Author |
Message |
Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Monday, August 27, 2007 - 8:59 pm
Thanks, Ladytex. I grew up a half hour away from the area where Jameka is currently from. The quote of hers was played up by CBS before the season began. At the time, I questioned her saying she hadn't been around white people before -- NOT because I thought it was an issue of character (or as others have indicated, racist) -- but simply because, knowing the demographics of the area, it seemed unlikely or peculiar to me. However, since I have been able to observe her in the house, in my opinion she has not made an issue (big or small) about being around white people, or being the only African American in the house. So what's the problem?
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Tobor7
Member
07-19-2002
| Monday, August 27, 2007 - 9:02 pm
Do you think she is the ONLY afro-American in the house or the token-African-American in the house?
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Beekindpleez
Member
07-18-2006
| Monday, August 27, 2007 - 9:02 pm
There are white people like Dick, white people like Jen, white people like Amber, and white people like Jess. There are also black people like Dick, Jen, Amber, etc. And Asian. And Latino. And so on and so on. Someone said Jameka has a Master's Degree. How could she have gotten this high an education without ever being around people of all races? I don't get her whole comment.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, August 27, 2007 - 9:09 pm
I don't think she's made much of an issue at all at least not since the feeds came on. When she and Amber were both on the block they had some pretty intense times and bonding in the hammock and Jameka said to her.. "I have white friends!" and went on to say, she meant friends she would keep. She sounded happy about that. They a bit later they were talking and she started to scold Amber about some statement Amber had made about hating someone and she slipped and calle Amber "Negro" and then laughed and says well.. girl.. and I took that to mean she felt very comfortable with Amber and was clearly not seeing Amber as "white" or "different" at all. Amber didn't seem to grasp the significance of any of this for Jameka.
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Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Monday, August 27, 2007 - 9:10 pm
quote:Do you think she is the ONLY afro-American in the house or the token-African-American in the house?
Oh I am soo glad I saw this.
quote:Someone said Jameka has a Master's Degree. How could she have gotten this high an education without ever being around people of all races?
By going to an HBCU (historical black college university) possibly.
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Mummy35332
Member
09-09-2005
| Monday, August 27, 2007 - 9:11 pm
Just asking if Jameka's opinion of white people has changed assumes that she is racist. I think she is intelligent enough to just see people, reguardless of her earlier statement about not being around many white people. Plus she knows people on the show do not act like the people she would meet outside the game.
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Bluejaxrock
Member
04-23-2004
| Monday, August 27, 2007 - 9:31 pm
A couple/few things bug me about this: - We can't ask if her opinions changed cause we don't know what they were. (Or I missed it which is entirely possible.) - I think I could safely say I'd be "out of my element" when thrown into a long-term living arrangement where all of I sudden I'm less than 10% of the population. - Mocha, you stole my other thought. Also, depending where her school is, it, too could be predominately African-Amer. Ladytex, fortunately in my area, there seem to be fewer and fewer segregated neighborhoods, and more opportunities for children to attend the school of their choice.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, August 27, 2007 - 9:40 pm
Mocha, she just now mentioned going to school in North Carolina.. lol that probably doesn't narrow it down TOO much, though.
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Kimsue
Member
07-08-2005
| Monday, August 27, 2007 - 9:44 pm
Just speculating but.. maybe what she meant was that it is different for her to be living 24/7 in an environment when she is the only black person. I am sure she has had work and school association with many white people as well as people of other races. Maybe she hasn't been roommates with a person of a race other then her own. There is a first time for everything.
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Azriel
Member
08-01-2000
| Monday, August 27, 2007 - 11:55 pm
Early in the previews of this BB season, Jameka was heard to say that she had spent most of her life around black people. That she had not spent much time around white people I think I can relate to what Jameka was trying to say. I grew up in Texas and knew black people and Hispanic people, but I had not spent much time around Asians. Before I moved to Asia, there wasn't anything racist about me wondering what it would be like to be surrounded by Asians. Now that I've lived in Asia, I'll tell anyone that asks that I don't really like it that much. It's not a racist attitude because I don't dislike Asians as individuals. I just don't like living in a place where the dominate culture is Asian. There isn't as big a cultural difference between American born black and white people, but I can still see why Jameka would be apprehensive about placing herself in this situation.
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Carrie92
Member
09-15-2003
| Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - 12:18 am
There are also black people like Dick, Jen, Amber, etc. And Asian. And Latino. And so on and so on. Bee, that's what I meant when I said same as in all races. Reminds me of when my little brother was in high school, he was starting to make racist comments about blacks, and I didn't understand why. He referred to a group of black kids in his class as the n-word. When I asked him why he called them that, he told me because they were pretty much a**holes. So I asked him if there were any white kids in his class that were a**holes too, and he said yes, and then I could see the look in his eyes change like "Oh, I get it." I still needed to work on him a little bit more after that, but now he's all grown up and listens to rap music!

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Sunshyne4u
Member
06-17-2003
| Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - 12:38 am
i still think that comment may have been a coached one. Other HGs ahve commented on how they made them say some silly stuff before they came into the house.
