I can’t. I just can’t. I almost don’t want to even share this damn video because I don’t want to increase their hits. But please feel free to go to their youtube channel and express your thoughts and feelings. I know I did. Leave comments and write messages. Is this supposed to mirror and/or point out flaws within the “Shit White Girls Say to Black Girls” phenomenon? Is this supposed to be some sort of indication that reverse racism exists and that those videos are as offensive as this one? Or did some fool with a camera really believe this was somehow clever and witty? I’m going to have to believe that whoever did this wasn’t that stupid and unaware of themselves. Whatever it is, it’s repulsive, repugnant, reckless and straight up wack. Makes me want to get on my Marcus Garvey/Pan Africanism tip and bounce. Wait till Shanti wakes up and sees this.SMH. In the words of Charlie Murphy, these kids are “habitual line steppers”.
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Shanti Mayers and Antoinette Henry are best friends whose friendship took root in Philadelphia 10 years ago. Now as adults, Antoinette lives in Brooklyn New York pursuing her dreams in theater while Shanti still resides in Philadelphia raising her one- year old daughter. The creation of their blog “A Curl’s Best Friend” is representative of the creators and their love for natural hair, their appreciation of beauty and talent, their need for self -expression and their admiration for the many faces and voices of womanhood. Keep up with them on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr!
The video shows the problem with dedicating only a month out the year to black history month. Teaching history year round and the other history (black history) in february. Black history is american history and it needs to be integrated in our school system and show same importance as the history our kids are learning In school now.
To go further so many African American kids know the artist and lyrics mention here but can't tell you who was Malcom x and what he did its a problem bigger than what we think that needs to be fix within our community first
That video was stupid! The stereotypes and lack of intelligent questions and answers were a little shocking. What was the point of him making himself look black? Did that guy say colored? really?
Some people don't have a clue!
I have to say, the black was the least of the video's problems. The complete lack of knowledge and perpetuation of stereotypes was a lot more poignant. Please note how they took all of the black people out of the, black person expression segment – and did not even do a reciprocal question as they did for some of the others. I'm not sure if I'd be mad at this ignorance, because it is obvious that it is not that important to most Americans other than a few McDonalds commercials and the few African Americans that actually make an effort to acknowledge it. I'm just proud of myself that I've remembered at least a few of our black figures other than the usual. Garret A Morgan, Madam CJ Walker, Fredrick Douglas, Booker T. Washington. And even those are more or less staples. But still, that is the one thing that many black formative schools have over white or diverse schools, is they beat this stuff into the kids. So that if they can remember even one, that is a lot better than most Americans. Americans are so self involved, I feel it would take too much effort to be upset. I remember when Michael Moore came to my school, he played a game with the audience called "Stump the Yank" which aimed to show that the dumbest Canadian is still smarter than the smartest American. All it really shows it is how much American forces itself down the throats of other cultures why not even attempting to ingest the other cultures that essentially make America what it is today.
"Education is the passport to the future."
-Malcolm X
although in poor taste (IMO), i think the blackface was intended to conjure a negative reaction from those he interviewed, although suprisingly only three people questioned him about it. The responses were ignorant and extremely racial, if not racist. and to make it worse, from what we can see none of these interactions were staged. and that one blk man who didnt know when blk history month was- i think he was being "dumb on purpose", as my mom would say. sometimes, in order to fit in with white people, many blk ppl act as if they know nothing about black history/black culture/ etc. but anywho, did anyone catch when the girl said that if a blk guy acted white, he would be considered "classy", whereas if a white guy acted black, he would be a "tool"? SMH. i never thought that race was an adverb. HmmmMMmmmm… and these are supposed to be college students? My generation is DOOMED!
I would like to point out that we don't know HOW many people that guy actually interviewed, or how many people gave correct and impressive answers. It might have been edited to make a point.
I rarely trust these "lets ask random people off the street" type segments for that very reason. Unless I'm sure I'm seeing the whole thing, you know?
HOW ABOUT WE GET RID OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH, AND INTEGRATE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF BLACK PEOPLE INTO THE GENERAL CURRICULUM?!
To be honest I always thought Black History month was for primary education. Why do we still need to pick one month to celebrate it?
In high school when we learned about American History, we didn't concentrate all of the Black American history into one month. We went in chronological order, we got to the Restoration Era when we got there. We got to the birth of rock and roll when we GOT there. We got to civil rights when we GOT there. We were learning about black AND white people all year round.
