Black premeds/doctors around?

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african american black caribbean premed
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blackgirlmd said:
If you have no black ancestors you are not black. Nothing can change that. Gender is PURELY social.
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People once said similar things of gender. Regardless, there are social expectations put on people largely based on appearances and how people carry themselves, not based on their ancestry. So my question is: why is it accepted for a male to transition to a female both in appearance and in how she carries herself but not ok for Rachel Dolezal to "transition" and identify as a black woman?

I don't think it's an unfair question to ask.
 
Cavs5284 said:
People once said similar things of gender. Regardless, there are social expectations put on people largely based on appearances and how people carry themselves, not based on their ancestry. So my question is: why is it accepted for a male to transition to a female both in appearance and in how she carries herself but not ok for Rachel Dolezal to "transition" and identify as a black woman?

I don't think it's an unfair question to ask.
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Gender has no relation to ancestry. It's purely social like I said.
 
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blackgirlmd said:
Gender has no relation to ancestry. It's purely social like I said.
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But social expectations aren't derived from ancestry. As a latino male, I may have most of my ancestry from Europe, but the minute I go to a store speaking with my family on the phone in Spanish, I immediately get followed to make sure I don't steal anything.

Similarly, there are studies that show that black people with "tranditional black names" are discriminated against for hiring. This isn't based on ancestry but is based on socially constructed ideas of black people.
 
Cavs5284 said:
People once said similar things of gender. Regardless, there are social expectations put on people largely based on appearances and how people carry themselves, not based on their ancestry. So my question is: why is it accepted for a male to transition to a female both in appearance and in how she carries herself but not ok for Rachel Dolezal to "transition" and identify as a black woman?

I don't think it's an unfair question to ask.
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I absolutely agree it's a double standard. But to deviate away from getting into my personal beliefs about the former issue...

The reason I personally have a problem with it is because it is not true. She is not black. She can say she identifies with black culture, not a problem. She can say she is passionate about minority disparities, not a problem. She can even say she FEELS "black", a little weird and slightly ignorant, but still not a problem. When she starts saying she IS black with no reference to her white background at all, she has stepped over the line into La La Land. As least transgender folks acknowledge they were one gender and feel they are truly another. When you ask Dolezal if she or her parents are white, she literally walks off camera or gives a 😕 face.

My other issue with it...if a black woman were to tell the entire world that she is white, she's head of some super white org, she teaches on European ancestry (idk I'm just thinking of some relatable examples), everyone would laugh!!

I applaud Dolezal for what she has done for the black community, I really do. She is truely passionate for our cause. She still is not black.
 
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Cavs5284 said:
But social expectations aren't derived from ancestry. As a latino male, I may have most of my ancestry from Europe, but the minute I go to a store speaking with my family on the phone in Spanish, I immediately get followed to make sure I don't steal anything.

Similarly, there are studies that show that black people with "tranditional black names" are discriminated against for hiring. This isn't based on ancestry but is based on socially constructed ideas of black people.
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Don't get how what you're saying has anything to do with what I said.
 
Race is biological in the sense that being born certain ethnicities confers upon you specific phenotypes. I don't think anyone would argue that sex is a social construct, no? Dolezal could have taken off her black "skin" anytime she wanted to, thus changing her social role -- black people don't have that luxury.

Like I said, I think she's a sociopath. I don't believe she did any of what she did for anyone but herself. And what did she do really? Taught a few courses? Whoop tee do.
 
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Cavs5284 said:
People once said similar things of gender. Regardless, there are social expectations put on people largely based on appearances and how people carry themselves, not based on their ancestry. So my question is: why is it accepted for a male to transition to a female both in appearance and in how she carries herself but not ok for Rachel Dolezal to "transition" and identify as a black woman?

I don't think it's an unfair question to ask.
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Well this is more a question of culture rather than race. You simply can't change your race which, while you could argue the social origin of it, is largely based on your appearance which is rooted in your DNA. Sure you could bleach your skin or whatever but that doesn't change your DNA.

I also think that we need to consider that being African American and being black are not mutually exclusive. I know yall remember back in elementary school/middle/high school when there was that one african american girl that was hanging out with all the white kids and was not considered "black" by her racial peers. At the same time, she is still subject to being African American in America.

