why is it so hard growing up black?
141650
its only as hard as you make it seem
641001
THIS ISSUE HAS TO DO WITH ALL KIDS NOT JUST BLACK AND HISPANIC.THE PROBLEM WITH KIDS TODAY IS THAT THEY WOULD RATHER DO THINGS THE EASY WAY THAN THE HARD WAY....BEING IN A GANG MORE PRESTIGIOUS THAN BEING IN SCHOOL AND GETTING GOOD GRADES. HAVING BOYFRIENDS AND GIRLFRIENDS AND HAVING SEX IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN JUST BEING GOOD IN SCHOOL OR LIFE IN GENERAL. WHAT KIDS HAVE TO LEARN IS THAT WITH ACTIONS COME CONSEQUENCES AND YOUR NOT INDESTRUCTIBLE IN FACT YOUR VERY VULNERABLE. REMEMBER LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT NOBODY EVER SAID IT WAS GOING TO BE EASY!!!
805345
a lot of great answers. being a black person myself. i see racism all the time and its ugly. not only do you have to play at a high level on the field you have to endure a lot of injustice and ignorance. think about not being able to fight your detractors or say anything negative about them. anything he did or say could have set blacks back in baseball for years. he had to endure a lot and tolerate a lot of bigotry. basically its all about character and a higher belief in GOD. because he was blessed and GOD made sure no weapon formed against him had the opportunity to prosper. faith my brother was his greatest characteristic.
1091970
Yeah it was hard. It also depended if you were a slave or if you had money. Slaves obviously had it worse that people with money. There was plenty of disease thats for sure.
1088744
Why does he have to be black?
319971
It is only because their bods are bigger built and sweat looks hot on them. Try going to a club with less blacks.
733714
Because the likes of Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson are poverty pimps that get rich by telling blacks that its all the white mans fault that they are poor.  \n\nThe bottom line, its easy to fail... its tough to succeed.
598123
Look sweetheart don't trip, just go with the blows. Its always something wherever we go. No one will ever understand completely the pressures we face each and everyday living as black Americans. Its all ignorance if you ask me. Never let anyone move you from your comfort. If that job is producing your comfort at home, Milk that job for all its worth of all its knowledge, and paychecks and one day soon start your own Company. I know its hard, but learn to adapt to that work force environment. Its the only way to get ahead.
639044
Get used to it. Unfortunately we as white people would never be able to have WHITE people only on anything. We are so afraid of offending black people that we injure ourselves. Why cant we all just try to be equal? There are plenty of young white kids like yourself that are struggling also. You should be given the same opportunities as everyone else. Yes this is a form of racisim
2465
AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE BLACK BEACUE THE HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF A CHEMICAL CALLED MELANIN BUILT UP INTO THEIR SKIN. THIS CHEMICAL CAUSES THE SKIN TO BE RESISTANT TO THE ULTRA VIOLET RAYS OF THE SUN; OR IN OTHER WORDS SO THEY CAN STAY IN THE SUN LONGER AND BE MORE RESISTANT TO BURNING. THIS IS THE SAME CHEMICAL THAT CAUSES YOU TO BROWN AFTER TANNING. IT IS A GENETIC TRAIT THAT ADAPTED LONG AGO SO THAT THEY COULD SURVIVE AND BE HAPPIER ON THE HOT VERY, VERY SUNNY AFRICAN PLAINS.\n\nASIANS HAVE EYES THAT HAVE A SMALL FLAP OF SKIN AT THE SIDES OF THEIR EYES THAT GIVES THEM A LONGER SLIGHTLY SLANTED APPEARANCE. THIS IS MERELY A GENETIC TRAIT THAT THAT PARTICULAR GROUP OF PEOPLE SHARES. THERE IS NO FUNCTION TFOR IT.
1143677
I am white. I have an equal amount of friends that are black and Mexican. I was racist though at about 15. It was a very determined wonderful strong minded black woman who brought me out of it. I was like that because people of other races besides yours ARE somewhat different. It was hard for me to understand and at that age my family, my mentors, told me this is how you should be and I believed that. There is racism of every color and it is all a matter of ignorance. What needs to be understood is that it is our differences that make us special and wonderful and should be celebrated, not hated.
