If Tupac hadn’t been a good-looking rapper he would have been a nerd. Everything he did was nerdy. He wasn’t into science, but he was into Shakespeare, the philosophers, classical style poetry, literature, and classical music.
The image of Tupac we incision is a facade. That was all a show. Tupac knew that if he didn’t embrace the stereotype he would not have been heard and it cost him his life
@@veldrensavoth7119 I also had that same facade for the last 30 years it gets me the sistas. Before that I kept attracting high yellow dimes only and non black girls... I like em darker than me too so I learn to become thuggish
“There’s not one way to be black. To be black is to be black. Race has nothing to do with your personality or cultural competence.” Loved this video! Thank you for creating this.
Except the whole blackness dance IS really specifically about black American culture. You dont See that anywhere Else besides in America. Nowhere Else are people are so defined by their skin color in the culture Like in america
I'm black and autistic. Meaning, I don't fit in with anyone, not even nerds! And you know what? Now I'm okay with that. Because the truth is, it's better not to fit in and be happy , then to fit in and lose your true self.
@@coolrunnings1936 You consider black people who are nerds and hyper focused on school white. Imagine that😂literally putting ourselves at the bottom of society. Never knew being smart was a white thing
I've made peace with my own lack of "blackness" after seeing my own mother's lack of blackness and how happy she is being herself even if people don't "get" her. I'd rather be myself than be put in a box. Not enough leg room for me. 😊 I'm a second generation oreo.
@@coolrunnings1936 I've never been called one directly, but I have been told that I don't "act black." I've learned to be happy with my personality and interests instead of feeling like I have to put on a performance of blackness. You can be black and still be your own person.
@@hope-cat4894 from your description you considered yourself an 'Oreo' but then you said "you can be black and still be your own person" so which is it.... are you white trapped in a black body or black that has indoctrinated the American/English culture?
@@coolrunnings1936 I'm a black person that grew up with and fits in more with things associated with "white culture" (whatever that means). But I also identify with aspects of black culture too, so it's a weird mix.
@@coolrunnings1936 I don't think things like being well educated is a white thing. But things like what tv shows or music you enjoy or what clothing styles you like to wear can be reflective of your culture.
Growing up in south central Los Angeles in the 90s as a black skateboarder , most ppl viewed me as "not black enough". Now, current day, it is common to see black skaters. I kinda see myself as a pioneer.
Skating while black in the 80’s & 90’s were fun and crazy @ the same time. S Combing Thrasher &’Transworld (I don’t think this publication exists in the current climate) & the excitement of seeing & reading about black skaters such, Ron Allen, Steve Steadham, Trevontae Turner. In the last twenty years there’s so many more (I watch “lil bill”, this youngster skate on the gram).
@joe Black I think pharrell may actually have more to do with it than lil wayne. He brought skateboarding to hip hop in the early 2000s. Wayne had more to do with the dreads and a bunch of tattoos trend.
I remember when I was in high school I was bullied for being dark skin and being a nerd. After I graduated highschool, I will never forget when my first love who used me, manipulated, and broke my heart said I sounded too “ white” over the phone. He would also criticize me for being skinny and listening to a variety of music not just rap 24/7. He also told me black girls better watch out because white girls are leveling up. I did grow up watching BET and I love black tv shows and movies but I also love listening to other genres of music, watching white shows, watching foreign shows, reading books, watching anime and cartoons, and learning about other cultures. I still struggle with my identity but I’m glad that black people who don’t fit what society thinks black people are suppose to be like are finally being accepted.
I'm so sorry you had to go through that! I am definitely happy that in more recent years Black kids who don't feel that they fit in have more community with access to the internet and more people speaking out about this!
Don’t let them get you down. I still read comics and I am an eccentric guy. Just look at my photo. I love for women to put their hands over my mouth because I feel like surrendering power to women. A man’s mouth needs to be silenced from time to time
Our people got serious insecurities and fragile social constructs of "blackness" that are often predicated on internalized negative stereotypes. When you are authentically yourself it pokes at those insecurities and they come to strip you of your "blackness" as if society don't just see us all the same.
To be fair race is a fragile social construct that is also predicated on stereotypes. These ideas will continue to exist unless we actually live in a post racial society.
