Bourgeois Blues - America's Black Middle Class - People Like Us episode #4
Summary
TLDRThis video explores the complexities of being middle-class and Black in America. It highlights the unique challenges African Americans face as they navigate socioeconomic mobility, while still grappling with the persistent issue of race. The discussion covers the tension within the Black community around class divisions, the experiences of upwardly mobile individuals, and societal expectations. The video also examines the role of elite social organizations like Jack and Jill in shaping identity and relationships, raising questions about inclusion, privilege, and the desire to maintain racial solidarity amidst class advancement.
Takeaways
- 🧑🏫 The speaker identifies as middle class but emphasizes the unique experience of being Black and middle class in America.
- 🎯 Race is a key factor that continues to shape the experiences of middle-class African Americans, creating distinct dilemmas.
- 📉 Class distinctions in Black America are often uncomfortable to discuss, with some seeing it as divisive.
- 💼 Some African Americans in the middle class feel alienated by both poorer Black communities and white society, facing stereotypes from both sides.
- 👑 There is a perceived class structure within Black America, where upward mobility can be viewed as 'acting white' or being 'bougie.'
- 🏫 Educational achievements are valued, and many upwardly mobile Black people seek relationships within elite social circles, like Jack and Jill, which serve as hubs for social networking.
- 📚 Class success is sometimes equated with distancing from traditional Black identities, leading to feelings of isolation or being labeled 'Cosby Show Black.'
- 📝 Middle-class African Americans often face microaggressions, like being complimented for being 'articulate' or 'not like the rest.'
- 🎓 Organizations like Jack and Jill help middle-class Black families connect, but they are seen by some as exclusionary or elitist.
- 🌍 Balancing the pursuit of upward mobility with maintaining racial solidarity is a unique challenge for middle-class African Americans.
Q & A
What challenges does the speaker mention about being both Black and middle class?
-The speaker highlights the challenge of always being seen as 'Black middle class' rather than just 'middle class,' emphasizing that race continues to be a defining factor in their identity and experience.
Why is class a difficult topic for African Americans, according to the speaker?
-Class is uncomfortable for African Americans because discussing it may imply internal divisions, and many who have been oppressed do not want to be seen as oppressors.
How do some poor African Americans view the Black middle class?
-Some poor African Americans perceive the Black middle class as 'uppity' or acting like white people, reflecting class tensions within the Black community.
What does the term 'bougie' mean in the context of the script?
-'Bougie' is used as a derogatory term for Black individuals who are perceived as acting superior or distancing themselves from the working class, often due to education or lifestyle choices.
Why is education, particularly attending prestigious schools, important to some in the Black middle class?
-Education, especially from prestigious institutions like Ivy League schools, is seen as a marker of success and intelligence within the Black middle class, and many seek partners who share similar educational backgrounds.
How does the broader society often view Black individuals, regardless of their class status?
-Society frequently equates being Black with being poor, overlooking the diversity within the Black community, including the existence of a significant middle class.
What are some of the issues upwardly mobile Blacks face in the suburbs?
-Many Black middle-class individuals in the suburbs face the challenge of racial isolation, balancing their desire for upward mobility with the need to maintain racial solidarity.
What is the role of organizations like Jack and Jill for the Black middle class?
-Jack and Jill serves as a social incubator for children of high-achieving Black parents, helping them connect with others in similar socioeconomic positions and providing a space for forming future personal and professional relationships.
What criticism is directed at clubs like Jack and Jill?
-Clubs like Jack and Jill are sometimes criticized for being exclusive and creating divisions within the Black community, as they require invitations and often exclude those who don't meet specific socioeconomic or familial criteria.
How do Black middle-class individuals balance their desire for success with maintaining cultural roots?
-The Black middle class faces the dilemma of striving for success while being cautious of losing their connection to their cultural roots, as success is sometimes seen as synonymous with adopting the values of the oppressor.
Outlines
🧐 Navigating Middle-Class Identity as a Black American
The speaker reflects on their experience growing up in the middle class as a Black individual. They highlight how Black middle-class status comes with unique challenges, as the label 'Black' precedes 'middle class,' emphasizing the persistent racial identity. The speaker touches on the discomfort Americans, particularly Black Americans, feel about discussing class. They mention the perception that success equates to being 'uppity,' with others accusing them of thinking they are superior for aspiring to a better life. This dynamic is further complicated by the assumption that middle-class Black individuals act 'white' or are seen as out of place.
