I've been wanting to get this off my chest for a while.....

If it's one thing that irritates me the most about being on the internet, it's running into so many smart successful Black people with so much education, so much life experience, all have good suit-and-tie jobs.

I'm not hating on them out of jealousy, I'm irritated because I can't seem to find them in real life!


I know a few (myself ofcourse..lol..), but not as many as I meet on just Blacknet alone.

I get on the Web and all I have to do is just MENTION African or Islamic history and I'll have 100 Black people with all types of degrees and travel experiences punking me out making me look like a STRAIGHT UP chump with thier expertise and knowledge of these subjects.

I thought I was gonna "come wit'it" from my end, until I run into some of yall who break it how it should be broke.

Then all I can do is either take notes or just slither my ass away in embarrasment.


I commend some of you on your intelligence and professionalism, but where the hell do you Black intellectuals hang at in real life when I'm at work , in the coffee-house, at the bookstore or a Black conciousness rally lookint for a good conversation?

I can't find you in the mall, on the train, at the State Fair...often times me and my crew are the only Black men in the vicinity kicking knowledge.

I don't know where yall hide out at.....must only live on the internet to make me look bad because I sho' as hell don't run into you in real life.

90% of the people I run into in real life can't even remember what happened prior to 1995, let alone can hold a discussion on African or Asian history.

@Omaar,

I definitely feel you. I lived in Pittsburgh for 6 years before I moved to Orlando and there were no chill-spots that I could find for mature Black intellectuals. I live in Florida now, and I am still trying to find a group or something to expand and learn from.

I think what you have demonstrated is indicative of one of our major problems as Blacks in America. We have no unity, and it is difficult for our intellectuals to find each other, let alone meet regularly and brainstorm so that we can exercise our own collective enlightenment.



@ EVERYONE

I am with Omaar...give a brother a clue as to where the hang-out spot is! If any of you are from Florida...then help a brother (myself) out!



@ Omaar (again)

Anyhow, I think that this is an excellent topic Omaar; for, I think many of us Blacks are suffering as you are being disconnected from like-minds that we can all learn from.

--Thoth B3

Oh Omaar this thread has been up there a week and I never glanced at it once coz I thought it was gonna be some trite s.hit(sorry) but its actually a good post.

Maybe you can ask the moderators to help you change the title of your thread so that you get more responses???

Speaking from a female perspective I dont find it that difficult to find like-minded females in my everyday life,but still my circle of friends is very small as I am extremely wary and mistrustful of folk.

Where I hang outoetry slams,Hyde Park,my apartment,my friends apartments and very occasionally the pub/bar and I go out clubbing on average once a month.

While in NYC we hit coffee shops (pick one) and restaurants

In ATL:

its all about the spots around Morehouse, Mo Brown and Clark, there are a few in the cut spots...Also there are some chill spots around GSU.

In DC:

There are too many places to shake a stick at here but most times you won't find the average ...... there.

In TX and NM:

there is UTEP or NMSU, they have meetings where you can talk about anything or listen to some boring azz fukka talk smack about something they ain't experienced.

In Mass, RI and CT:

We always have events at the Colleges and Universities, Coffeeshops, Poetry readings, the VIP sections of Clubs, University Department lounges, The Cheesecake factory, Chillie's, Applebees, Vegetarian spots, and Chinese Restaurants. We also hit food courts and chill at the crib and just kick it about anything (this way we avoid those MFer's that want to freestyle and do dumb dance shyt) Political fundraisers and other events.

I hang out in Canada half the time

Student center(UofM we have very large black student area that's packed each day)we have lovely debates about everything and anything, linux Users Group meetings (CS friends), camping trips (here in MN we do a lot of lake fishing, we go as very large groups, toronto, air show events. I don'tgo toclubs,non-drinking bars are also popular with us.

This may sound corny, but anywhere there is a university or black book store... you will find tons. In Philly, all you have to do is go to the black book stores/cafe (Borders for da people) and theyhold all kinds of discussion groups and have notice boards. Mind you, you will also see all kinds of pomposity and "I have more degrees than thou" bs.

I'm with JB on the poetry slams, besides... I find that the males are outnumbered 3:1... good odds if you are a dude.

Good post.

If you think about it, the amount of people on the internet whoare as you described Omaar, is tiny too. Just on this thread alone, you can see that Florida, New York , Philidelphia and London were all mentioned, but its one, (not inc. their friends),person for each place!

If all of us 'concious' people were to get together from Blacknet, it'll still be very small indeed. Which sort of highlight that in this instance the net is good doesn't it, cos otherwise some people could be sitting in isolation wondering if there are any likeminded people out there. Or they do know there are people who think the same as them, but know too, they are unlikely to communicate withthem.

As youhave discoveredin the real world.

Thoth

I definitely feel you. I lived in Pittsburgh for 6 years before I moved to Orlando and there were no chill-spots that I could find for mature Black intellectuals. I live in Florida now, and I am still trying to find a group or something to expand and learn from.

I think what you have demonstrated is indicative of one of our major problems as Blacks in America. We have no unity, and it is difficult for our intellectuals to find each other, let alone meet regularly and brainstorm so that we can exercise our own collective enlightenment.

Hey bro, I'm in the same boat you're in.....

A little over a year ago I moved from Detroit (chocolate city) where there was a black study group for nearly every ideology under the sun, to Arizona where most of the Black folks here act like they want to have nothing to do with eachother.

Perhaps this is the reason why when you DO find Black men on the street willing to discuss politics we often get too emotional and go overboard. We have so much pent up frustration from our voices not being heard on television or in public that we like to vent with the first Black person who'll listen.





Umbrar

How often do you have to go out and play dumb or alienate people? I've had Black men get real quite and give me suspicious looks in five minutes of conversation. And of course there are the people that just know I have a degree and what is it in and where did I matriculate.

You're right about that "playing dumb" part.

Often times just to get along around other young AfroAmericans and not look "weird" you have to play stupid and pretend to be interested in shit you find ridiculously boring.

I used to do it but stopped a while back and just chose to isolate myself from those type of negroes. I have little to do with my natural family for this very reason...too much ignorance floating around in it.

You have to act loud, talk about kicking somebody's ass, or brag about how drunk and high you got last night just to get respect from some people.





DSP

I hang out in Canada half the time

I used to spend a lot of time in Canada when I lived in Michigan.

Funny thing about Canada is it seems now-a-days most Black people like to keep thier distance from eachother and not connect in public.

There are Orientals all over the place and all they do is network with and socialize witheachother; meanwhile most Black folks there won't even sit next to eachother on a train let alone have a conversation about politics.





Moderators

I'm gonna take Jett's advice and ask that you correct an error I made in this thread.

Instead of:

Where do some of you hang OUR at?

please correct it to

Where do some of you hang OUT at?