The conversation about Rachel is an interesting one because I sometimes battle with the question of, "okay, well can a white person be culturally considered black if they grew up with the black cultural experience?" I would like to say no based on skin color, but my argument of black, being purely cultural, would say yes lol.
 
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takeurmeds02 said:
Well this is more a question of culture rather than race. You simply can't change your race which, while you could argue the social origin of it, is largely based on your appearance which is rooted in your DNA. Sure you could bleach your skin or whatever but that doesn't change your DNA.

The conversation is about Rachel is an interesting one because I sometimes battle with the question of, "okay, well can a white person be culturally considered black if they grew up with the black cultural experience?" I would like to say no based on skin color, but my argument of black, being purely cultural, would say yes lol.
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But I feel like the problem you run into with that is you start getting a very limited scope of the black cultural experience. Does growing up poor and listening rap make someone black? Am I less black because I grew up somewhat in the middle class and listened to a lot of Top 40 music? I guess I just take issue with people who say they are "black" because they identify with a couple of aspects of what is viewed as this "universal" black experience.
 
Beyonce2.0 said:
But I feel like the problem you run into with that is you start getting a very limited scope of the black cultural experience. Does growing up poor and listening rap make someone black? Am I less black because I grew up somewhat in the middle class and listened to a lot of Top 40 music? I guess I just take issue with people who say they are "black" because they identify with a couple of aspects of what is viewed as this "universal" black experience.
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And I agree with you to a certain degree. I never said black was growing up poor, etc. BUT I think there are certain things in our culture that no matter what part of the country you're from or socioeconomic background, you just "get it." There are certain songs, sayings, similar upbringings, jokes, tv shows, etc that you could probably ask a black person and you guys would suddenly be on the same page; there's that commonality that exists. And when I call out these things, I don't mean anything that has become a fad in the last 5-10 years. I'm talking stuff from childhood and preteen years. Unfortunately and understandably, I have difficulty giving it all a specific character; it's unspoken.
 
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The fact that I am dark as coffee and have a think jamaican accent which I cant hide no matter how much I try at times I never experienced getting mistaken for being white. Also no I wouldnt want to go to a HBCU I love being surrounded by other races, and also love being the only black guy at school (not the same feeling at bars or clubs) I guess that was the role I played in college and I'm just use to it. Like holding the banner down for us and it acts as a extra drive to make sure that I present myself in a good light to pave the way for others after me
 
Also to the Caribbean people here especially the jamaicans how do you feel about rhi rhi poor watered down attempts to speak Jamaican patois in her songs work. Most of the people back home seem to like it but jamaican-americans are yelling appropriation
 
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Chelsea FC said:
Also to the Caribbean people here especially the jamaicans how do you feel about rhi rhi poor watered down attempts to speak Jamaican patois in her songs work. Most of the people back home seem to like it but jamaican-americans are yelling appropriation
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It really does not bother me because she is an entertainer. Should we cry every time an English actor uses an American accent? (Sons of Anarchy, Prison Break, House, M.D., Chuck from Gossip Girl, etc.)
Drake does it as well and he is Canadian with no Jamaican roots as far as I can tell.
Tory Lanez does it in the opening of his video for his single, "Say It." (Very poorly, but I digress 😛)
Nicki Minaj has done it multiple times and she is not Jamaican.

I could go on and on, but I won't because it shows how much of a life I really don't have, hehe.
 
Chelsea FC said:
LOL my point exactly I have no time to get upset over that stuff . The song is poping still lol
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Facts.

Also, I really think the issue is that some of us Jamaican-Americans try way too hard to identify with our culture. It gets to the point where we have crap like this; outcries over at best, a trivial non-issue.
 
blackgirlmd said:
I thought rih was Caribbean!
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She is Caribbean but not Jamaican, lol so jamaicans saying she should be proud of her own heritage and speak like a Bajans.. This is a none issue though like those Asian students complaining that cafeteria should cook Asian food if it isn't authentic
 
blackgirlmd said:
Oh...I thought she was just speaking in her regular accent on the song lol
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You see its stuff like this that make me dont want her try speak jamaican patois lol... Jamaicans have the most sexy way of speaking out of all of the Caribbean (and the 3rd in the world behind British and Australians,, jk ), she wasnt trying to speak her own accent she was copying/paying homage to Jamaicans and did so horribly . But Im not sweating it the song is good and I have more pressing issues to worry about
 