When we learned about world history, we didn't concentrate all of African history into one month. We talked about each region of the world for every time period. Africans, Asians, and Europeans all year round.
This is how it should be.
The revolution will not be tweeted, blogged, or liked on facebook. Fight ignorance with information. It is our responsibility as humans. There are plenty of things that all of us can be educated in. Don't like their comments? Educate your own children to be better and stop playing the victim. You can't control another person's brain.
Oh, and the educational system is not to blame, families are. Stop blaming education! They are doing exactly what they were designed to do: turn our children into drones who will happily go to work every day without causing dissent. Then they can go home and watch reality tv for hours before getting ready to do it all over again. That's after their homework is finished of course. Y'all better wake up!
I think he couldve gotten his point across without painting his face brown. He clearly looked a fool and i'm sure plenty of people noticed. That being said, that is the only problem i have with this video. There are clearly still many ignorant people out there in 2012. There are plenty of campaigns that shed light on the ignorance of people by poking fun. Truth commercials anyone? I think the fatal flaw in his argument is that the study was conducted at BYU. They live in a bubble. Go to a diverse school and ask these questions.
Ok, so when I first saw this video I was so beyond suprised. Out of all the months dedicated to different races black history month is the one month that is the most recognized and I couldn't believe that no one could name when it was or could they name any historical figures outside of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks. But after reading some comments above I started to think of how little I knew about other races. To be honest I didn't even know there was an Asian Pacific month until a few years back when a commercial came on say there was a festival (in downtown Houston) celebrating it. I was like "Wait, Asian Americans have a month?". There was even a commentor above who didn't know that there is not only an Asian American month, but also National Hispanic month, Caribbean American month, and National American Indian month. Now can anyone, without looking it up, name what month they are in and 1 historical figure? If your like me I wouldn't be able to tell you cause I didn't know without looking that information I just mentioned up, so I can't get too mad at these people for not knowing the information cause I am just as guilty as they are about other races outside of my own. The one thing that everyone here should take from this video is that we need to educate and get more educated.
You're right, black face is never OK. But what is even more disturbing is the blatant ignorance of these COLLEGE students. It makes me sad for the future of this country, because nothing will change until all of
America's history is appreciated.
Straight foolishness! Its not the blackface…its the damn races comments coming from the white people and the black guy not knowing when black history month is needs to be slapped
I don't see anything wrong with what the maker of the video did, especially since he didn't even make a real attempt to actually appear black and I think that was the whole point. He attempted to bring awareness and it becomes clearer and clearer as the video neared its end. The real shame are the students at this university (especially the black ones who didn't even know when Black History Month is) who aren't only totally deluded but have no problem displaying and admitting their ignorance to the world. These types of people are everywhere and can be anyone and it's up to us as individuals not to get sucked into the nonsense.
I believe the message was meant to be one of positivity. The delivery may have been off-putting, but I do not believe that the person that made this video had bigoted intentions.
This video did not offend me at all. It was rather amusing to me. It showed the ignorance of many Americans and I do not believe that it was meant to be offensive at all.
the "black face" (if you can call it that)did not bother me at all. This young man started a conversation on campus, and shed light on the lack of knowledge of black history month. I do not think he meant to offend or mock African Americans. I was disturbed by the students he interviewed, not him at all.
While I believe the video was done in poor taste, I think it was mean to spark a conversation. It shows us how ignorant we are as a people and how much work we still have to do. The black face was unnecessairy and offensive. He should have had someone of African descent do it. Not all of those kids are from Utah, one is from Pittsburgh (the black one who said that BHM is in Jan). And while PA is a red state and fairly racist, he's just stupid. He always has been.
I actually didn't get angry about this video at all. I actually liked it! It exposed the ignorance that is still alive and well in America! I hope these people can find their way to the campus library and learn something.
i understood completely why the video was made and quite honestly being an educated proud African American woman i didn't get offended by the whole white guy in black face i mean we as African Americans joke and make fun of other races prime example calling all people of Asian descent Chinese but why is it when the shoe is on the other foot we automatically pull the race card? now don't get me wrong i believe racism is alive but the message that the producers of this video were trying to relay was that by putting the issue out there so that "they" meaning (the Caucasian kids and even the African American kids who shamefully didn't even know when black history month was) by showing them just how ignorant they look and sound it will possibly open their eyes up to a bigger world outside of their own and maybe even motivate them to pick up a book and read!.. im not saying i liked the video but i wasn't entirely offended except when the guy said coloreds in Alabama I cringed i not only live in Alabama but was born and raised here and that was the first time in my life that i've heard someone in this day and age say that word..