🏡 Straddling Class Lines and Social Expectations
The speaker delves into how many upwardly mobile Black Americans move to suburban areas, away from poorer communities. They discuss Jack and Jill, an elite social club for children of successful Black families, which serves as a networking space for future spouses. The speaker notes how such organizations can feel exclusionary, with certain criteria like family status or income determining membership. They describe the internal conflicts within the Black community regarding such clubs, and the feeling of superiority they may foster, as well as the irony of creating exclusive spaces after fighting for inclusivity.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Middle Class
💡Black Middle Class
💡Bougie
💡Race and Class
💡Racial Solidarity
💡Stereotypes
💡Social Mobility
💡Jack and Jill
💡Cultural Assimilation
💡Uppity
Highlights
Being black and middle class creates a unique set of dilemmas within a society that is haunted by race.
More African Americans have moved into the middle class in the last generation, highlighting the complex class structure within the Black community.
Class remains an uncomfortable topic in America, especially within the Black community, where there is resistance to acknowledging class divisions.
Some poor African Americans view their middle-class counterparts as ‘uppity’ and out of touch, believing they act superior.
Terms like 'boujee' are used to express these perceived class differences, often used as an insult to indicate perceived arrogance.
The desire for upward mobility can create social tension, particularly among African Americans who pursue education and wealth while maintaining racial solidarity.
A significant portion of middle-class Black individuals have moved away from urban areas to the suburbs, distancing themselves from poorer communities.
Organizations like Jack and Jill serve as social incubators for the children of successful African Americans, providing a structured space for maintaining class status.
Participation in organizations like Jack and Jill often revolves around maintaining a network for future success, such as identifying potential spouses from the same socioeconomic background.
There is a perception that exclusive organizations like Jack and Jill mirror the elitism found in historically white spaces, which can cause frustration among those who are excluded.
Class divisions within Black communities can create a sense of superiority, even within spaces that were meant to offer solidarity and support.
Some criticize elite Black organizations for teaching values similar to those of oppressors, fostering exclusivity rather than unity.
Middle-class African Americans often have to balance their pursuit of success with the ongoing need for racial solidarity in a racially conscious society.
Even successful, well-educated Black individuals continue to experience microaggressions, such as being told they are 'articulate' or that they 'write well,' implying surprise at their capabilities.
Despite upward mobility, middle-class African Americans are often reminded that they are still viewed primarily through the lens of race.
Transcripts
but not everyone feels comfortable being
in the middle
i am from the middle class because
that's where i was born and raised and
that's how i live
socioeconomically statistically we are
middle class
but we're black middle class and we will
always have that word
black in front of us until the day i die
[Music]
in a society haunted by race being both
middle class
and black poses a special set of
dilemmas
over the last generation more and more
blacks have moved into the ranks of the
middle class
highlighting class differences that lurk
just beneath the surface of african
american life
class is a very uncomfortable topic
for all americans and i think it's
especially uncomfortable for black
americans
i think it's offensive to some people to
think
that there is a class structure in black
america
i think that's probably rooted in the
fact that
uh minorities who have been oppressed in
america
um do not ever want to be perceived
as oppressive i think poor african
americans
believe that we are
like white people and that we
are uppity i can't tell you how many
i've been called because i just
wanted something better
you think you're bad you think you're
cute you talk funny
or you think that you're white or you
act
white it was not a compliment but
somebody to stay here bourgeois
at all because it just put you in a
different class
i didn't know bushy growing up i didn't
hear bushy until i was in dc
i'm sure boujee was born in dc and i'm
walking down the street and i hear
somebody say oh you
because i wouldn't speak of some guys
you know with no teeth you know drinking
wine on the corner
and they're like you know yo hey sweetie
yo baby did you and i don't say anything
back
and like oh forget her she bougie
the heck is that
[Music]
[Applause]
i'm looking for guys who've gone to good
colleges
smart smart smart and went to good
colleges because
i don't to stay in a dumb manner yeah
can't stand it a man
and a guy who's like um he's going to a
good school
that's pretty much it because um
[Music]
well i mean ivy league is the way to go
i don't think i've ever really dated
anybody that didn't go nothing like
if that's this okay maybe one or two
guys and maybe
they were just to accept from the
privileged children of suburbia
to hardworking homeowners in big cities