@@birdiewolf3497 Sure, but that won't happen by "dismantling capitalism" or "embracing anarchy" like left wing bread tuber corn balls insist we should. A step in the right direction is having more black people have more in common with Orthadox Jewish people. Righteous education , fathers, knowledge passed down through books that hold wisdom. I'm not religious at the moment but I have to admit? The Bible's lessons and wisdom are straight up impressive. You know how you will have an idiot who says "You aren't black enough" because you speak properly and you try to explain to them that their perception is based off of negative stereotypes? And their response is to call you a "geek"? The bible has an answer for that : "Do not cast pearls before swine." Just ignore them and move on. Some people are pigs and some people are just not on your level. You shouldn't have tot apologize for that nor justify yourself.
@@birdiewolf3497 Since it's tribalism + blanketing + stereotypes. When before even families of the same nations would avoid each other. Now everybody in lumped into a box because of visual aspects. Which invalidates the history of the people in question. What's "Black" "White" "Asian" "Native" all the nuance of countless people broken down to four
This narrative makes NO sense. How can one be “enough” to be their race? I feel bad for Black people who can’t be anything else besides what is “expected” of them. You can be nerdy, punky, girly, etc. Be yourself, and take pride in your interests!
We, as black people, tend to put down our nerds, not realizing that they could help us advance as a people. I understand other races have done it to their own, too, but we have suffered the worst as a race. Many of us still will not wake up, nor will some of us ever will. Sad, but true. I would rather be part of the solution than the problem!!!
Amazing video - Black people are not a monolith, period! I think it’s also interesting to look at how colorism affects the way divergence from “blackness” is either applauded or critiqued!
@@HypnoticHollywood There isn't one definition, hence the quotes. The point is that many people do think there is one distinct definition, which is incredibly misguided and usually just racist/stereotyped.
So as a black guy ngl, shit does suck at times. People constantly expect me to be this one type of dude, saggy pants, mumbling, hanging with light skins and always tryna get the every girl I see. Truth is, I am a massively anti-social. I'd much rather have fun in my room with a game controller in my hand than be out there trying to be "gansta". I never was raised like that, so I never cared for stuff like that. But its so hard trying to convince people your not that way when half of them already makes up their mind when they see me, then get shocked when Im not and now somehow their uncomfortable and the other half who already hate me for being a guy in the first place.
There's some ageism with the "Oreo" (black on outside, white on inside) accusations too. People assume if you're an older black woman, if you like something white people enjoy, you're looked at as weird. There's not enough representation in the media of older black nerds, it's just young college aged ones that are portrayed. It's weird how black people will lump older black women into Mammy stereotypes.
I never thought about the ageism factor before, but that is definitely true. There needs to be much more diverse representation of older people in all different types of spaces.
I feel this 💯%! Growing up in the black community during the 60s and 70s, I never saw people I could identify with in not only the media, but my own neighborhood. I was the quiet girl who liked to read, listen to music, and had interests that were designated as "white" activities. I am so happy that young black nerdy women have a platform where they can find their tribe.
gotta watch this one. that's cool you can post trailers for premieres. I'm seriously stuck in that "you're not black enough" category. My high school years were the worst.
I've never been "stereotypically black" never had an identity crisis i just hung out with other blerds etc nothing wrong with that it's sad tho that black people get ridiculed for being different 🤷🏾♀️
I could never get along with other blerds. Despite relating to them interest/hobby wise, a lot of them were self hating. It’s like they internalized the bullying. I don’t blame them, but it was frustrating how overly critical they were of the black community and placed white people on a pedestal. I wish we could just be intelligent, eccentric, worldly black people and not “better than” or “not black enough”.
@karzymimi42 I completely understand , but one thing is that every race does the same thing to a certain degree for instance well to do white folks consider poor or degenerate whites as white trash in the same way blerds and alt black folk recognize that they're better than stereotypical black people. Asians do the same thing they have diaspora wars east Asians think that they are better than South Asians etc. One thing blerds shouldn't do for sure is pedestalize other races..
@@karzymimi42 how exactly did they put whites on a pedestal? And couldn't it be that they criticized the black community for bullying them just for not being "blacl enough"?
Yep this was me all over. Being told by non black people that am not "black" or "black enough" to "identify" as black person. Because i did not fit the black sterotype. And that they are more "black" than i a black person was. But istead of getting mad i just school them on their own history then i ask. So..... by your standards am more (insert eithnicty) than you are. Always makes interesting conversation and discussion 🤣. Great video and very well done 👏
Growing up, I heard that all the time. I wasn't black enough to make friends with the black kids...but I wasn't white enough for the white kids either. I simply didn't fit in either group.
I had been accused of "acting White" and speaking "White" by peers as I was growing up. I was always reading in my spare time and heavily involved in the visual arts and theatre. I never liked rap or hip hop. Still don't. . I am who I am and I like what I like! ☺️My Blackness is not rooted in stereotypes.
