what does "stop feeling sorry for themselves mean exactly" when referring to Black Americans?
958149
I think it means that Blacks need to stop blaming other people, generally whites, for not doing better. Blacks today have more opportunities than at any other time in history except, perhaps, immediately following the Civil War, yet instead of taking advantage of these opportunities, they insist that they are unable to because "Whitey is still holding them down." That's a victim's outlook, not powerful people who are able to determine the course of their lives. They need to seize that power and run with it and achieve whatever it is they want to achieve.
697806
It means you are insensitive to other's feelings; perhaps even self-centered
625523
There is one thing I believe. Whether you look down your nose at a different race or you over-act, they are both forms of racism. A person is not a racist when he/she acts totally normal around all sorts of people. If you force yourself to be down, you are bordering on racism because you might make people feel uncomfortable and that's what racism is.
153171
When one has a "chip on their shoulder", it means they are holding a grudge thus feeling sorry for themselves and displaying a bad attitude.
34441
First - the words are copacetic (not "copastedic") and themselves (not "them selfs").\n\nIn answer to your question - it's just the way some people are.  They're not happy unless they're unhappy. :)  Maybe they don't feel they deserve happiness?  Or they hold on to negative feelings, because they wouldn't know what to do without them?
441519
I would first have to question why you would want to say the word in the first place.\n\nSecondly, the word has been so used and abused in the past, to demean and humiliate African Americans, it has become a slur when it comes from the mouth of any person who is not African American.\n\nBear in mind, I hate hearing those words altogether, specially in rap and hip hop, as those artists pretend they're reclaiming the word, when in fact, they're giving people the right to use that word against us, and to use it badly.
901632
Technically, its not a racial term. It is just a term blacks used to identify whites who were abusive. Since it carries emotional hatred, it became a pseudo racial epithet but to be honest it is pretty weak and silly. It's basically using an old slang that meant "racist" as a racist term. See the problem?
919650
The whole "Say it loud; I'm Black and I'm proud" thing is because not very long ago, Blacks were made to be ashamed of their color and ancestry. This idea of being proud (rather than ashamed) of being Black is in reaction to that.\n\nThe phrase 'white pride' is used by violently racist whites, who think Blacks should either be killed outright, or all "sent back to Africa" against their will.\n\nMyself, I think the idea of being proud of one's race is silly, as it doesn't say anything about me, really.\n\nBut for a long time, dominant white culture denied Blacks humanity, claimed all Blacks were worthless, stupid, criminal, etc. Thus the backlash and the emphasis (the shortest month of the year) on Black history and the accomplishments of Blacks in general and Black Americans in particular.\n\nEventually everyone will get bored with the whole Race thing.
658057
nickelodeon05, this is for you:\nYou obviously feel strongly about your race and racism. I understand you feeling the way you do, but look at it this way. You(you in general) call white people profound racial names such as cracker and honkey, but when a white person slips the forbidden N word out into the open, that person and everyone they're talking to is "gonna get popped". You said that an African American only calls a white person racist when he or she feels that they are being racist, but you forgot to mention that because of the past, you feel even a slight look into your eyes is a racial remark towards you. You said your youth wasn't alive when Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X were alive, but you ALSO weren't alive way back when there was enslaving and brutality to your race. It's funny how people only act by the bad things and not the good. Look what you fought for, are you showing respect for what you got, equality, by trying to push yourselves higher in the food chain by pulling guilt trips on white people? I know many intellegent African Americans who have gotten over the whole "you're white and I'm black so that means you're racist" thing. And what would you have done if some black thug kids started threatening your children in such a manor that it bothered you enough to say something? Honestly, Put yourself in someone else's shoes before you go discriminating against someone who just acted upon their instincts of protecting their children. \n\nI'm friends with a lot of skinheads, but I'm also friends with a lot of African Americans. I see the view point from both sides, and it's just a big stupid misunderstanding. When people start threatening small children, then that's just going too low. I have no idea why teens are going back to the ghetto and wanting to be thugs again. Their motives are not usually the best, and these kids just don't understand much about anything. Ignorance is the start of all wars.
370190
You can. That's just yet another Bs ghetto line that some idiot created, in order to make their race feel good about themselves. But sadly for them, its yet another smokescreen illusion. \n\nThe sad part is that their own people like that scumbag jesse jackson and al cinnamon sharpton are selling out their own race more than any disingenuous idiot like teddy drunken kennedy ever could. \n\nAlso, many blacks forsake actual smart, articulate and expemporaneuos black leaders, such as clarance thomas, thomas sowell, colin powell and many more for being too "white". \n\nSo their own race frowns upon intellect and upper class thinking and living for the most part, because their "leadership" has sold them a false bill of goods that they've been incorrectly buying into since the 1950's. All they have to do is look at their life, culture and society and see that the same things they complained about over fifty years ago they are still complaining about today. \n\nEnough said.