at least half of all african americans
can be labeled middle class
but despite all this educational and
economic diversity
such class distinctions are often
overlooked by a country that equates
being black
with being poor i don't know like there
was this one guy
who said um he was talking about
something he said epitome
instead of like epitome and it's just
like that can't happen
because it's very embarrassing it's
somehow more
comfortable dealing with extremes
you know the jail to yale stories you
know oh they had rats for dinner
you know the mother had 40 children by
different men you know like that kind of
crazy you know and he ended up
graduating head of his class at yale oh
getting this great you know i
i think that's just where where a lot of
people are comfortable i remember you
know when i was working at people
um and a guy who you know considers
himself a card-carrying liberal who you
know
wrote books about what a liberal he was
turned to me and said
oh i know you're a cosby show black
and this is when the cosby show was on
and
i know he wasn't insulting me he thought
he was giving me a compliment because he
he thought that meant he was really
seeing me
white people want to give you this
backhand a compliment they say things to
you like
oh you're so articulate
you know one of my friends is a stanford
graduate you know law school graduate
policy advocate doing very well you know
when she mentioned that one of her
co-workers said oh you write so well
well the assumption is
yeah that she shouldn't be able to write
well but why shouldn't she i mean i've
always heard it before that uh you know
you're not like the other black folks
and i heard that when i first uh
started working yeah but you're not like
the rest of them and that probably
offended me more than anything else
these days many upwardly mobile blacks
have moved to the suburbs
far away from the poor and the working
class
this is my agent book now open it i grow
up i want to be a doctor i want to be
able to help other people
like doctors because they're good to
people
yet mindful of how race still rules in
america
many upper middle class blacks have
flocked to a small group of elite
african-american social organizations
one of the most popular is jack and jill
for 65 years it served as a social
incubator for the children of high
achieving parents
you look good you look good one
exhibit just you know a lot of upper
female body parts they're just gonna
walk right by that one picture
jack and jill was a place where a lot of
us were expected to find
our future spouses there's no question
about it and i remember whenever the
jack and jill
up the hill yearbook would come out my
mom would come home from the meeting and
we would go through it and see who we
knew in different cities because it told
what everybody was doing particularly
the graduating jack and jill
students who were going off to like
which colleges and so we'd look to see
well
who's going off to our school and my
brother went off to tufts we went to say
okay who's going often who will he know
and who would he date and all that kind
of stuff
and uh the thing about is there's no
question about it that that was going to
be
at least a part of the world from which
we were going to find
our future spouse
you have to you have to be invited to
join and and if you don't meet
the general groups criteria you don't
get invited
i understand the purpose of it but what
seems comfortable to one group
can seem exclusive to others and
conflicting viewpoints about clubs like
jack and jill
mirror the dilemma that the black middle
class finds itself in
yeah you know if we if we want to talk
about class
jack and jill was listening we fought to
be invited
into the country clubs then we start our
own club
and still we have to be invited that
that's
it that's where the rage comes from was
not there an heir of superiority with
that
that came along with it and that's the
part i didn't like
if you don't have an md after your name
guess what your kid is not going to get
in there
and that's the way it is today or your
single parent
or your single parent i talked to
someone who was in jack and jill i said
send me an application
did i get one i don't know
so and it is teaching them the wrong
values so
it's teaching the children to be like
the oppressor
you know if you're like them then maybe
they'll accept you
but it's never going to happen w
taunt morgan gabrielle brooks
unlike their white counterparts
middle-class african americans have to
balance their desire to move up
with the need for racial solidarity in a
country where skin color
is still what is noticed the most a
member of the national honor society
team secretary for jack and jill vermont
aspire to be the best for myself
we're just normal people trying to do
the same thing you're trying to do
wherever you are
hoboken or wherever warsaw
they're all trying for the same thing to
to get up by your bootstrap but you have
to have boots first
we should be encouraging our community
to strive
every group in america has come to
america with the goal of becoming middle
class so why should we certainly be the
only group
that identifies becoming middle class as
this nasty word of calling
blushiness i think it's it's almost a
reverse
black i mean brainwash that somehow
attaining success means losing your
roots
ladies and gentlemen
[Music]
[Applause]
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