Chelsea FC said:
You see its stuff like this that make me dont want her try speak jamaican patois lol... Jamaicans have the most sexy way of speaking out of all of the Caribbean (and the 3rd in the world behind British and Australians,, jk ), she wasnt trying to speak her own accent she was copying/paying homage to Jamaicans and did so horribly . But Im not sweating it the song is good and I have more pressing issues to worry about
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Ah I see..
 
mode7scaling said:
Diversity coordinator ...
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Okay this guy is a obvious troll so lets be smart and ignore him/her :troll::troll::troll::troll::troll::troll::troll:


images
 
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takeurmeds02 said:
And I agree with you to a certain degree. I never said black was growing up poor, etc. BUT I think there are certain things in our culture that no matter what part of the country you're from or socioeconomic background, you just "get it." There are certain songs, sayings, similar upbringings, jokes, tv shows, etc that you could probably ask a black person and you guys would suddenly be on the same page; there's that commonality that exists. And when I call out these things, I don't mean anything that has become a fad in the last 5-10 years. I'm talking stuff from childhood and preteen years. Unfortunately and understandably, I have difficulty giving it all a specific character; it's unspoken.
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Yeah there are definitely experiences that I believe are unique to black culture. But that comes as a result of environmental influences, not biological. The black race is a biological component. Our features, our hair, our body types, our family all pay homage to the fact that we originate from one lineage. From there we associate with those who look like us (natural human behavior), and we form communities and environments of those who are like us physically. Then as time goes on, we become more like each other behaviorally. Now as a black child who is born into this world, same things happens. You see others with your features, skin color, hair type, and you naturally associate yourself with them. As time goes on, you see these people growing up in the same type of hood you're in, with the same familial and financial situations - issues that hit closer to your heart. And you develop a deep relationship with the community. Y'all even listen to the same type of music, watch the same shows, eat the same food. Your parents even cook it the same way!!

Now there are people whose journey is the opposite - the environmental component comes first. A white child born into this world, who sees people growing up in the same type of hood, with same financial or family issues. You like the same music and food. They are a part of the community they've been in since birth. Can we now classify them as black? We say it in informal convos, like they're "black" referencing their relationship with the black community. But since race is a bio component, that cannot be changed. They are classified as white because race doesn't care what your upbringing is.
 
dreee said:
Yeah there are definitely experiences that I believe are unique to black culture. But that comes as a result of environmental influences, not biological. The black race is a biological component. Our features, our hair, our body types, our family all pay homage to the fact that we originate from one lineage. From there we associate with those who look like us (natural human behavior), and we form communities and environments of those who are like us physically. Then as time goes on, we become more like each other behaviorally. Now as a black child who is born into this world, same things happens. You see others with your features, skin color, hair type, and you naturally associate yourself with them. As time goes on, you see these people growing up in the same type of hood you're in, with the same familial and financial situations - issues that hit closer to your heart. And you develop a deep relationship with the community. Y'all even listen to the same type of music, watch the same shows, eat the same food. Your parents even cook it the same way!!

Now there are people whose journey is the opposite - the environmental component comes first. A white child born into this world, who sees people growing up in the same type of hood, with same financial or family issues. You like the same music and food. They are a part of the community they've been in since birth. Can we now classify them as black? We say it in informal convos, like they're "black" referencing their relationship with the black community. But since race is a bio component, that cannot be changed. They are classified as white because race doesn't care what your upbringing is.
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I sort of agree and sort of don't. Genetically speaking, the variance in genes between races is incredibly small, and much of what you said does lend to the argument that race is a social construct - aka just another label we slap on people to categorize them easily. I think it mostly has to do with whether or not the community views you as being part of them.
 
dreee said:
Yeah there are definitely experiences that I believe are unique to black culture. But that comes as a result of environmental influences, not biological. The black race is a biological component. Our features, our hair, our body types, our family all pay homage to the fact that we originate from one lineage. From there we associate with those who look like us (natural human behavior), and we form communities and environments of those who are like us physically. Then as time goes on, we become more like each other behaviorally. Now as a black child who is born into this world, same things happens. You see others with your features, skin color, hair type, and you naturally associate yourself with them. As time goes on, you see these people growing up in the same type of hood you're in, with the same familial and financial situations - issues that hit closer to your heart. And you develop a deep relationship with the community. Y'all even listen to the same type of music, watch the same shows, eat the same food. Your parents even cook it the same way!!