F what other people think of us, but the fact that there were at least 2 ignorant black guys in the video makes me S I C K. Until E D U C A T I O N becomes a priority , our race will remain in the dark, with low self-esteem (as evident by the state of affairs in the black community today), whatever you want to call it. Its not so much what others think of us, it is how we view ourselves, understand ourselves and respect ourselves that will make the difference in OUR own lives and existences.
If you believe that there is no problem with how we have devalued education (among other things) , then that's your belief. I can say this though, I don't know of ANY group or race of people who has existed in the history of the planet who has managed to survive by not valuing knowledge, having self-respect and revering family and commitment.
Yes, it is not our problem to fix the prejudices that others hold (and may always hold) for us, but to say that the diminishing value for education in the black community should not be viewed as an issue because it won't help change the image of us in the eyes of others is just amazingly stupid. WE HAVE ISSUES OF VALUING THE THINGS THAT WILL MAKE OUR COMMUNITY BETTER. Education comes to the forefront of my mind as the main thing which serves as the key to the preservation of any race. As a group, in recent years, we haven't been valuing it as much as we should. IMHO.
It's not that serious. Black people can crack on white folks for days but we call a race riot when they crack on us. I didn't hear any white people complaining when the Wayans Brothers made "White Chicks".
I don't know… this didn't perturb me as much as some people. I don't believe in a post-racial society. Human beings naturally divide people into "like me" and "unlike me". Whether that is racial, religious, hobby-based, geographical, we still need to overcome the urge to dislike the "others"… it's not something that is particular to race. I also don't see blackface as more offensive than people dressing up as blonde women when they want to act stupid. I have a close blonde friend, and people really are cruel sometimes with the "dumb blonde" comments and it hurts her. You might say "well she's portrayed better in the media" or something. I actually don't think black history month knowledge is a great metric for tolerance anyway. Black history is diverse, and I actually really dislike that it gets lumped into a few TV specials about Rosa Parks. It's really the stories of people who were forced over on slave ships to people who flew over on planes to go to school. Also, I am annoyed that some black people don't seem to think that black people are capable of being racist. It's not "reverse racism" it's exactly the same kind. I am amazed sometimes when I hear a black person who would throw a fit if they heard a white person say "nappy" talk about a Hispanic person (calling them "Mexican" regardless of their actual decent) like they're less. Just because we're a minority doesn't mean we're always the victim.
SOME OF YOU ALL ON HERE ARE TRULY IGNORANT. YOU THINK THAT IT'S BLACK PEOPLE'S FAULT? THE MORE EDUCATION WE HAVE THE BETTER THINGS WILL BE? NO! THESE PEOPLE HAVE THEIR MINDS MADE UP ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE DESPITE THE FACT THAT MANY OF US ARE EDUCATED AND MANY OF US SPEAK CORRECTLY. WE ARE NOT THE PROBLEM!
IF YOU ALL ARE MAD ABOUT THE GUY IN BLACKFACE THEN YOU ARE FOCUSED ON THE WRONG THING. THE THING THAT REALLY IS IGNORNAT, IS THE STEREOTYPES THAT THESE WHITE PEOPLE STILL HAVE IN 2012. IT'S OK FOR A BLACK GUY TO ACT WHITE BUT NOT FOR A WHITE GUY TO ACT BLACK? REALLY? IM DONE!
Once upon a time when myspace was popular, someone was upset about Robert Downey Jr.'s role in Tropic Thunder. I challenged the person, asking questions like, "Did you watch White Girls? Did you laugh???"
I didn't get a reply…
To me, the least offensive thing about this video is the host's makeup job. In fact, he made a rather astute comment about his disguise. Instead I see the video as a sad commentary on young people's ignorance.
I don't know if it's because I'm from England and we don't have the whole 'post racial society' so I'm used to the ignorance but I found it quite funny. The fact that no-one is looking at him crazy with that patchy make up… I can't lie I laughed at some of the answers.
But it's ok for us to make fun of white people… or "Mexicans" (It's ok for us to call all Latino's Mexicans?)? We are such hypocrites! It's ok for us to make videos showing exaggerated sterotypes… but white folks can't? Neither is RIGHT but c'mon people… Is the world right? NO.