481200
The word itself is a Latin derivative of "ignorance", (though most people believe that it refers to Niger - which unfortunately happens to be in Africa - however, they are called Nigerians).  To answer your questions...\n\n1) I am PROUDLY Multi-Ethnic and a "true" American.  My heritage spans 5 of the 7 continents - from Northern Africa, to most of Western Europe, to Asia, to both North and South Native America's.  (You should see our family gatherings!)  There's no Aborigine or Penguin yet - but I'm working on the latter - LOL!\n\n2) Never!  It's nasty and only proves your ignorance for using it - either colloquially or in hatred.\n\n3) It pisses me off!  Especially when used by African-American youth or other Black people in so-called "friendly" conversation.\n\n4) Most definitely!  See above.\n\n5) Even more so - I am not, have never been and never will be racist.  I judge people on their character - not the colour of their skin, their race, ethnicity, religeon, sex, level of intelligence or sexulaity.\n\n6) Only this.  I am not a religeous person, but I am very spiritual.  I just respect myself and above all, respect other people and nature the exact same way I want to be respected.  \n\nI was raised 1/2 Jewish and 1/2 Catholic, (I should have twice the guilt - LOL!), I believe that god - whatever he, she or it may be, created us to love each other respect each other and help each other in times of need.\n\n7) Besides - everyone's blood is red, (when it hits oxygen - in our bodies it is actually blue!), everyone's s**t stinks and finally - we will all die.\n\nThat's all - hope this helps.
376681
Ignorance. Plain and simple. \n\nSome people just feel so bad about themselves, that it makes them feel better to put others down. They think it makes them look cool.\n\nSome day, when they themselves have gained some weight, or they have kids and little Johnny or Jane comes home crying cause some other kid called them 'fatty', maybe then they will understand how hurtful 1 word can be.
268006
i have, even though they were my anscestors, i still say, i am sorry that that happened.  My family is black, i am white. it is not a guilt that i neccesarily carry in my own heart, it is just a true and deep human desire for me to say to someone, i am sorry that someone hurt you.\na friend looses a loved one, we say were sorry even though its not our fault the loved one died.\nwhen a race that i happen to belong to dehumanizes another race, just because of skin color? the least i can do is say, im sorry; know that "I" take no pride in that, and know that i see how it has hurt and affected millions.\n\nto those who say, well it wasnt me? it might not have been you, but you would surely say something to a friend who is hurt; \nit places no blame on you directly, takes nothing away from your pride, and promotes human understanding, all in about 3 seconds.
545795
I'm with you on this one.\nPeople who say you're white-washed for being yourself have a pretty poor idea of how blacks are supposed to behave.\nIgnore them.
884204
not at all, if you feel bad, do something.\n\n:> peace\n.
573059
People who think of themselves feel their only their problems exist and people who don't apologize or feel bad for anything they have done wrong.
744297
OK, I am going to speak plain with you. You have come here for some emotional support, perhaps some consolation and for others to jump on the bandwagon of your selfpity and pity and feel sorry for you. I am not going to insult you or be mean to you, however, I am not going to lie to you either or encourage you to feel powerless by acting the victem. \n\nListen, if you want to grow self esteem, self respect, the first thing you need to do is take your personal power back by stopping this victem stuff, stopping this feeling sorry for yourself. You are as deserving as the next person of happiness and good treatment. I don't care what your race is, what language you speak natively, or what type or how bad your accent is, what your weight is, how tall you are, the shape of your eyes, or nose, or butt either. You are a hunam with rights the same as anyone else. \n\nWith that said, I want you to listen very carefully here. WE TEACH OTHERS HOW TO TREAT US!!! If you allow yourself to feel like a victem, then you will be a victem. Do victems have personal power? Do victems have self esteem? Do victems have self respect? No to all of the above. However, nobody can make you a victem except YOU. You are choosing to view these events as a victem, rather than stand up for yourself and demand proper treatment. \n\nWhy did you not go to the principles office and report these incidents? Why are you allowing these people to treat you poorly? There are things you can do to stop this sort of treatment and you are the only one who can do it. Nobody is going to do anything to gain you proper treatment, nobody is going to step in and say, "hey, you need to treat this young girl right!". As sad as I am to say that, it is the truth. The reason nobody will do this is because you have isolated yourself, have not made friends, have not nurtured your life here in this country. You have allowed yourself to be trampled on and become downtrodden and that is not attractive to others. Nobody wants to be friends with victems, or with those who allow themselves to be treated poorly. That is a sad fact of life. People want to be friends with the popular kids, with those with self esteem and self respect. People always love the winners, not the losers. It is a sad fact of life, especially for the younger crowd. \n\nListen, kids are the cruelest animals on the face of the earth. They know when another kid is weak and vulnerable and they, like wolves, go for the soft underbelly of those who are weaker and rip and tear them apart. As you have not stood up for yourself, have not placed bounderies around yourself which tell others what you will tolerate and what you will not tolerate, they see a person easy to taunt and take things out on. Kids are under a great deal of pressure and they will find those weaker than themselves to degrade and beat up on in order to release the presure they are feeling. Sad fact of life for a kid. Even adults will act like this sometimes. \n\nYou need to start gaining self esteem by setting bounderies on how you will tolerate treatment. You need to take back your power by going to the proper authorities and reporting those who abuse you. You need to report anyone who lays a hand on you, who so much as touches a single hair on your head. \n\nStart holding your head up when you walk around. Stop looking at the ground, and allow yourself to look others straight in the eyes. This is America and in America we look others in the eyes, not keep our eyes on the ground. You need to learn how to fake it tell you make it. In other words, if you pretend you are happy, if you pretend you are not miserable, find stuff to do, and look happy and look content with life, soon you will discover you actually are. \n\nI use to hate having to push a shopping cart home from the store. I felt embarressed due to it seeming to signel to others my poor status. I was ashamed and always looked at the ground so not to see the contempt I imagined in the ey