Yeah it’s always black guys that ask me “why do i sound or talk like that?” It pissed me off because i say this is how God made me.. like do u ask this to other races of women? No offense other races never ask me that.. actually they love my voice..
Me too! I read, drew, was an honor student very quiet,and listened to all types of music and was teased and called an "oreo" until high school when they realized the smart girl only had to come to school half a day, now they wanna ask questions about how I did it. I will never forget when we were breaking up into groups for a project in class and one girl says "I'm in Kim's group cuz she smart" Needless to say I gave that group the bare minimum, I had nothing to lose but they did.
I wish I had this when I was younger. I have a lot of thoughts about how cool this video is, but I'll simplify and say that if you are in a position where you are thinking about this at all, this video is worth the watch.
As a Black woman who grew up during the time when being a nerd was looked down upon, I am _definitely_ that and _have_ been since I was young. I read every single one of my parents' sci-fi and fantasy books in the house at _least_ once (some of them 4 or 5 times, maybe more), and all of my dad's old comics (circa 60's/70's). When I got older, I added manga/anime to the list. My parents got me a Sega Genesis w/ Sonic 2, and from then on you could add gaming to the list. I'm also a musician, and I played several sports in my childhood (on actual teams), but the things that stuck w/ me most were music, gaming, and reading/writing. I still remember the day when I stopped caring about what others thought and decided to just _enjoy_ being a nerd. To all those who "struggle" w/ that identity, just accept and embrace it, lol, you aren't less of a nerd just b/c you don't like the term. Plus, many really successful people out there _are _*_nerds._* Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates...all _nerds._ I think that's probably part of the reason being a nerd isn't looked down on like it used to be: the nerds made all the money and got all the fame and fortune! 😂 Oh, and regarding "Blackness," I stopped caring about that in _middle school._ My identity is in _Christ,_ so trying to live up to the world's idea of "Blackness" isn't even a consideration for me. It's such a _shallow_ thing, how much melanin you have. Melanin doesn't determine your preferences, your values, your abilities & skills, _none_ of that. Everyone trying to push _their_ idea of "Blackness" onto you is simply trying to get affirmation that _they_ are "Black enough" b/c of their _own_ insecurities.
Thank you for this! I still enjoy reading/writing, different genres music, and anime/Disney and video games. But because of my childhood, I suppressed all of that and even now, I'm struggling with trying to bring that out without any shame and fear of what others think 😢
I was always told this by other blacks when young. This is worst for young black males bc in 2022 we're told not to be men, were toxic and we're not black enough 😞🥺. Imagine a 22 yr old fatherless BM who loves reading and he's told he's toxic but his women are told their queens.
I grew up as a black nerd which at times was hard, however, growing up a bi-racial (black and white) nerd was the more challenging aspect of my life. I grew up in a black family and everything from colorism, to feeling "not black" enough made me struggle deeply with my identiy that I still struggle with to this day. Liking traditionally "white" topics and activities like gaming, sci-fy and the occasional heavy metal song is typically blamed on my "white side" and hearing snide comments on black people and culture from the world at large made me feel like an inadequate black person because I wasn't perceived as black making it easier for people to feel comfortable to say things and not taken seriously when I had to take a stand.
That's because you have black that don't make you black. Its like a tiger and lion mate to create a liger it's out of order and wrong so its bi racial not black nor white.
as someone who at one point was a somewhat charismatic & conventionally attractive person who just so happened to have nerdy interests, i was treated so much better back then than now when i stopped caring as much about being the most well liked person in the room… when i stopped being super social and gained a lil weight, all of a sudden i was treated like a stereotypical nerd.. shits crazy
stoked; as an almost white-passing mixed man, I struggled a ton in my youth with not being black enough, compounded heavily by the fact that I was, and am, also a huge nerd, so this one hits home.
When I was younger, I never saw any black RU-vidrs in gaming-one of the big things I tended to visit RU-vid for. The only time I saw someone my skin color making videos was when I'd watch MyFroggy Stuff. Now, it's much easier to find black RU-vidrs that I like and I'm slowly starting to find the kind that I prefer to watch- the RU-vidrs that I get excited to sit down and watch, the ones that give me hope and remind me of someone special in my everyday when they aren't around, the ones that I (along with others) feel validated and uplifted by. I tend to be picky about who I watch, so it's been nice seeing and feeling like I'm not completely alone in this- that other people have the same interests, they just may not be as comfortable about sharing them in day to day (I'm not always comfortable either). I'm really happy you made this video. We've come a long way as a people and community compared to before,but there is still so much to be done and people to reach! Anyways, thank you for sharing my comment. I haven't been able to catch as many of your videos as of late with classes and my own channel, but I find your essays very insightful.
