Being Black by Morgane

Being Black by Morgane - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

The term being black can be used to describe someone in many different forms. To this day we still have a very unclear understanding on exactly what is means to be black. Being black can refer to your race, mentality, or your appearance. Nothing exactly pinpoints what being black officially is. Some may say that being black refers to be categorized as being an African American.
The first thing that comes to mind about being black is that you are an African American. There is as saying “if you have a drop of black in you, then you are black”. This is most common reason why many may categorize you as such. Honestly having a darker skin tone does not necessarily mean that you are African American. Many other races have varying skin tones from fair to dark skin. This means that simply saying someone who is dark skin tone is African American is just incorrect.
The term “you talk like you’re white” is commonly used to describe someone who is not white, but speaks proper English. This saying shows that being black can also be looked at as being an attitude that you display to others. I believe that being black is also a mental thing that is associated with some people. Being black is somewhat a stereotype that people display strongly that is why they are looked at in a certain way. Having the mindset and attitude of a black person is completely different than any other race. Regarding your attitude things that come to mind are people who are very rude, have no goals in life, and do the bare minimal to get by in life. America has created an image apart of being black is not being able to do what others can do. This has caused many to set their standards and life goals low which often is the reason why they have this attitude and a certain mentality on life.
Appearance is another very obvious aspect of being black beside the color of your skin. A classmate once said “all black girls do is twerk and pat their weave”. A lot of things regarding appearance is often related to being black. Not having straight hair, wearing braids/weaves, or the attire you wear are all a part of being black. Weave happens to be used by many races but various ways and has different names. The saggy of the pants for males, is said to be related to black men categorizing them as thugs. The meaning of the saggy of the pants has nothing to do with race but instead is a jail message. How can something be categorized as being black when all races mimic these things?
There is really no exact meaning when it comes to the term being black. I believe it is more of a culture as a unit. All of these thing are just some of the factors that outsiders may use to define a black person. Saying this there is definitely a different between being black and being African American. One is about your culture and the other related to your race.