Madame on the Street: Can Black People Be Racist?

Madame Noire’s Vernoica Wells once again surveys the streets of New York City for Madame on the Street. This episode, she asks pedestrians whether they believe black people can ever be described as “racist.” Interviewees offer their opinions and the reasons that support them.

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  • T

    The guy at 1:30 didnt even hesitate.

  • MillieG1

    Racism is based on ignorance, fear, and insecurities and it’s not does not discriminate, anyone can be a racist.

  • mikki

    Exodus 19/5 (bible), “Now if U obey my voice & keep my covenant (the commandments), then U shall B a peculiar treasure unto me, ABOVE!! all people on this earth for the earth is mines”…..translation”, it’s God who created Racism in the first place, Choosing ppl for his own is racism. No one has the power to create racism, racism was created by the most high.

    • Ben White

      I see you still haven’t healed from that drop on the head ?

    • Ryan

      Umm…great cherry-picking. What you would realized if you weren’t trying your best isagetical approach, is that God was never calling His people to be better than others because of their race, but other nations were to look at them because of what God did for them, and want in on it. Repeatedly in the Old and New Testaments God’s fury toward Israel was because they used their position with him to believe that they were born better (racism) and they faced continual judgement over that.

      Jesus drove the money-changers out of the temple partly because they had set up shop in the “court of the gentiles”, which was intended to be the place that non-Jews could come to see what was going on between God and His people. There was then a process by which they could become Jewish.

      Your statement is one of great prejudice and ignorance.

      • Zuluu

        Ryan, you are totally wrong. The God of the bible is very much a racist and a tribalist. In Exodus, God made it clear that he believed the Isrealites to be superior to the other nations around them by declaring that the Isrealites could enslave the other nations but not their fellow Isrealites. Now that is cruel and malignant, coming from a supposedly loving and just God.

        • white curl

          it never states anywhere in the bible that the israelites are/were superior. they are called “the chosen people”. but chosen for what? no group of people in the world have been more enslaved over the centuries and more persecuted than the jew. and while yes, God has blessed them with fortitude and strength and most definitely some of the smartest people who have ever existed, they have still rebelled against God again and again but yet always come back to Him. in which they will again but will first go through the time of Jacob’s Trouble (the great tribulation). they have been chosen to go through that and much more. you need to pay closer attention than just assuming that chosen means superior – it does not. God has chosen the people of jewish descent for a purpose. it doesn’t make them better necessarily. every ethnic group has their superb qualities and then the not so great ones.

          • http://twitter.com/mjsimons9757 THE MICHAEL J SHOW

            In the Hebrew Bible, (or the Tanakh), called the “Old Testament” by Christians, the “Treasured People” is the exact phrase used in the text, referring to the Hebrews/Israelites. In the Book of Deuteronomy, YHWH proclaims the Nation of Israel, known originally as the Children of Israel, as his “treasured people out of all the people on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6). As mentioned in the Book of Exodus, the Hebrew people are God’s chosen people, and from them shall come the Messiah, or redeemer of the world. The Israelites also possess the “Word of God” and/or the “Law of God” in the form of the Torah as communicated by God to Moses.
            In Judaism, chosenness is the belief that the Jews are a people chosen to be in a covenant with God.

          • http://twitter.com/mjsimons9757 THE MICHAEL J SHOW

            In the Hebrew Bible, (or the Tanakh), called the “Old Testament” by Christians, the “Treasured People” is the exact phrase used in the text, referring to the Hebrews/Israelites. In the Book of Deuteronomy, YHWH proclaims the Nation of Israel, known originally as the Children of Israel, as his “treasured people out of all the people on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6). As mentioned in the Book of Exodus, the Hebrew people are God’s chosen people, and from them shall come the Messiah, or redeemer of the world. The Israelites also possess the “Word of God” and/or the “Law of God” in the form of the Torah as communicated by God to Moses.
            In Judaism, chosenness is the belief that the Jews are a people chosen to be in a covenant with God.

          • cvbx

            Clearly you’ve never heard f the Roma people in europe.

          • cvbx

            Clearly you’ve never heard f the Roma people in europe.

    • jwils09

      I had a poster on j Post say that if Christians don’t love all Jews then they can not love god.

    • white curl

      you’re silly and know not of what you speak.

  • Ben White.

    Negro’s “not racist ?” hell yes they are !

  • PoetExcelsior

    Black people can be prejudiced, bigoted and just plain dumb. However, racism is the province of white people.

    • jmsmaxwell

      Your reply indicates that you are a racist and have a dislike for Causasion people.

      • PoetExcelsior

        and you are a fool to think that people do not see that the convenient change in the definition of racism now includes everyone besides white people. :/

        • jmsmaxwell

          To the PoetExcelsior apparent you are not paying attention to how “Racism” is defined in todays media. It is only the White Republica or those who do not agree with Okenya and his Socialist dreams of
          conquest. I agree that is not the true defination of Racism but it is
          the one used in all media sources or against any and all who disagree
          with Okenya.