Well, since you asked for our sob stories, here it goes!😂 I've always been to schools that had a higher percentage of non black people than black people, so finding fellow black girls who share my interests was hard! I'm from the Caribbean where we share a lot of cultural similarities with African Americans, but we pretend race doesn't exist, & I've always wanted to have someone who can relate to the struggles I have with styling my hair for example & liked anime & reading as much as me. Sadly, because there weren't many black kids in the schools I went to there was less diversity in interests. Trust me, I know we as black people can be interested in many different things and I myself am an example of that but looking back I just felt like no one, especially the other black girls, wanted to go against the grain. The all just wanted to fit in with each other. They were loud & extroverted & I was a quiet introvert. They skipped classes & didn't do homework & I was the smartest student in the class. They aliented me & made me feel weird about it to the point where for a time, I suppressed that part of myself (I don't want to make it seem like I'm just victimizing myself. I understand why they behaved that way towards me & don't resent them for it). The people that wanted to hang out with me the most were non blacks. I also didn't fit in with them for obvious reasons. Even if they weren't outright racist they still made sly comments & gave backhanded compliments. I was lucky enough in my last year of high school to make a friend who is still my bff to this day. She's a nerd just like me & although we don't consume the same type of media, we can relate to each other because our interests are seen as weird interests for black girls to have.
Thank you for sharing your story! I can definitely relate to the experience of wanting to share multiple interests/aspects of your identity with your Black friends, such as natural hair struggles in addition to "nerdy" interests. It's definitely a struggle feeling like you have to choose between one or the other. But I am glad you were eventually able to find a friend you could relate to on both levels!
I personally find it tragic that an entire race of people has been so torn up through racial ideology to the point of individualism being completely dismantled.
This video was excellent sis! I love learning about movies, shows, tv, media, games, and so on. This is the story of my life! Black people fell to realize that we are multifaceted people. I can be a nerd, I can love hip hop, I can be introverted, I can love to dance, I can love to draw, and I can love anime. Black people do not fit into this one dimensional box because we all have different experiences, and interests. I used to get so tired of black people trying to claim "I was acting white because I was intelligent" Intelligence is not synonymous with white people, we come from a long line of highly intelligent black people and it just goes to show you how anti-black and colorist many black people are. I even remember that there is always a rift between black nerds and black people either were not black enough or we think were smarter than everyone. I have always considered myself a nerd due to me being introverted, smart, liking anime, syfy, and games, but what was interesting about my life that even though I had nerd like qualities I was very popular in school and had mixture of friends from popular to nerdy. I did notice that I identified with my nerdy friends more so because I love dissecting movies, shows, and extracting essential social norms and themes from various forms of media and many other people found it annoying or strange. I want to leave my nerds with a word of advice love yourself and embrace yourself. Surround yourself with people that love you for you!
Something I’ve found interesting is how quite a lot of anime and games have black and/or hip-hop culture in their DNA in some form or another. Both in the sense that it’s what Japanese people are exposed to and think is cool, but also connecting with it as a counter culture due to how constraining Japanese culture can be on an individual level. Things like Shounen Jump character dressing up in street fashion, Black culture’s influence in games like Sonic and Jet Set Radio (to name a few), Cowboy Bebop’s jazz inspiration, or how Samurai Champloo not only wears it’s Hip-Hop influences on it’s sleeve but introduces many creatives to the late great Nujabes and gave new life to the lofi scene as we know it today. I just find it kinda interesting seeing the two cultures come together to form something new, just like how a lot of our world’s cultures were formed over the centuries.
Black people arent black people outside America , you really dont have that mystical black Community outside America because they are very different compared to Americans
I as a black person did not always fit in with black people but the trick is to find the other black people who didn't fit in with black people. So if you as a black person likes anime find other black people who do. Same with Korean pop and hip hop music. Same with video grames and science. You can become not black enough when you totally distance yourself from all black people because you can start to take on a resentment towards other black people and think more like a racist white person. You become out of touch with the general black experience and say stuff like "If black people just worked harder they would not be int he ghetto" There are cultual markers to being black and they are not always negative or stereotypical. Latinos have cultural markers to even though the word latino is broad term for multiple cultures who settled in the U.S. U.S. latinos have characteristics for an abuelita a hispanic grandmother. They grew up seeing their moms watch Telemundo and Televisa and a popular show in hte 1990s was Maria Del Barro so just like we make Color Purple memes they have memes and jokes about Mario Del Barrio especially for a eccentric character name Soraya she was nuts. If a latina does not watch any novelas or speak spanish they will be seen as not latina/o enough.