That's where I am. This idiocy can only get to you for so long. I mean, every day there will be something else to be appalled about. I'm more disheartened by Black college students who don't know when Black history month is. I used to be very militant but now, I'm like praise God my life is good, I'm fulfilling my life's purpose and doing what I can to influence others in a positive way and choosing love over hate. That's all we can do. I may seem like an oversimplification of a weighty issue but we NEED TO STOP WHINING LIKE BABIES. President Obama in office has unearthed the scum of the earth but guess what, the world still turns and we are not the only people oppressed. Live your life as best you can and be an inspiration to thise around you… PEACE <3 …Asea
A BLACK MORMON???
Mmmmmm, is that an oxymoron or just a moron?
I'm definitely not going to waste my intelligence on badgering ignorance…put ur energies elsewhere folks
so I am really about to send this to my white friends and see what they think !
A black Mormon blogger posted on this at Babycenter and my comments were conveniently left out http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/what-do-you-teach-your-kids-02092012-about-black-people/
Here's what I said – Everything about this video, from the obviously white guy in black face to the students’ responses is beyond reprehensible.
That being said, and I truly mean no offense to the author nor any other member of the Mormon church, whatsoever, but Brigham Young was of the same long-standing belief consistent with the Mormon history, also outlined in the Book of Mormon that black skin was a curse and he, like many other leaders of the Mormon church not only held this belief but denied blacks the priesthood (this was the case until 1978).
So it is not beyond belief that many of the students attending BYU would hold offensive beliefs regarding black people, at worse, or be totally oblivious to black history (which is a little bit more excusable… just a bit…).
I do often wonder how black Mormons reconcile the racist views once held by their church even to the point of attending BYU.
soo my problem isnt the video. its that the author missed the whole message of the video. its to show the ignorance that people display of black history month. the video had nothing to do with the black face.
The "best" phrase in whole video I saw was at the very end :
"Fight Ignorance with Ignorance… SUBSCRIBE!"
RACHET…
I'm sure some of this is legitimate, but I think the majority of the interviewees are in on the joke, to be honest. I doubt all of those people doing the impressions lack the self-awareness to realize that mocking (what they're supposed to think is) a black person to his face, on camera, would be a bad idea, in real life.
This video was… misguided, to say the least. And did the editor seriously not realize that he or she spelled "ignorance" two different ways on the same frame? C'mon, son.
ANon 2:25pm
I soo agree with you about what black kids know and can quote. It is pathetic. We have ourselves to blame. If we continue to support amd promote ignorance and irrelevance at the expense of knowledge and self-respect, we will continue to decline. If we continue to feed our minds and bodies junk, we will never again be the sharp, healthy people who used to command respect (and even fear) when we walk into the room. And MOST importantly, we will not be able to look at ourselves with pride, dignity and self respect.
Blackface is irrelevant when there is fact to back up every single thing these people said. The black people in the video are the saddest part of the entire thing. They look like lost sheep. The sadddest part is that they didn't even know they are lost and probably don't even care. One of the guys was just happy that his "dating stock" on campus was high.
SMGDH-H A R D!
there is an asian history month and a hispanic history month -___- April & October. Anyway the guy will tell u why he did blackface if u email him & ask…
Addendum to my comment -Anon 2:30pm
What is truly horrific is the decline in the black community since the Civil Rights Movement. Laws have changed which have given blacks more latitude and freedom to pursue opportunity than ever before in the history of this country.
Yet, the number of successsful black owned businesses has declined, the desire for education has declined and the yearning for dignity, respect, education, class and intelligence has disappeared.
I recently saw 'Red Tails", the movie about the Tuskegee Airmen. I have watched interviews of the few real life men who are still alive. I have had the pleasure of meeting many professional elderly black men and women. What has really hit home with me is how much decline there has been in the basic core value system within the black community. It is sad and pathetic. Elderly blacks seemed to have accomplished much more with the laws being against them than those who have become adults in Post-segregation years. WE HAVE NO FREAKIN' EXCUSE FOR THINGS TO LOOK LIKE THEY LOOK IN OUR COMMUNUTIES!!!!!!!
SOLUTIONS:
People MUST make education a priority. Learn as much as you can from as many sources as you can. Interact with as many people as you can. Travel as much as you can. Read as much as you can. Think broadly and learn how to express yourself clearly (in writing AND verbally).
