Why do some successful black people get so much negative attention from the black and white community?

Question

Sometimes when a black person gets a good education, finds a good job and success, the black community accuses them of acting white. Why is that? Take Michelle Obama for example, she's a smart, well-educated strong black woman. I've heard some black people say she acts white. Which is weird because Michelle Obama seems like she LOVES to be black, although there's nothing wrong with that. But the fact that she has so much pride in her race and doesn't forget where she comes from makes white people accuse her of being racist.

Answer 1

i didnt know u could act like a colour...

Answer 2

they become jealous.. the blacks think the person is acting like an uncle tom. and the whites are unhappy to see a black person doing well

Answer 3

The black people who are doing this are just ignorant. They think that just because they have no education and some one else who is black is rising above them that that person is trying to act better than them and think that they are better than them and so on. It's really stupid and ignorant, but it's unfortunately true. Just because some one is going to school and talks proper, people seem to think that they are acting "white". There is no color to the way some on acts, but these people are just ignorant

Answer 4

Black people get jealous of black people that achieve success. White people accuse successful black people of being racist just because they don't feel the need to "act white" like them.

Answer 5

because they're jealous that they don't have it,when ever you are in a bad place with them it's all good but when ever you try to make it out an do something good for yourself then they say you want to be white

Answer 6

i'm black and i have noticed that myself. i think some black people's way of thinking is "if i can't be successful, then YOU can't" i applaud anybody for proving themselves to be a success, but who said they couldn't be successful? gotta get up off your butt and do something with your life. that's all it is, is hard work.

my mom and i answer the phone properly and when its her friends or my friends or someone else, people think we're white. we were going to a party one night and her friend called and picked up the phone, i gave the phone to my mom and her friend said she started laughing because i sound white. i was pretty aggravated by that. whats so funny about it?

Answer 7

This is a misconception that you seem to have and that some racists want you to believe. The Obamas are very respected in the black community and very few people would call them sell outs.

      To understand this issue you have to go back to the root of the problem. From the very beginning black culture was looked down upon as inferior and it was ridiculed. This was necessary in order to justify the racism and oppression that was going on at the time. By dehumanizing blacks slavery became justified and racism was seen as acceptable. What did this do to black people? It created a sense of self loathing and a need to break away from one's black identity. A lot of black people felt the need to do anything possible to avoid been identified as black this meant...change speech patterns, changing clothing patterns, changing religion and sometimes even changing physical attributes. They did everything they could to appear more acceptable to the whites even at the cost of denying their own identity as black people. This is why even today blacks are suspicious. Been successful has nothing to do with race but in America been successful was always seen as an exclusive attribute of whites. Blacks were seldom expected to be successful and those that made it were viewed as unique exceptions. What we as a race need to do is find pride in our identity and break away from white expectation! they are not the ones that determine our futures and we should strive to be successful while mantaning a strong cultural identity instead of trying to satisfy white expectations. until we do that we will never really be free.

Answer 8

No offense but I don't understand why some people on here say that. I'm very successful. I have a great paying job and I have an up-in-coming entrepreneurial venture which has the potential to become very profitable for me and I have never had a problem with black or white people. It must be where you live. I have grown up in the suburbs but I have met people from the "hood" and still didn't get negative feedback from them. Most are proud of me and think I'm a good role model for their kids. I don't understand why anyone would say that about Michelle or anyone else; however, the only time I could imagine a black person giving negative feedback is if the successful individual forgot where they came from and became stuck up.