I agree with this comment, I think a lot of issues with Black Nerds as they got older is instead of realizing there are different types of black people and we don’t have to hold on the anger for those who don’t understand, a lot hold on to the resentment and start adopting racist and self hating rhetoric.
I'm a PROUD black Nerd 🤓. Worst, I'm a PROUD Canadian Haitian Black Nerd living in the USA. I'm a Control Systems Engineer/I'm a pro-bono Roboticist/I'm a cross-country cyclist(MTL~NY, CTL~ATL, MTL~TORONTO)/I'm a buyblack consumer! :). I love Anime, manga, gaming, Yu-Gi-Oh, Table-top game, rap , metal, afrobeats, dancing, swimming, running, biking, backflipping, travelling and going to the gun range. :). I'm never gonna change xD, and believe me, people tried to! xD
As Ukrainian-Russian and lived in both countries, went to school in both countries I can say that ‘socially awkward nerd’ is a stereotype created by the western culture. In my countries people who do well at school are considered to be from a good family, going to good colleges and have a higher social status. They usually dress well. There’s no focus on swag and I will even say swag doesn’t exist. It’s called a personality. In Russia you are only cool if you both have a good personality AND have good grades AND dress well. In broken Ukraine you were considered to be cool if you dress well and pretty AND extrovert and also if you are a bully. There were people who bullied and those who were bullied. There were no neutral. If you wanted to be cool you had to be the bully and slutty. But nobody bullied people for being a nerd.
Broken Ukraine ?? Basically, what you're describing is a culture where young people( I feel old) attempt to validate their standing amongst their peers by demonstrating their ability to dominate and subordinate others. Ps, it seems from your description that the stereotype is similar in that intellectuals are associated with elites. The people at the top of the picking order. In a place like Russia, this grants people an air of respect. In the u.s.a, such a person may be seen as unfair compensation or unrelatable.
Again your editing is AMAZING! All my life, I feel like I've surprised people in the way I talk and what I'm interested in. I wouldn't trade my childhood experience for the world, but I do wish that black children and teenagers were more accepting of other black kids who weren't the "norm" or stereotype. I just wish it wasn't such a "shock" when people get to know me, because it's like what's so shocking about a black person exploring things such as comics, anime, painting, etc. It's just a human finding interest in something. I feel like a lot of black people even get discouraged when following what they really love because of stereotypes and the lack of black people in them. For instance, I'm going in the tech field, and it's really encouraging to see black women and WOC in the field, but it is discouraging to see that there isn't a lot.
You did a phenomenal job at breaking down into detail about black culture. A nerd is basically anyone who doesn't fit the stereotypical image or has other interest that isn't shared with the rest of the black community.
I confess to be a fangirl in my 60s. Adventures of Merlin is my latest obsession!🙂Been a blerd all my life and not going to apologize for it. Thank you for addressing this much needed topic! I wish I could give this video 10,000 likes!
[My comment from the preview yesterday, to lead into my next comment] You're bringing up another one of those conversations that a lot of us need to have. I'm sure you're gonna bring these points up in the essay tomorrow, but just to put it out there.. Cultural expectations in the black community can be hella damaging. You mentioned in a previous video that, in a way, black Americans aren't expected to be varied individuals. Someone is always trying to put us in a box of limited expectations, whether it be our own people or those who view us from an outside perspective. Anything from our accent, enunciation, clothing choices, hobbies/interests, who we befriend, where we live, where we work, our existence is judged on comparisons with not only black stereotypes, but with white stereotypes too. It's almost like living with an internal struggle of 1) being a part of black culture that's 'invisible' (blerds, black goths, black spirituality without religion, nature/animal lovers, etc), 2) acknowledging and accepting the parts of black culture that are very visible and widespread even when it's not your vibe, 3) struggling with other's perception of you and their disapproval for not aligning with their idea of black culture, and 4) struggling with the idea that leaning into things that aren't highlighted in popular black culture could be interpreted as assimilating with white culture while denouncing black culture. It's a lot to process, like... I want all of these things to fit under the umbrella of American culture and sub-cultures, not solely defined by the color of our skin. I don't want to be limited to the common denominators of my race, my location, my socio-economic status, etc. I want to be my authentic self without external impositions.