When you see or hear of someone espousing something that's ignorant or untrue, be able (and willing) to call them on it (with sources, if necessary to back it up).
DON'T ACCEPT IGNORANCE AND UNCOUTH BEHAVIOR FROM YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY or ASSOCIATES!
It is time for this madness to stop. American society has been lulled into a state of ignorant complacency. This has dangerous consequences for everyone.
I did not find the blackface used in this particular piece to be upsetting. I think we as black people need to stop being so sensitive and look at things in their proper context. Had he had been "mocking" a black man by acting in some stereotypical manner that would be another story. I would challenge everyone who was upset by the blackface to watch "Birth of a Nation" a film from the early 1900's; now that was some blatant racism. This video was trying to make a point about how much ignorance still exists among blacks and whites. How a white man could just color his skin and dress "black" and most people won't notice because hey we all look alike right? Don't get me started on the responses about listening to Jay-Z only during Black History Month (what has he done for black people lol), eating fried chicken and grape juice (it's red Koolaid man lol), mocking how we "all" talk and act, the black kids not knowing when their history is celebrated, the white girl saying a black guy who acts "white" is good, and did that white guy say COLORED…really? My great grandmother, who was pushing 100 when she died, is the only person in recent history I've heard use that word. In conclusion, I'd like to say I'm not surprised by the responses at all. I also think we need to start caring more about ourselves, our history and our own legacy. If we don't know our history who the hell else will care? We also have to realize that these kids answers are a direct result of what little is taught about Blacks in school books (or what they see in the media). The answers were so generic (Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were not the only two Blacks in history that made contributions to society). I remember in grade school, middle school and even high school that very little was taught about Blacks. I had to go to the library and get books on our history and that's how I learned. I think watching "Roots" was a major catalyst for my need to know more. With that being said, how many black people pass down the family history we do know or show their kids "Roots"? How many pick up books on black history and share that with their kids? How many black kids can quote James Baldwin or Paul Laurence Dunbar? Very few I'd bet, but they know "I got 99 problems and a b ain't one." I'm sorry but my last concern is the blackface in this video. Was it necessary? Probably not but if they were trying to make an extreme point about ignorance it's relevant.
I am not surprised, nor am I insulted. It is OUR job as black people to educate those on OUR history, or did we expect the McDonald's Black History Month commercials to do that for us? How much do we know about Mexican history month? Do you know what month it is or maybe you can name a few influential leaders. Don't get me wrong, I am black. But I am tired of us blaming the ignorance of others on issues and people that have nothing to do with the problem. Take responsibility and TEACH if you want others to KNOW.
dude what steps? Most white people want to stay in their comfort zones of privilege, they don't really want to confront it. Just from my experience…
lol. somone just copied and pasted what shanti said on our site and put it here. that's funny. -Ant of ACBF
Shanti I agree with you for the most part. But I do think some thought their answers would be entertaining and as a result accepted. Yes, blackface is definitely only the surface of the problem. I used that word in the title so people would have a more clear understanding about where the video was going. The blackface for me, encapsulates ALL of the ridiculous comments within the video. There are tons of issues with this video. I agree. I the fact that there was such a lack of knowledge about not only black, but AMERICAN history highlights problem within our educational system. The fact that people knew they were being filmed and still had they audacity to give not only ignorant but reckless and offensive responses to his questions is another. But I am a blogger and an actress. I come from a background where I have studied media and media literacy. So as a result, I focus more on the person responsible for perpetuating this non sense. People in the direct media, social media and marketing all have responsibility not to offend any group, perpetuate harmful stereotypes and to provide the public with tasteful entertainment and information. Think about it Curly Nikki has a responsibility now. She has 1000"S of viewers that look to her and they all have high expectations. If I created and posted a video like this, and as result received backlash I would no one to be upset with but me. Somewhere in his creative process ( while conceiving, filming, editing and posting this video) he needed to think about it what effects it would have. I don't believe all of these students were fooled by his appearance. I think this entire thing was a tasteless joke. But let's not turn and pick apart each other's reactions no worries, I see EVERYTHING that is wrong with this video. Going back and forth with each other is hardly the point of the post or really productive. What can we do about these issues displayed here? WHAT ARE SOME CONCRETE PLANS OF ACTION?
