes, what have you. It is not your friend. It insults you. It disempowers you. It uses and abuses you. None of us are well-treated by culture.”
― Terence McKenna
I think culture is fine to be enjoyed, but when people bow down and worship it, problems arise. People defending "their" culture (as if they had much to do with its emergence) are slaves to culture. Nobody HAS to respect "my culture," and some degree of culture deconstruction and destruction is needed for things to evolve.
That was a poetic, mind blowing intro, man. Wow. Kudos.
Yo had to put logic and Eminem together 😭
Yeah I know Logic is part black
Your eyebrows are on point👌🏿
Yooo I saw "smart guy" in your TV show graphic. I love that show soo fucking much. Best TV dad hands down
I've never understood the "black people like fried chicken" stereotype. Yeah, of course they do. Everyone does. It's fucking delicious.
I think in 2021 it’s hard to understand but maybe during our parents and grandparents time they would get it. Maybe eating fried chicken in the 60s was a class thing. I don’t know shits good so it’s hilarious now. I was born in 92 so still remember a time when it was an insult but I can’t remember why it would hurt. Especially not now.
@Superior White race lmao
I once was talking to a black guy while working and he told me that fried chicken was a Southern dish enjoyed by all races. According to him however, fried chicken was introduced to white northerners by black southerners during the Great Migration and thus white northerners associated it with black people and the stereotype waa created.
Love your vids.
You do a great job of explaining concepts and educating people without being patronizing or condescending. You don’t pretend to have experience or knowledge of things that you don’t have experience or knowledge of. However, you express your own perspective well. Always right to the point and on point.
Culture and skin color the great conflation
That’s what “race” is which is the big problem with racism
AKA race
I love talking about culture in America, although I am not in any way professionally educated on the topic, but it is so interesting. American culture is so young and quickly evolving that it is just deeply interesting to me. And of course Black culture is a HUGE part of American culture. Think about the food and music that is unique to America. It is heavily influenced by black Americans in such a unique way to how other cultures influence American culture. Of course so does the culture of Native Americans and Mexicans who were here way before America. Anyways tiny gush rant about my love for American culture over (Don't even get me started on American Literature - My favorite literary novels are American)
The introductions are just incredible. I did a double take.
Always thankful for your videos.
It's been a long time since I've watched one of your videos. I last saw you right when you fully switched from "the1janitor" to "T1J." It's really cool coming back and seeing what you're up to now.
Honestly now that I think about it I can’t even define any culture, I can think of certain things such as food and music, but they aren’t exactly pivotal to the culture themselves. Anthropology must be tough
id like to say, that any attempt of creating a hardline definition of "black culture" is going to be essentializing.
The "that just me tho" at the end always hits. oddly satisfying
As a person living in a European country the only time I've heard people talk about black culture is when they talk about 💁 rap music, twerk & hair...and food. Or at least that's what they're louder about. I've always wondered why are those the most important ? Maybe I'm just ignorant or I haven't paid attention enough... sorry. But that's what I see the most , from my experience.
isnt that what culture is? music and food fit in there african hair care is pretty important
I love this channel. Just found it through a youtube comment and it's so very interesting to hear your perspectives on things that are now at the forefront of the public consciousness. I'd like to be more educated on race issues, and your content speaks on it concisely and in a way that is easy to understand. It's a small first step for me being a better and more empathetic person, I hope.
When I moved, I basically said imma start over. Imma be a "regular" black girl. I waddled around school wearing my white forces and started listening to NBA youngboy. Always been a stoner, but I started posting me smoking listening to Von n sht and hid the fact that I listened to X and Lil Peep.
It was terrible, boring and it wasn't me.
That was my freshmen year, until I went to a Charter school because regular school and normies just didn't work for me. I would drive past the Charter school and see students with blue hair and black boots, and I just needed to be there..
Sophomore year of the Charter school, I gave myself some bright red box braids, started wearing all black again and started wearing darker eye makeup. I openly jammed out to lil peep and X in the hallways with FRIENDS!! Not behind closed doors. 🥲
Come to now, I listen to what I want, wear what I want, and look how I want. Because idc if you've "never seen a black hippie or rockstar" (Like bffr, the hippie era was full of afros bro).
Black people are not only allowed to be "black". 🖤
Dope as usual. I’m glad you came back up in my feed. 🖤🙌🏾
I’m a Mex-American latino... I obviously can’t speak for black people, and much less black culture or the “black experience”, but from my experience I felt more or less pressured into acting/speaking a certain way more from other Latinos or extended family. Otherwise I would be accused of trying to “act white”. Thing is I grew up in a predominantly white town as a kid so trying to force myself into acting a certain way as I got older felt very disingenuous. That whole experience led me to ask what Latino culture was exactly and what it meant “be” Latino. I found most of the time “blackness”/“whiteness”/“X-ness” is defined by the greater majority and then put into perspective by our own relationship to that overall definition. Like one could be black but not “feel” black and not because they hate themselves necessarily but because they don’t identify with greater black U.S culture. I could be totally wrong though...