Now there are people whose journey is the opposite - the environmental component comes first. A white child born into this world, who sees people growing up in the same type of hood, with same financial or family issues. You like the same music and food. They are a part of the community they've been in since birth. Can we now classify them as black? We say it in informal convos, like they're "black" referencing their relationship with the black community. But since race is a bio component, that cannot be changed. They are classified as white because race doesn't care what your upbringing is.
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I get what your saying but I addressed your points in my recent post:

"Well this is more a question of culture rather than race. You simply can't change your race which, while you could argue the social origin of it, is largely based on your appearance which is rooted in your DNA. Sure you could bleach your skin or whatever but that doesn't change your DNA.

I think that we need to consider that being African American and being black are not mutually exclusive. I know yall remember back in elementary school/middle/high school when there was that one African American girl/boy that was hanging out with all the white kids and was not considered "black" by her/his racial peers. At the same time, she/he is still subject to being African American in America. <--- an example of them relinquishing their culture but still retaining outward characteristics of those that are considered to be in that culture"
 
takeurmeds02 said:
I get what your saying but I addressed your points in my recent post:

"Well this is more a question of culture rather than race. You simply can't change your race which, while you could argue the social origin of it, is largely based on your appearance which is rooted in your DNA. Sure you could bleach your skin or whatever but that doesn't change your DNA.

I think that we need to consider that being African American and being black are not mutually exclusive. I know yall remember back in elementary school/middle/high school when there was that one African American girl/boy that was hanging out with all the white kids and was not considered "black" by her/his racial peers. At the same time, she/he is still subject to being African American in America. <--- an example of them relinquishing their culture but still retaining outward characteristics of those that are considered to be in that culture"
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My bad, I guess I didn't read your previous post. I agree with you. I think African American and black cannot be equated. Perfect example, my parents are black but they came to America in their 20s. Theres so much about African American culture they do not relate to or understand. Yet, they are expected to have certain experiences because they are black.
 
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takeurmeds02 said:
How are people even able to afford going to a second look? I'm focused on moving expenses/logistics at this point. When I travel again, it will be for pure leisure lol.
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True. But visiting again won't be expensive if the school is close to where you live. I guess that depends on the person.
 
kaydo525 said:
True. But visiting again won't be expensive if the school is close to where you live. I guess that depends on the person.
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Oh yea, for sure. I wasn't knocking anyone for wanting to go and having the means to do so. Hell, I would. I guess I was speaking more so out of envy lol
 
takeurmeds02 said:
Oh yea, for sure. I wasn't knocking anyone for wanting to go and having the means to do so. Hell, I would. I guess I was speaking more so out of envy lol
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I feel you. I'm on my gap year and working. I'm gonna do a crapload of overtime to be able to afford to go.
 
Hey guys do you think of being a avid Broadway/off Broadway show goer a interesting hobby to list ?? its definitely something unique, I love and not lot of young people especially young people of color do. I've been to more than 20 shows, dont know if thats enough to call it a hobby . Also I have no idea about the logistics of plays / musicals so I cannot have a deep convo about the logistics but it is just something I love to do to relax and de-stress . Thoughts ?? And could you guys tell me what hobbies you plan to list or the persons who already applied which ones came up at interviews ??
 
Late to the party (and sorry to throw this topic back out there) but a few pages back people were talking/griping about their hair for med school interviews. And I'm just gonna let India Arie say it for me:



Sorry to be off-topic. But you are not your hair.
 
Chelsea FC said:
Hey guys do you think of being a avid Broadway/off Broadway show goer a interesting hobby to list ?? its definitely something unique, I love and not lot of young people especially young people of color do. I've been to more than 20 shows, dont know if thats enough to call it a hobby . Also I have no idea about the logistics of plays / musicals so I cannot have a deep convo about the logistics but it is just something I love to do to relax and de-stress . Thoughts ?? And could you guys tell me what hobbies you plan to list or the persons who already applied which ones came up at interviews ??
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I love Broadway shows but I didn't think to add this. Where would you put it? If asked what things do you enjoy when you are not focused on academia, I'd definitely share that.
 
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