-Ant ACBF
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I was thinking about this and I am no longer offended by these young people. Precious Henshaw really helped me understand. The issue here is ignorance. Suppose there were a Hispanic American month or Asian American month. How many of us would be able to name 3 outstanding Hispanics or Asians that contributed to America or their race? Would we be able to differentiate a Columbian from a Spainard or Cubano? Would we know the difference between Korean and Japanese? If we were to be asked how we celebrate would we have a answer unassociated with stereotypes or humorous answers? Pretty sure a lot of us would appear as ignorant and "racist" as the white kids.
They don't know black people. They don't see the variety, depth and culture of black people. They just know what the see which sadly are stereotypes.
We as Americans are pretty ignorant of other cultures in this "so called" melting pot. I am not surprised by the responses given
Like grandma said, "Learn what the other side is thinking/doing/saying." This just let's us know first hand. Acting Black means ignorant or uncouth; Eating like a Black person means Fried Chicken and It's okay to date Black guys cuz they're hypersexed "mandingos". That's what we heard America, now what are we going to do about it?
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I am not offended by these young people. The issue here is ignorance and I am happy that so many people are clear that these kids aren't seething racists just stupid Americans. Suppose there were a Hispanic American month or Asian American month. How many of us would be able to name 3 outstanding Hispanics or Asians that contributed to America or their race? Would we be able to differentiate a Columbian from a Spainard or Cubano? Would we know the difference between Korean and Japanese? If we were to be asked how we celebrate would we have a answer unassociated with stereotypes or humorous answers? Pretty sure a lot of us would appear as ignorant and "racist" as the white kids.
They don't know black people. They don't see the variety, depth and culture of black people. They just know what the see which sadly are stereotypes.
We as Americans are pretty ignorant of other cultures in this "so called" melting pot. I am not surprised by the responses given
-Shanti of ACBF
@Neda: That speaks to what Anon. 11:31am said. If that's all they see that's all the know and we've got to give them a better image on TV and in real life. Let's be honest, a lot of young black people imitate what they see in the videos too, so that doesn't help either.
Speaking to what the young man said about his trip to Alabama, he kind of reminds me of a line from the movie "Red Tails":
"When you are angry you turn red. When you're embarrassed you turn pink. When you're sick you turn green and when you're scared you turn yellow. Yet you have the nerve to call us colored?!"
^^^^^Very true^^^^^^
ok a quick few things. nothing about this video is racist. to be racist is to believe one race of people is superior to anotherand no one in this video did that. what this video shows is ignorance. and ignorance is reversed with education. it's great to have ONE mone of BLACK HISTORY but the thruth is that the history of blacks in the united states is AMERICAN history, and should be taught all year long. and i'm not surprised at how much people dont know because our schools have been failing children of all ethnicities, and races for years. this isnt' new nor is it news. i bet if you were to ask the same group of people basic questions of history in general, they wont know those answers either.
These people clearly watch way too much tv. Every black person does not speak ebonics, listen to rap, or whatever all the stereotypes are about us. This frustrates me to know people correlate being black with ignorance. smh
I didn't really see the video as making fun of black people. I saw it as showing how ignorant white people are (and the few black people in the video too) about black history and culture. It's really sad and shows how far we as a nation still have to learn.
I agree with many other commentators when I say the black-face was not the problem. In fact, he pointed out that only 3 people noticed that he was not black. What WAS actually shocking were the interviewees and their responses to his questions. Let's get what was going on here and leave his BLACK-FACE out of it. Though he did not have to wear it to get the responses, the point was that they were saying these things and with only 3 people REALIZING that he was NOT black they STILL said these things. That's what is ridiculous. But, even still, we cannot get mad with these BYU students because they may not have ever seen a black person before. It is just ignorant, it may be their fault, but if they're in college it is mostly their parents fault. Check out this link – the child mentioned in this story will be like these college students when she grows up – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g51xD–iH7Q&feature=g-u-u&context=G285dde5FUAAAAAAAZAA. I think that statement was obvious in the student that stated that he would know a black person when he saw one because he recently went on a mission to Alabama where there were a good amount of "colored people". It is 2012 and a YOUNG white man is referring to us and others as "colored". I believe this is a deeper issue than racism – how could it be deeper – but an ignorance so deep that makes it so taboo and them so uncomfortable to even say "black people". I mean, we won't be offended, we know we're black – but "colored" is for the 1960's.
I agree somewhat with Anonymous 11:31am. I'm less upset with the video being created than the outcome of the video.