I think identity cultures are limiting and limited. I'm a 65 yo white guy and I like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Clark Terry, Denzel Washington, ladysmith black mambazo, (and T1J) and many other artists who are black. Does that mean that whenever I'm listening to Lena Horne or Flip Wilson I'm participating in black culture, or am I transcending the label altogether? Another way of looking at it is from the opposite direction: if a black person likes ice hockey, does that make ice hockey part of black culture? Is race participation critical to race culture? What about a black person who likes Handel or Beethoven? I like anything, music, art, business effort, or anything that brings value to the shared experience we call "culture".
You do an awesome job, T1J. Keep up the good work.
BTW, your distinction of 'black culture' and 'Black Culture" is very adroit. To often the formalization of something / anything creates barriers and changes the inherent nature of something. For instance, I'm a boater and participate in the boating culture: cruising from destination to destination, docktails, sightseeing -- it's all good. But if there was a "Boating Culture" and rules and standards what that meant became a norm, maybe I'd have to hate RV drivers. "Damn, RV drivers. They're ruining everything." But I like RV drivers.
Dude this video hit the mail right on the head
3:51 bingo -- black american culture is not the same thing as black culture, and many africans and afro caribbeans are not always on the same wave, but it's def intersectional & worth sharing
Great video! Lots to digest and think on
Commenting for the algorithm! Your stuff is great!
And when marginalized cultures meet and share experiences they create beautiful stuff. Like with music, African rythms influence all traditional latinoamérican music
I've been learning music production lately and the most important thing I realized during my studies is that black culture is American culture. Without the contribution of black Americans none of the modern music we listen to would exist. I just wish that fact could have been acknowledged throughout our history.
this made my day...so enlightening. it will be beautiful when we all can recognize each other as each other without labeling based on what is a forced narrative by the media, the sheltered opinions of others and those who want to remain buried within their own comfort zone. we are all one!
Love your new look!!! Great content, man! Big fan!
I'm really glad you made this video
I think the problem is that when people say black culture they are talking about non immgrant black Americans. So if someone ask you what is black cutlure you kinda have to specify if that person is talking about Black American Culture. So if someone ask me what is my culture I would say black Americans with a lineage of 200s years or more often has expects of southern tradtions like hoodoo and black supersitions like burning their shed hair. Our dialect AAVE (not slang words like dope and fleek) stems from the south there is also Gullah Geechee which is spoken on the low countryside. There is also a specific artistic category for African American quilters. There is also alot of black artist like Augusta Savage, Charles White, Faith Ringgold (quilter). If you want to talk about black american literature we have the whole Harlem Renaissiance with writers like Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes. And as far as more current culture we have partner dances like Chicago steppin/steppin and line dancing. I don't know why the answer to what is black culture is always so vague. Sometimes our culture is regional like in Lousiana but there is still commonality with black people from the north.
Got very confused by the Get Hard clip (I think it was Get Hard, not gonna look it up) because I thought terrorist fist jabs were now called daps. Turns out they are not. But now I know what a dap is so I'm happy
Rock and Roll would not exist without black culture. Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton led me back to their roots in the blues of African Americans. And some of Elvis Presley's most successful records were southern gospel. I just wanted to make a comment for the algorithm, but that's something that's always on my mind as I listen to music.
this was such an interesting video! subscribed
I think a best way to describe black culture from an outsider point of view experience is when Sacramento did an African-American day and it had different things. From southern including Gullah and new Orleans, jazz, hiphop, r&b, African culture itself. All in one place separated in different booth. All is aspects are black culture and I don't think I can have a clear definition since I'm an outsider.
Oh hell yea. I gotta watch this
I was expecting to disagree (as I often do with your takes) but this was pretty much exactly what I was going to comment as rebuttal to whatever crap I thought you might cook up.
In other words, nice vid, man
Damn that was a weirdly aggressive compliment
@@BrookeBaubles I felt it would be a more interesting comment than "Preach"
To summarise: it's complicated.
Great content!
I've always despised this notion of "black culture" as some sort of near dogmatic, monolithic identity that I'm supposed to conform to by virtue of skin colour. As a black person from the UK, you'd probably be surprised at just how much notions of blackness have been filtered through the imported black American experience and how often people expect those same things to somehow apply to you.
In my eyes, these ideas about "black culture" are dehumanising as they deny us the nuance and fluidity afforded to others. They are free to be individuals but we can only be a collection of stereotypes.
