OK, so I know a lot of people have heard or read about the blog “Stuff Educated Black People Like.” After a few weeks of knowing of this blog and reading that the creator of “Stuff White People Like” signed a book deal worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, I began to believe that the SEBPL blog was wrong.
I believe it was wrong for several reasons. The blog divides black people into two groups. Either you are an educated black person or an uneducated black person. Do we as black people really need to separate ourselves anymore? We already separate ourselves into groups based upon one another’s skin tone – light skinned and dark skinned.
In the blog’s defense, I do not believe it was created with malicious intent. I just think that we as a community do not need to perpetuate these stereotypes.
When I read the blog I looked at some of the stereotypes it perpetuated. I might believe that only educated black people eat baked chicken. I began to think that if I was an uneducated black person then I might not attend a Mega Church.
So then I ask, if educated black people attend Mega Churches, watch Oprah, listen to jazz and live in Atlanta, then what do the so-called “uneducated” black people do? Not attend church? Are they heathens? Do they watch Maury as opposed to Oprah? Or do they listen to Plies?
Where do uneducated black people live? Wisconsin? As an educated black man who attends a Historically Black College or University and has been blessed to have friends from all over the world, some are educated and some uneducated, I see no correlation to these stereotypes being perpetuated by the stuff an uneducated “person” created.
Lastly, do you happen to feel a certain way about not seeing other types of degrading blogs aimed at other races? What about a blog named, “Stuff Redneck White People Like?” Personally, I don’t really care. I would much rather watch “The Boondocks,” but that’s my opinion.
I understand everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, and with that said I am not asking that the blog be taken down, but I think we as people need to be more aware of the things we do to each other.
I would much rather prefer to see a blog that is attempting to bring our community together as opposed to further dividing two “perceived” segments of our community.
The separation of black people leads one group to have a perceived sense of superiority over another group, almost similar to a caste system. Please feel free to give your two cents on this topic. Thank You!
Andrew Ward is a fifth-year business administration student from Milwaukee. He can be reached at andrewsward@hotmail.com.