It proves that not only do white people not know much about black history and true culture but there are so many black people (young black people) who have no clue as well. That's the real sad part.
Unfortunately, Antoinette, I think you are missing the point. I don't think the young man in the video was mocking black people. I actually think he was seeing if anyone would bring up the fact that he was in blackface and criticism him. As he said at the end of the video, only 3 people mentioned it. I think that rather than being mad at the creator of the video, we should be upset of the lack of knowledge of our history and embarrassed at the fact that our own people don't know anything about our history. While he may have missed the mark with some of his questions and his approach, I think that he was actually trying to raise awareness.
I'm not really angered or upset about this video at all…honestly, like someone mentioned previously-all this video speaks to are the flaws present in our educational system. I think these kids and most college kids everywhere are lacking serious knowledge in all histories, including American history. It doesn't surprise me that they only can name Martin, Malcolm and Rosa-because those are the primary figures scoiety teaches us on.
As for all the other comments..they are only a reflection of the of what these kids see and hear on tv and radio everyday.
Education-be it black history, asian history, american history, or womens history, or any other histories- needs to be taught and learned and not just memorized for tests.
And understanding and appreciating culture differences comes through experience and personal contact.
I only know what I know about various histories because I took additional classes on it and my parents put an emphasis on understanding various cultures, including my own black history.
Before we get all up in arms, lets put things into proper perspective…
Honestly, I'm really not mad at this. It was embarrassing for the young black men interviewed not to know when Black History Month is. But, let's have a little bit of honesty here people. While it is true that racism does exist and these people were definitely stereotyping the black community, it's only because there is a little bit of truth in every stereotype. Truth is we can't expect them not to think that our young men in the black community don't walk like their hips are displaced and our young women "snap their fingers in a Z" and shout "Hey gurl!" when many of us do it every day. If that is all they see of the black community in real life and in music videos what else are they supposed to think? We can't get mad at them for making fun of black people being ignorant and ghetto when that's the impression that many of us pass off everyday (not all but many). It just like seeing a group of people studying. If every time you saw that particular group studying you would logically (and naturally) conclude that that particular group of people study a lot. Just like if every time they saw a black woman talk she rolls her eyes, snaps her fingers, rolls her neck and has a bad attitude, then they are going to think that is what black women do. The fact of the matter is every impression that they made was a reflection of what they see and if we want to change their view of us we have to change the image that we give them.
What about this video is shocking? The majority of whites in this country don't consider black people unless they have to directly deal with us. I wouldn't expect them to know anything about us or to care. This is why I am not concerned with impressing them or emulating them. I will love all people and treat them with respect because that is how Jesus instructed us, but my focus is on bettering my two black sons, black daughter, and making sure they have something positive to contribute to this world. I think whoever made this video had a positive intent to showcase how clueless some people can be about race relations. The black people in this video should be ashamed and as for the black face, I'm neither offended or amused.
Black face consisted of white men painting their faces with black oil and mocking and degrading black people through performance; with no real purpose but humiliation. This guy is wearing dark makeup to prove a point; with a purpose to educate. People tan to get that dark, but no one has a problem with that, huh? I didn't take offense to it, and if I had, it would've been over shadowed by the comments made by the students. Black History is American History, plan and simple; and it should be taught in school. But I'm not concerned about what earthly history people know or don't know. Do you know the Gospel of Jesus Christ? I won't call it history because He is still alive today.
I'm offended more by the ignorance as well but I dont understand why it's funny when a black girl in a blond wig generalizes the way white girls act but when someone puts on some brown makeup It's offensive. I could see if he was mocking or making generalizations about black people while in the makeup (although this might be questionable as his motive for asking about black history was not clear) but to me it's just makeup and even when it's done out of hatred I think all the attention it's given is what perpetuates it. People who do this dont care if they get a positive or negative response as long as someone's watching.
Personally I dont have a prob with the "black face" I think I understand what they were trying to do h/e even if I did it would be largely outweighed by the level of ignorance highlightited here from BOTH races FEATURED!
I was going to say the blackface was ineffective to the point he was trying to make, but then I thought about it and maybe it wasn't.
As he said barely anyone he talked to questioned him about it, and it wasn't as though his makeup was so well done that you would be fooled into thinking it was not makeup.
Perhaps they didn't say anything because they thought it was funny, and they thought it was funny based on a lack of knowledge of why it isn't funny.
