My old man said he and his brother had to go out and pick their own switches. You might be tempted to pick a thin one, but thicker ones hurt less. They got in trouble so much they almost killed the damn switch tree; it was like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree by the end of one summer.

I was told TODAY during an interview, “You’re clearly very articulate.” Uh, I have an advanced degree in this very field. Why wouldn’t I be articulate?

Everybody wants to denigrate Black Americans when it’s easy and convenient to follow that narrative that a large part of the world believes, but then at the same time, want to emulate and BE like us. There are no people (especially people of color) on this planet who don’t take a lot of their cues from Black…

All of the good “millennial” sayings were created by young black folk so it’s prolly a combo of both.

Ugh, why do folks think that black is synonymous with ghetto??? I am about as far to the end of the spectrum to still be considered black (by some at least), but I’ve heard every one of these phrases and had them said to me at least 10x during my lifetime.

Do wypipo make you go out and pick your own switch? I think that, somewhere in the south, somebody’s white mama might have made that request, but I never saw it.

My small town I grew up in, didn’t even have a “ghetto”, but go ahead—keep those hot generalizations coming.

Dear vsbs and vsss, it is a troll and a liar. In the unfortunate even that it’s a continental African, it’s pretty clear which type it is. I was born and have mostly lived in the U.S., but I’ve also lived on the continent. There are variations of the above phrases with which we grew up. I’d dare say Panama’s point…

Those folks like using 20 year-old Black slang for comedic effect among themselves. Keep in mind that the 90s was the era where white (the older the better) characters in sitcoms/movies using “hip-hop lingo” was the funniest thing ever. Many are still stuck there.

See what you NOT going to do is call ALL us black Americans Ghetto! I hope and pray you meant to say there is a difference from growing up Black American and growing up in AFRICA. I know a lot of Ghetto ass Africans (my husband is Nigerian). i myself am a Bougie Bitch from Boston who can switch on and off.

What you not finna do is try to act like you’re better than Black Americans on this here site. Mk hun? Tuck that continental conceit right back in.

Don ‘t let them come over HERE sounding like Amy Poehler in “Baby Mama” FOH.

See also: “We work too hard.” Work too hard for things, work too hard for you to be running through this house, work too hard for you to act silly, etc.

You tried it... I never lived in a ghetto EVER.. and my black ass family said all of this... and we are well-educated. And please don’t act like Africans can’t be hood as hell.

I find it interesting amongst black people I know that you can tell who spent a significant amount of time with white people growing up simply by whether they pronounce it motherfucker or muthafucka.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a white person say “You ain’t never lied/lyin’”

Bona fides: *In my 40s. *Originally from M’waukee. *Mixed, but raised by maternal black family in black neighborhood. *Went to seriously white+$$$ schools from K-16, so can code switch with the best of ‘em.

Nah, most of this is stuff only black people say, but “Stop that damn crying ‘for I give your ass something to cry about” is definitely something white people say too, and exactly like that.

ALWAYS gon give us something to cry about.

I detect no lies!! Also see- “Sitcho Ass Down Somewhere!”