By Krisha Cowen

Race in America is a touchy subject as it is, but why do we still separate or label others as another race when they don’t fulfill the pre instated stereotypes. One way that people’s race is redefined by society is their behavior, the way they act and speak. Talking white, talkin’ black, acting proper, and actin’ ghetto all affect how others are viewed and accepted in certain societies. Growing up in Richmond and going to a predominantly white school, has allowed me to fall victim to stereotypes associated with both black and white people. When at school, I have been asked to use analogies for the slang I use that others may not understand. As though me saying "she was put on blast" in English class, or "ohh girl yo feet is thirsty" can be better stated as “her truths were brought to light” or “excuse me, but your feet need some lotion”.

But why do the majority of the black, white and Hispanic communities use different ways of speaking? And when a white person uses Ebonics they are automatically ‘down’ or introduced as ‘white, but still cool’, examples that I have seen happen to many white people that I have been introduced to by my African American and Latin friends. I’ve seen it work in reverse, where talking proper is sometimes seen as being ‘uppity’. For some, ending my words in ‘ing” and saying “thee” in front of words, implies that I am being a trader to my ‘Richmond roots’ and trying to please ‘those white people’ that I spend time with. And I am not trying to say that all black people, or Richmond people use Ebonics, or that talking proper means that you are trying to be white, I just want to shed light on the stereotypes that Americans have set --how some blacks have this eternal racism that they don’t see, feeling like they must talk ghetto and how whites feel like if they want to be accepted into the black community they must end their words in ‘in’ or say “be bein”.