I'm pretty sure I'm racist but I don't know how to get over it

Basically I grew up in an entirely white area, and never even talked to a black person until I was in my very late teens. Anyway I just become incredibly nervous around black people and have no idea what to say because I'm scared I will just say something racist by accident.

Reply 1

HolyFuzazzle

I don't think that means your racist, just that you're not used to them. From that anyway.. if you move away from your area to somewhere more cosmopolitan you won'tget so nervous.

Reply 2

AidanKD

Could start with hello I don't think they bite :s Just don't pop the N word and you're all good.

Reply 3

HortyNarcissus

Original post by AidanKD

Could start with hello I don't think they bite :s Just don't pop the N word and you're all good.

Yeah I get that, but its just I have had literally 0 experience

Lol

Original post by HortyNarcissus

Yeah I get that, but its just I have had literally 0 experience

what exactly is it that worries you? also i don't think this means you're racist. you just have no experience with them so you're anxious.don't be so hard on yourself :smile:

Reply 6

College_Dropout

Just act like you would with anyone else, if your not going to act yourself then theres no point in talking. Its so irritating when people around you start to blatantly act different around you, we are not stupid and we do notice, especially the 'no offence or nothing but do you'. Best advice, ACT NORMAL

Reply 7

the cake lady

I think people are making this into a bigger problem than it is.

'Not used to them'?! 'No experience'?! Come on! Why would you need special experience for a skin colour?! Do you need experience with people with freckles? It's the exact same as saying, well where i grew up we all had brown hair and now I'm nervous around blondes because i have no experience of blond people. Bloody ridiculous.

They are human beings! With different physical features from you!

Stop assuming they need 'getting used to' or that they are a whole other species. And they also don't need to be put on a pedestal with the whole scared-to-be-racist thing.

Human beings. Who look different from you. No other differences. Not a big deal.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 8

Jim-Jam

Original post by the cake lady

I think people are making this into a bigger problem than it is.

'Not used to them'?! Come on! It's the exact same as saying, well where i grew up we all had brown hair and now I'm nervous around blondes. Ridiculous, right?!

They are human beings! With different physical features from you!

Stop assuming they need 'getting used to' or that they are a whole other species. And they also don't need to be put on a pedestal with the whole scared-to-be-racist thing.

Human beings. Who look different from you. No other differences. Not a big deal.

Yeah - We know this.

People in African tribes who'd never seen a white person were nervous/scared/angry. Same the other way, hence the horrific slave trade etc.

Same mindset if he hasn't grown up around any black people.

I'm the same really, I never knew any black people growing up and there was none at my Primary school but I never had trouble at all. :s-smilie:

Reply 9

Anonymous #2

The fact that youre worried about it, and worried about saying something accidentally racist probably means you arent racist at all...

Reply 10

shakool2kool

your not racists because you dont want them to take something you say the wrong way, be yourself they dont bite

Reply 11

britishgoose01

ah yeh being white these days pretty much what ever we say is racist lol u cant win

but were all human beings....whats so scary

Reply 12

Nice Marmite

Original post by the cake lady

It's not the same at all.

There is a culture of political correctness and sensitivity surrounding race hence the nervousness and worry that is being described. If freckled people were made to be slaves for years or had been subject to a holocaust then race and freckledness would be comparable.

Reply 13

damilola

u're not racist, most black people are cool, just speak to us like normal people. :biggrin:

Reply 14

britishgoose01

the annoying thing i hear from black ppl is when something goes wrong, is it coz am black, ur a racist....or my ppl have suffered over the yrs blah blah blah

it hasnt happened to them,maybe the grandparents youth have no rights on their past.....now as were all humans colour really doesnt matter

Reply 15

Birdman1234567

Original post by britishgoose01

Stop highjacking the thread, this has got nothing to do with 'black people playing the race card'. stop trying to find an excuse to make a point.

OP once you get to know black people you'll realise that they're just like white and asian people. just different skin colour