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Poppy
Member
07-21-2006
| Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - 3:18 am
I have friends of all colors, shapes and sizes. I have always looked at people for who they are on the inside, not what their appearance is on the outside. One of my best friends (I define best as being someone who I could call on day or night and they would be there for me in a flash, always supporting me and accepting me for who I am even when I make mistakes) is black. I am pretty much her only close white friend. It is not an issue for us. She grew up in Houston like myself, went to very culturally diverse schools, but still the majority of her friends are black. It makes no difference to me. On the other hand, I don't think that it is unrealistic to say that Jameka may have grown up her whole life in a predominantly black society. There are many places all over where that is possible -- just as it is possibly for any other culture/race to do the same thing. The US is a melting pot of people and I am glad for it. I also don't think it is assuming from the beginning that Jameka is racist just because she made that comment at the beginning of BB.
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Biloxibelle
Member
12-21-2001
| Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - 4:09 am
Other then that very first segment which I agree was coached, I have never heard say anything that would make me think she is judging HG's on race. I can see them asking "Have you ever lived with large group of white people before?" then filming her answer. I have never seen Jemeka refer to race. I have heard her say, ED is a TVCH red dot. I have never heard her say, that white man is a TVCH red dot. We have a good balance of races in my family. My niece is a mix of Mexican and white. Her 3 kids are a mix Mexican, white and AA. My grand-daughter is white and AA. My father in law married a woman from Honduras a couple of years before he died. I am sure if someone was interviewing me and asked enough questions, they could piece a segment together that would sound like I have never been around anyone but white people. All they would have to ask is have I ever lived in a group setting of 14 people with me being the only white person.
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Qchele
Member
07-29-2007
| Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - 5:42 am
I agree with Kimsue & Bluejaxrocks concerning the fact that it is different living with someone versus working with them, whether black or white. I think that if you have only been exposed to the negative stereo-types about a particular 'race' then this would be quite intimidating and lead to some hesitation. JMHOP, lol.
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Earthmother
Member
07-14-2002
| Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - 5:47 am
I haven't seen anything about Jameka that would suggest that she is racist or that she had some pre-conceived notions about white people. Having friends of another race and being locked up with them while being the only one of a different race is a whole different kind of stress. It's not like this country has come to terms with race or homosexuality for that matter. It would concern me and I probably would have had some worries about it. I think way too much has been made about her comment. I think most of us would have said the same thing and imo there was nothing negative about what she said.
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Tobor7
Member
07-19-2002
| Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - 5:49 am
I think she is allowed her opinion on white people. People have opinions, right or wrong. It is censorship to suppress those opinions. Just because one person's life experience doesn't match that of others doesn't mean that it is invalid. If you saw only ONE COW in a field your entire life and it was brown, then you might think that all cows are brown. You have no other data to think otherwise. "I've only seen one cow in my life. It was brown. So I assume that all cows are brown." "That cow bit me. Hence... all cows bite." It is a valid extrapolation based on the facts you know. have you ever picked up a hot pot off the stove and burned your hand? How bad a burn? How many years after that did you "tap" the handle of ANY pot you picked up off the stove to make sure it wasn't hot so you wouldn't burn your hand again? Based on ONE experience, you assume all pots on stoves are hot.
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Qchele
Member
07-29-2007
| Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - 5:51 am
Earthmother, I completely agree with your post. I myself would be afraid of all the strangers; whether they be white, black, pink, green, and so on. Jameka's statement is not a big deal to me, but it has rubbed some the wrong way. I guess that is why Big Brother aired it. lol
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Earthmother
Member
07-14-2002
| Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - 5:57 am
IMO too often people's comments are taken out of context and many don't first put themselves in the shoes of that person. If we all considered these things I believe that we would be more like minded than we think.
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Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - 6:05 am
Lol sure doesn't Sea!
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Biloxibelle
Member
12-21-2001
| Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - 7:04 am
Opps I forgot to add something to the end of my post I wanted to say and waited too long to edit. If Jameka did say she is not used to being around white people and they were her exact words, I don't see that as being a comment on race. It would just be a statement of fact.
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Kimsue
Member
07-08-2005
| Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - 11:43 am
It's not like this country has come to terms with race or homosexuality for that matter. Or religion for that matter......This country is still evolving in that area as well.
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Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - 12:00 pm
or de-evolving ...
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-31-2000
| Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - 12:05 pm
I think we are evolving. The recent MTV survey of young people shows that they are far more open minded about these issues than are their parents. For example, over 60% said while they have their own beliefs, they are open to the idea that other religions may be paths to the same mountaintop. Or something like that. 
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Allietex
Member
08-16-2002
| Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - 12:17 pm
I have not seen Jameka say or do anything that suggests she is racist. Even when Amber was making her Jewish remarks, I don't think Jameka did not agree with her. She just did her hmmmmm thing. Correct me if I am wrong here, because I did not see the conversation, only read about it on here. And no, I do not believe that not calling someone else to task for making racist remarks makes you a racist. People often make remarks about a lot of things that you might not agree with. Sometimes you speak up and sometimes you don't. It depends on the situation.
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