1041027
It is ridiculous the way african americans always have to try and make the white caucasions look as if they are being prejudice. Life is not a racial issue and should not be looked at that way. Everyone has has their own inner beauty and should let that overide any feelings of hate and or prejudice. I sometimes wonder if the african americans are more prejudice than the caucasions that surround them.
779838
Of course you know that if you were white, you would still be human and would still find things to be miserable about, still find injustices, still find excuses, still find people to blame for what is not working in your life.\n\nI'm not discrediting any of your complaints actually, I would probably wonder the same thing if I was black, dealing with the societally imposed heaviness and heartbreak of being black.  But the truth is, you only know what you know.  If you were born purple in a field of orange daisies you would consider anything that interupted, interfered with, or otherwise disturbed your purple and orange daisy world as a terrible and unjust thing.  \n\nWhite people don't get everything easy or handed to them either.  Bad things happen to white people too, including disease, cruelty, injustice, violence and racism.  The difference is that it isn't built into the very fabric of our society to hold whites down as it is for blacks.  The societal infrastructure was built by white people to support white people and overlook black people.\n\nI honestly believe that most white people have no real awareness of the advantages they experience day by day compared to the disadvantages of being black in this society day by day.  Why would they?  They have no framework to compare it to, only the white world they grew up in.  They really have no clue how black people are beaten back and dismissed in this society.  \n\nAs a white woman I work hard to wake my fellow whites up to the fact that we will never get beyond our current black/white tensions by guiltily avoiding what we don't want to see--that we need to start listening to and acknowledging the realities of being black in this country, to understand that white people have for the most remained willfully ignorant of this and to keep the growth and dialog going.  \n\nUnfortunately, people like me are not that typical, white or black.  And as much as black people never want to hear this, if you want to help wake white folks up, you have to be willing to patiently educate them.  Yeah, I know, its not your job and you're sick of it.   But it's going to take both of us to make it happen, friend.\n\nPersonally, I think there should be more interracial marriages and relationships.  Nothing brings these realities home faster than loving someone and taking their problems on as your own.  It becomes very personal then, especially if your biracial kid is experiencing racism...then you really get it.   I would have considered myself absolutely non racist until I fell in love with my husband, who is black.  Then I had to start coming to grips with the subtler types of racism I had no idea had been put in me.  I've learned a lot.
234297
It is part of the rebalance of pride.  Black slaves were beaten like dogs and worked like well slaves under the rule of whiteman. They lost their sense of self worth during this time and is slowly rebuilding it now.\n\nIt is a shame we can't be equal (and No We Are Not All Equal) and color blind. But it's the way it is today.  The majority of childhood hero's are white, all the presidents are white, and most entertainers today are white (though this is changing the most with music and hiphop).\n\nBlacks are just a guilty for the lack of integration as the whiteman. But the over compensation of pride black youth has today will continue to hinder most interraccial relationships for years to come.
310237
Interesting inquiry...My family taught me to be a racist because of the treatment they experienced while living in the south back in the 50's and 60's.  When I went to college and found out that I could be friends with people of all races my entire existence expanded.  I had to learn how to take a stand for what I believed in whether my family and friends agreed with me or not.  Learning to be my self and bridge the race gap with others has been quite enlightening.  Then again...I challenge myself to grow spiritually, so letting go of the past is one lesson I have been able to conquer.  The gift is not to resist, but to examine and inquire.  You're on the right path.  Peace.
167264
A poor upbringing can explain a lot - for instance, racist parents beget racist children when the "adults" make such comments in normal, everyday conversation with friends and neighbors. Their kids grow up thinking it's "normal" for everyone to speak that way. \n\nFor most people, the first 18 years of your life is molded on a daily basis by "Mom and Dad" or whatever parental figures/guardians are in the home. Whatever they "teach," be it directly or indirectly, is what you grow up thinking is "normal." If they're negative, you'll probably end up that way as well.
396269
I get so tired of it.\n\nListen to this...\n\nTwo males came into my job and tried to pass counterfiet money and they said I was racist. They were black, Im white. WTF!\n\nThey were the ones doing bad things so why am I being called racist. Man its getting old being a young white person. I bet its real hard for every race though.\n\nI WANT TO BE PURPLE!