I want to bring more attention to that quote from Mr. Glover, because it really does encompass the unspoken biases people tend to carry: "When a white person walks into a room, they walk in with a blank slate." POC and especially black people don't have that blank slate. If I walk into a room full of white people, I'm more than likely painted with the assumption of poverty and the struggles that come with American poverty. The assumption that if I'm poor, then I'm more likely to steal "their" things or treat "them" harshly, or heaven forbid, teach "their" kids undesirable qualities by proximity. When I speak in that room, the next assumption is education level, classist conventions applied to all of us where a lack of AAVE = higher education = proximity to whiteness = "Safe" POC. This is the foundation of code switching, and it is damaging. It's harmful for POC and especially black people to have assumed identities applied to their existence solely because of skin color. Like... I can dig DEEP into this issue and how it affects us as a race, especially those of our race who *are* living through the trials of American poverty ON TOP of American racism, ON TOP of American classism. It's a lot to unpack, and I don't think it can be done in the youtube comments section.
Yes! It's so important that we dismantle the belief that Blackness is synonymous with poverty, low education, and overall being seen as ghetto. In addition to the internalized belief that Black people who don't exhibit those stereotypical qualities are somehow more "respectable" than those who do. Both of these narratives are so harmful. Thank you for sharing your story!
Same in the UK too. I remember going into the computer lab during lunches cos I loved programming and people, black and non black, would say i was trying to be white. Not that I was a "nerd", I was somehow aspiring to be white.
This video was amazing, as always. I definitely experienced this, and my upbringing as a black military brat only heightened the questions of whether I was being "authentically" black - when you live overseas and move constantly, you don't have the luxury of finding many like-minded (or melanated) friends. It didn't help that I was a nerd too. Only as an adult I've fully embraced both sides of those things, and it's so wonderful to go to conventions and other events where other blerds exist.
I'm glad you've gotten to a place where you can fully embrace your Blerd identity! I love that with certain conventions (and the internet honestly lol), it's becoming a lot easier to connect with other Black people who share the same interests even if we may not know many Blerds in real life. And thank you for the kind words. ❤️
I used to be ashamed for not reaching the standard of blackness. Until i started to derive strength from the fact i am free to express myself without that standard hovering over me ( not to mention i was able to fight off any bully trying to give me hard time)
This was dope!! I embraced my inner nerd because it was too easy to go along with the “thug street narrative” i knew most of those guys wasn’t being themselves and secretly looked up to me because i always knew the answers in class. Then you mix being a nerd with being a good basketball player and everyone wants to be like you i love being a nerd and I’m proud of it!!
I'd say that, today, nerdiness is more about hyperfocus in something technical, mathematic or scientific and less about a lack of social skill. I'm a older millennial (41) software engineer and having an interest in computers when I was younger was not cool for Black boys. Now, people are complaining about the lack of Black people in the tech industry. Go figure.
I've been told I wasn't black bc I like nerdy things and bc I don't "sound like I'm black" it still gets under my skin till this day when I love my interests but I love my ppl and our culture. It's definitely still a struggle for me personally when I didn't choose to sound like a "square" or "white" I definitely don't like being called a nerd but ik I like nerdy things, and am VERY invested in the stuff I like.
This such a well-made video! Instant subscribe! This topic is something I've dealt with a lot and I'm still coming to terms with even at 32 years old. I'm so happy for the new generation of black nerds. These niche interests that once upon a time had some of us left with feelings of being ostracized isn't as widespread. It's so much easier to find your niche or even entire groups of black folks with common interests now! I do have a problem with the current state of things now. I find that now when you express your feelings of excluded back then, you're shouted down or have your experiences all but invalidated as if you're pulling this stuff out of then air. I know I'm not entitled to another person's understanding but damn if it doesn't suck. Back then you were weird and not black enough. Now you're weird or anti-black for pointing out these things.
I'm mixed and go through so much hell with "my identity". I tell everyone that I'm mixed. They can tell I'm mixed. Yet, they still call me black. Like, bro! Call me mixed or mulatto! I'm not JUST. BLACK.
The people who torture you,Will not always be part of your life, you will survive. A lot of the,relationships you have for good or bad are Temporary Situations. You will follow,different paths go to different schools have different jobs and ,Move away to live in different cities Keep your social circle small made up of people who,Care about you. Be your own best friend. Don't allow Negative Low Vibration people To take up real estate in your head. STAY POSITIVE and Preach That. Real Blackness is,about being High Vibration Higher Frequency Positivity in Word Thought and Deed, based,In Having a Moral and Ethical Compass and Good Values. Follow THE GOLDEN RULE.