Just ignorance, They are in college, yet they haven't learned anything. Not sure if they were intentionally trying to ostracize the few black students at the college, or actually attempting to show that no one, including the black students there have an idea about black history month/culture. I guess you could really look at where this school is and that will answer your questions. They need education.
I am far more disturbed by the ignorant statements being made in the video than the blackface.
Perhaps if we as a people spent less time waiting on the chance to cry racism we'd have more of an impact and people would think we do more than bop & weave to hip-hop, eat chicken and have sex.
I see what he was trying to do with this video. We all know there are ignorant people EVERYWHERE. Racism still exists no matter what people say. I just don't feel that the blackface added to the effectiveness of the video. Let's just continue to educate ourselves as well as others in the process. It's not gonna happen overnight.
I'm sorry, but in looking at the video on this site, and not visiting the Youtube channel, I'm not offended by this at all. I'm more upset at the ignorance of most of the people in the video, even the black folks! Unless I know that this was supposed to be a spoof, I find this to be more of an educational piece. What are campuses and people doing to educate folks on BHM? If a black person had done this, would you still be offended? Not EVERYTHING out there is racist. I agree that the black face was ineffective, but I don't believe that it was intended to be disrespectful.
I don't think the blackface really has anything to do with it. It's just like the book, "Black Like Me" where a white man posed as black for weeks and wrote about his experiences in 1960s America. I think this guy was merely trying to see if any of the perceptions have changed since the 60s, and clearly they haven't. Yes, the people are ignorant and I applaud this guy for exposes some of them because many people in this country think racism is dead. They are sadly mistaken.
The black face is unnecessary and ineffective. However, I think the point of this was to call out the crippling, abhorrent ignorance of young people…clearly white and black…or at least the sheltered lives and limited exposure of the average Mormon college student. It's all very disgusting and disturbing. These students and their parents should feel nothing but shame and self loathing.
Obviously there are a lot of ignorant people in America! I bet you they're equally as ignorant about other minority cultures, so don't stress yourself by getting upset! That said, I thought some of the responses were freaking hilarious! Listen to a lot of Jay Z, eat lots of fried chicken nag grape juice, lol!!!!
Wow. That's insulting. P.S. What was his purpose for the black make-up? He couldnt have asked those questions looking like himself? *side eye*Fight Ignorance with IGNORANCE? How about fight ignorance with KNOWLEDGE. Wow, what a moron.
I'm sorry but I actually found it VERY amusing! We black people are quick to shout about racism when we do pretty much the same thing to white people! Watch any black stand up comedian make jokes about white people and tell me if it's not similar to the guys in the video doing their black imitations. I'm not even sure why you're upset, they're in Utah for freak's sake!
I'm less mad about the blackface, more mad about the ignorance of everyone else. I can see that he was trying to make a point, and while he overstepped (He could've just not done it and gotten the same responses OR gotten a real black guy), I think that the answers he got were a lot more disturbing. Jungle Fever? I'm kinda upset.
um..ok the black face (he really didnt have to do inorder to ask people about black history) i really didnt get that but secondly…THE PEOPLE?! what in the world! WE CELEBRATE IT BY EATING ALOT OF FRIED CHICKEN AND GRAPEJUICE???
IGNORANT PEOPLE!
Waaaaaait a second…you got mad because he wore "blackface"? Not about the crazy stuff within the actual video? People continue to say racism is dead and therefore neglect teaching students REAL Black history and this is what happens. But it doesn't stop there, how much history do we know at all? African history, Mexican history, Irish history? If you had asked those kids about any form of history they probably would have looked just as dumb. Or even the present: "What are your thoughts on Alabama's new immigration reform?" It's some of the most racist, xenophobic statutory law and it affects hundreds of thousands of people–yet people go on not talking about it.
Yes we can blame it on racism but that goes hand in hand with general ignorance about anything that doesn't show up on a twitter feed. Our education system is to blame.
But real quick, I'm mad that the Black dude didn't know about Black history month!Is that what growing up in Utah does? People forget they're black? Oh and Jungle Fever? Really? Good Lord.
Don't go to the channel and post comments. There is no point in doing that. What is up with his bad looking make up? I have never seen an actual black person look like that.
i actually flagged it on yt yesterday
Post-racial America my ass.
Not sure why anyone is shocked about this. Did you not know? Did you forget you live in America? C'maaaaaan.
I saw this yesterday and was speechless especially of the BLACK boys who didnt even know when black history month was!!!