What is Acting Black?

White America has a total misconception about the black community. I have become dishearten at the constant misconception of my race on the news, movies, and radio stations lately and have been compelled to write about it. America has a heavy obsession with demeaning the black culture in its entirety by falsely constructing images for white audiences to view. 

What does this all really means?

Smokey Robinson once said "I love being a Black American, but as a Black man in this country I think it’s a shame that every few years we get a change of name." This line is valuable to most blacks in america, due to white america's infatuation with changing our perception in the media. Being black does not have a definition, there is no specific way to "act black" just like there is no definition to define "how black you are." America makes it seems like there is a guide to acting black and every African American in some way or another follows the manual. Being black does not mean I speak in ebonics, being back does not mean I have held a gun, and being black does not mean I have sold drugs. 

Artist Smokey Robinson also said "And as in this late day and age, you can be sure, they ain’t too many of us in this country whose bloodline is pure." White america should stop depicting Blacks in such a negative connotation because themselves too may be black to an extent. Media creates stereotypes that defines "acting black" as being ignorant, obnoxious, disrespectful, and bewildered. I recall over hearing a girl say "Wow Josh you are acting black stop it" after Josh got frustrated about losing money at a vending machine, I was offended because the temper tantrum we saw was a result of ignorance not acting black. 

source: Robinson, Smokey. "The Black American Poem | Slicksno.com." Tampa Bay Music. 16 May 2003. Web. 02 Mar. 2012. <http://www.slicksno.com/thalookout/the-black-american-poem.html>.