There is nothing wrong with watching anime, scifi, etc. I don't see an issue with listening to music other than rap and hip-hop which is my favorite genre.
I just feel that some of us need a change in scenery. Thru my whole life I was blessed to be well educated but see I'm very dark-skinned with long locs. So I "look" black af this is at the time blackness was getting popular so u looked the part but opening my mouth in school never went well. Even my own family thinks I want to be white because I like so many things that they dint. Its just draining always having to pretend to be someone I'm not for acceptance. Not accepted by own people and I'm too black to be cool with the white kids. What a crazy existence for just being us
This was definitely an amazing video! I will be turning 28 this year and I have struggled with this particular experience my whole life. Personally it's not an issue for me to have different interests and hobbies that people don't associate with blackness such as collecting dolls and watching anime and just being into intellectually interesting topics. But my struggle is feeling like I belong to a group. I would love to one day feel safe right, and comfortable enough to play music that I love. I would love to discover other's who appreciate the kind of movies and TV shows I like to watch. And I'm talking about in my life outside of the internet. I know that a lot of Internet communities that I'm connected to you and that's great but I still feel like an outcast in the spaces that I occupy. But I really enjoyed this video. I wish it was around when I was in middle and high school lol
As a Black nerd involved with punk and hardcore music etc, I think something I've also noticed is internalized anti Blackness within the Blerd community as well. This need to want to separate themselves from what they deem stereotypical. As I've gotten older, more of my frustration has been pointed towards white supremacy for convincing us that we have to fit into a specific box. The Black Panthers were nerds. Franz Fanon was a nerd etc.
you've almost hit the nail on the head, but you've missed out on WHY there is so called anti-blackness within the Blerd community. It's because our community reeks of intolerence when it comes to mannerisms that don't fit conventional black monoliths. BM who are nerdy have been emasculated by their own women and BW who are nerdy have been disrespected by their own men. It's not surprising that some Blerds wouldn't embrace their community wholeheartedly.
Agree with everything you said, but wanna focus on the first thing you said- people who wanna talk about ‘black music’ but won’t include bad brains, esg, death, grace jones ( not punk I know) etc in that conversation are being disingenuous. You might like a song by Marley called ‘my side of London’ if you’ve not heard it before 👍
I used to feel the same way that the other black nerds felt growing up, but the more I interacted with other black people who weren’t nerds the more I actually began to realize that I was black enough. I didn’t have to act stereotypical, I just had to be me and others respected me for that. I think a big issue at times with the BN Community is that we feel slighted by our own and start carrying that to other communities of nerds when it only fuels a certain narrative of our people to them, which in turn allows them slide on things said or done to us because we feel we can relate to them.
I know it’s RU-vid but I had to type up a long response to this because I love it and it made me think. Similar to how hurt people hurt people, I think insecure people make other people insecure. Not to say that’s every case, but I do think it plays a role in some of us not feeling black enough because our black peers likely felt they themselves were too black or had to “be black” even though they’re already black. I wasn’t called a nerd, but I’d get called a dork sometimes. I was socially awkward and uncomfortable with myself not knowing I had a learning disability, but while my grades at times were horrible everyone thought I was smart because I wore glasses, was quiet, and seemed to pay attention in class. I wasn’t into what was the cool, black culture stuff like a lot of my black friends. I talked white, I hadn’t seen most popular black movies, I thought most of the popular shoes were ugly, didn’t like the more risqué music, didn’t care for most popular dances, didn’t like a lot of cussing... most things that were popular with my black friends in middle and high school just didn’t appeal to me personally. I was described as weird, something I’ve come to embrace but it used to confuse the heck out of me back then. I didn’t get mercilessly teased for that but there were a few jabs thrown and it hurt a little but looking back, where I was just trying to do my own thing, those friends and acquaintances were just trying to do what they thought they were supposed to be doing as black people, I think. I don’t know how the tone got set for what, as a black kid, you’re supposed to like or know. It was probably set by family and whoever most kids perceived as cool because of their confidence, but it just seems like everyone simply wanted to fit in. I think some felt jealous or even threatened by others who looked like them and carved out their own paths instead. Like, ‘If I have to fit, why don’t you?’ I see elements of it in how some of my own relatives act towards some successful black people who don’t fit the popular standard of blackness because they took that uniqueness they had and became more successful. Yet they’re mad because they can’t find love, happiness, or even success within that box they put themselves in. But back black kids in school, some of them liked the exact same things I liked but were too afraid, embarrassed, or even ashamed back then to say it because it wasn’t considered cool among black people or as a black person. They didn’t feel they could be their true selves either and unfortunately sometimes they’d jump on the bandwagon to take shots at someone for doing what they weren’t allowed to or didn't had the courage to do at that time. Be themselves. I will say, for as much as I absolutely hated high school, I had a better experience with being black and being around black people when I moved to the country than I had in the city. My experiences with black friends in the city vs black friends in the country while similar in ways was also very different. There was still that pressure to fit in, but it wasn’t nearly as strong as it was in the city. I still didn’t quite fit in but black country folks were more comfortable with letting black people like what they like and be themselves. The importance of blackness and being black wasn’t something wasn’t being pushed for popularity’s sake, but in the country, it came in with the shared experience that we’ were collectively a handful of black kids in a majority white school in rural white America. Not saying every white person in the school was racists, but it really put things in perspective of what matters and what doesn’t.