Great video!
Make that two hour essay!!!
T1J, I have had this question in the back off my head for a long time, and I think you are an intelligent and great person to answer this question; what makes a "Magical Negro?"
I know it sounds like a dumb question, but I ask myself if Morgan Freeman from Evan Almighty playing God is putting him in that category? I have also seen people put John Legend in La La Land in this same category. Is any African American that either helps the main white character out or has some supernatural power considered a "Magical Negro?" Does that make Sam Wilson in Captain America: Winter Soldier fit into this category, as he does help the white protagonist and even have his own abilities. There is a Wikipedia article that list "Magical Negro" occurrences in fiction:@t
Are all of these true?
And final question, in cases like John Legend or Sam Wilson, what makes it offensive. I get characters like Uncle Remus in Song of the South, or Bubba in Forrest Gump, but those characters do not look offensive.
If you want to, or if you have the time, please answer these questions. It would mean a great deal to me.
Sincerely, a frequent viewer.
Great video, as always.
I mean. Fried chicken. That's like the three main food groups: crunch, grease, fried
Can I just say as a white dude that I don't like shaking hands at all. Its gross and everyone has different opinions on proper grip strength to make a good impression. I'd much rather fist bump, give a hug, whatever. Handshakes are gross. I'm not trying to patronize you if go for a fist bump.
In these COVID/social distancing days, more people would probably prefer a fist bump.
But culturally they operate differently. A handshake is more formal and a fist bump informal. You wouldn't give a fist bump before sitting down to a job interview for example. And as for hugging, well that's even more informal.
@@toomuchinformation Well maybe in formal situation we can just nod at each other. Bowing seems to work well in the east.
@@IAMACollectivist Yeah......I don't think that bowing would work in the West. These greetings develop from different societies and bowing in the West is seen as being too deferential. People only bow to royalty.
Nodding in place of a handshake or any other "normal" greeting, would seem odd.
I think we're stuck with what we have right now tbh.
I'm a black guy that grew up in south mississippi near an air force base. There were lots of different kinds of people, and like most people I have a variety of interests that have been influenced by all kinds of cultures. I like hip hop, but I also play DnD and like computers. I can't cook for crap and I hate spicy stuff. I AM black and still had a distorted view of what it meant to be black. When I was growing up I thought I wasn't black enough because we lived in the suburbs and I didn't use "black slang".
Being in love is like eating chocolate while being run over by a tank.
Tiananmint choc?
So thrilled you’re uploading more.
Just randomly picking a video to respond to, & anounce my new subscription to your channel;)...TA DA! I found you in some other content creator's vid😁
@5:40 I agree that we should expect and hope that the lines and definitions that separate us will change and erode over time, but I am struggling to understand the other valid point that individual cultures and some of their aspects also need to be preserved for the sake of those that want or even need to identify with them. I'm white and haven't really faced any significant struggles related to my race, so I don't know if my idea that cultures are meant to be shared and mixed is one that comes from ignorance. Any thoughts? (Open question to all, not just T1J)
That caller sounds like my friend Mia.
i love your videos !!
I grew up kind of outside Black American culture... everything I knew was pretty much from my Haitian parents who came to America in the 70s. Now I have friends that are know more about Black culture but it has not affected me as much as I would if I grew up with it. I grew up in a mostly mixed race suburb to a middle class family. Most of Black American culture I've viewed from the outside. Although there is some cross over, I think I'd feel like a fraud if I was toted as an expert in Black American culture. Meanwhile I do listen to Kpop, watch anime and participate in Haitian tradition. At times I feel unwelcome or out of place among Black Americans because of my up bringing.
"I'm not one of those video essayists that makes two-hour videos; I'm not there yet."
I like the sound of that "yet."
Hey, tj, can you ask Raycon to make a white pair of their headphones? They just look fucking clean. The silver looks cheap.
Follow up question: can non-American black people be accused of culturally appropriating from US black people?
They can and have been.
Loved the video, as always. Just wanted to say that The Great Gatsby isn’t the best example of what you were talking about, in that it was actually a very progressive book for examining what type of person would subscribe to these baseless racial inferiority conspiracy theories, and finds it to be an aggressive, pathetic person, the type who cheats on his wife, gets drunk and beats his mistress, the type that has no respect for himself or others. So it isn’t a black story, but it is one that deals with racism. I think that there were better clips of shows and movies that ignore black people’s existence
As I always tell a lot of people, black culture and black people are not monolithic. There are not traits or cultures specific to only black americans, there are too many variations and complexities to black people to pinpoint just a few specific traits of what "black culture" is IMO.
I don't care what race you are, if you're not vegan or vegetarian and don't like fried chicken, that's just weird.
I don't like poultry