I love that you brought up the fact that hurt people hurt people. I feel like sometimes we forget that whether or not you portray stereotypical characteristics of "Blackness," we're all just ultimately trying to find our place in the world. That is a universal experience we all share, and I think that oftentimes gets overlooked. Thanks for sharing your story!
Your content is next level fantastic and so engaging. I really enjoyed this and I can tell you put a lot of effort into it. I had never heard the term blerd before so this was really interesting/ educational. Great work!
I think liking sci-fi, fantasy, or gaming isn’t “nerdy.” Only the degree of participation in these activities makes a person nerdy. Naming every class of ship in Star Trek or being well versed in the Star Wars pre-movie timeline, or shelling out thousands of dollar for Warhammer figurines, and cosplaying would grant someone the title of nerd.
I loved this whole video essay amd heavily identify with a lot of the not black enough cus I'm am an awkward human and a nerd thru and thru loll. And honestly being called an oreo irks me but I'm trying to learn to not assimilate cus it's easier and cus I'm easily impressionable, but be actually proud of the fact that I am unique in my own way. As in I'm not trying to be cheesy, I found myself to be jealous really of any other black folks who exhibited the stereotypical "black cultre" due to how or where they grew up and would always just associate myself with the word "weirdo" which I've grown quite proud of cus why dafuq not be a weirdo yknow. But now the older I get I'm appreciating more and more how different I am and the perspective I can bring to our community as we black ppl are nuanced and complex. Its a bloody no brainer. It's hard tho trying to catch myself in not repeating ideas I don't agree with so I can fit in more. Its very harmful and limits our growth I think.
I think the resolution to this is sitting in front of us all. All these people who feel as though they aren't "black enough" form a community where they will all feel comfortable around each other. Nerds have done it. Geeks have done it. Alt cultures have done it. Why not us? 🤔
I am a black guy and a nerd and proud of it. I love video games , Pokemon , anime. Now despite being a nerd I do not like Star Wars or Star Trek. I do like Avengers , X-Men , Fantastic Four , Batman. I will say a lot of the stuff in nerd culture didn't become popular until famous people were in to it. An example is I'm unsure if this happened sooner but it was rare seeing a female in to video games and anime but when rapper Megan Thee Stallion spoke about her favorite anime then more women were in to anime.
Only youtube video I've ever watched longer than 30 mins. Extremely worth the while. There was so much good information and so many good messages in this video. Please continue to illuminate these things
You are such a beautiful person lol. Awesome aura, great video. I still have issues with identity in the "culture". Conversations like this are where growth happens tho. Blessings
I have had black people tell me I sound too white. I have had black people ask me where I come from? Can I cook soul food? OMG!!! Yes my parents were from the soouth and I can cook soul food. I also tell them anyone can look at me and tell I am black. That is your problem if you cannot accept me as I am.
Interesting. Everything you've said are things that I've wanted to say publicly but never had created the platform to express this. This was a great way to eloquently summarize what the Black Nerd experience is like and I think you delivered this HANDILY. Bravo! 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
Honestly, I felt this video in my soul. But I feel the more I’ve grown into my blerdness, I realized how segregated the whole group is. Like, there are definitely cool kids to the situation and a sense of hierarchy. And all I want is unity. Is it too much to ask to do ratchet shit with blerds in cosplay? Where would one even start with finding community within that?
This was a great presentation. It accurately speaks to much of my childhood, especially when compared to other relatives who were my contemporaries. I reflect on these things now that I'm older, and the strong sense of being the "other" definitely impacted many of my major life choices.
I don’t get the popularity of that film- I was into the concept but it was just dodgy 80s cultural norms at best and that rape scene was quite hard to watch lol