          • PoetExcelsior

            that is exactly what I am speaking to when I write my replies. I am no fool to notice how the medias are used to hypnotize and befuddle. it seems like some black people have been roped and tied; totally beguiled by the shiny red niceness of the talking heads’ silky words. :/

  • Conway193

    Racism is a product of human evolution. It affects all of those called human; it is in our very natures and will never be eliminated.

    • Linda

      Studies have shown that racism is a learned behavior.

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Conwaythe-Contaminationist/100002377812124 Conwaythe Contaminationist

        Cite your “studies”, please. I would be interested in perusing such.

        Conversely, “studies” also show that most talking simians called human believe there is a god, and that people are basically “good” and other such nonsensical blather.

        Not from what I’ve seen – god either does not exist or is an impotent, incompetent moron, and as far as the “goodness” of people go – just look at millions who have died in wars of various kinds.

        That said, I submit that humans are ANIMALS, a product of evolution, and such tribalistic, exclusive, clannish behavior is innate to our species, as it is to all other species of animals.

        So, get over it, and realize things will never change, as long as man remains controlled by instinct and emotion.

  • Sal

    The last man, in this interview nail it right, in the head …

  • Fathima F

    blacks suffer from something called an inferiority complex which manifests itself in the form of racism.

  • http://twitter.com/OKSpeedy OKSpeedy

    I’ve often felt that, in modern time, black people are their own worst enemy, and the comments of those interviewed support that. Makes me sad. A nation is only as good as it’s weakest link. If black people came together to support and elevate black people, the results would be amazing!
    There are political groups that benefit from keeping some folks poor and down & out. Convince those folks they are victims and that only you care about them and can “save” them. A political group that does that has a firm grip on that voting block; may that group , the Democrats, burn in h*ll for crippling, in this case, the black community.
    Many blacks have escaped this firm grip but there are many more still enslaved to it.

  • yoosnay

    A well done and enlightening collection of comments. It was not what I expected. I guess I’m a stereotypical white guy from the past.

  • doc

    Racism is an equal opportunity selector

  • Guest

    Is it racist for a woman to prefer light skinned or white boy friends? Some call it preference and others call it racism.
    Is it racist for a black professor to say the biggest problem blacks have is they think “white mans sugar tastes better than a black mans sugar.” Some say it’s instructional for blacks to hear from other blacks that sugar is sugar and the difference is whom you buy it from… a black store owner or a white store owner.
    Is it racist to see some races of people like crawfish… some always try to escape the cooking pot while the others gang up and pull them back into the water.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/KBHEBYDYU3VBMVI6DJFNP7RYVQ PAUL

    and this on a black web site
    you are built to low to the ground, it went right over your heads
    what a dycotomy

  • http://www.facebook.com/elianna.faith Elianna Faith

    Thank you Veronica for this excellent interview which reveals that racism is universal no matter what color you are and that it often results in self-racial hatred, something familiar to the Jews who have a long history of it. My added comment is: There are 2 kinds of racism: negative and positive, and both are detrimental and plain wrong. Negative racism says: “a particular race can do no right” (that is the most common understanding). Positive racism says: “a particular race can do no wrong” and that is just as bad. The combination of the two can lead to a racist dictatorship such as Hitler’s Nazism with its super race ideology and ethnic cleansing agenda. Skin color, cranial features and other physical differences are part of the richness of our biological heritage in the human family. We must never forget that we are ONE family. Dehumanizing another is dehumanizing a brother or sister and the same as dehumanizing oneself.

  • http://www.facebook.com/elianna.faith Elianna Faith

    Thank you Veronica for this excellent interview which reveals that racism is universal no matter what color you are and that it often results in self-racial hatred, something familiar to the Jews who have a long history of it. My added comment is: There are 2 kinds of racism: negative and positive, and both are detrimental and plain wrong. Negative racism says: “a particular race can do no right” (that is the most common understanding). Positive racism says: “a particular race can do no wrong” and that is just as bad. The combination of the two can lead to a racist dictatorship such as Hitler’s Nazism with its super race ideology and ethnic cleansing agenda. Skin color, cranial features and other physical differences are part of the richness of our biological heritage in the human family. We must never forget that we are ONE family. Dehumanizing another is dehumanizing a brother or sister and the same as dehumanizing oneself.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NZQIZZEEOA4SYJWTCJDYZPRJFE BobP

    I used to be racist, but not any more. Honestly, I really don’t like running.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NZQIZZEEOA4SYJWTCJDYZPRJFE BobP

    I used to be racist, but not any more. Honestly, I really don’t like running.

  • ScottAdler

    Funny how these racist pigs have no idea that they’re racists. I know about black racism — black racists tried to kill me with a fire bomb when I was in college because I was white. These idiots wouldn’t label that arson attack racism, just “payback” for something that happened hundreds of years ago.

    (And no, white people didn’t invent racism — that was invented by the black Senegalese “Moors” who invaded Spain in the thirteenth century and ten thousand times all over the world, before and since.)

  • ScottAdler

    Funny how these racist pigs have no idea that they’re racists. I know about black racism — black racists tried to kill me with a fire bomb when I was in college because I was white. These idiots wouldn’t label that arson attack racism, just “payback” for something that happened hundreds of years ago.

    (And no, white people didn’t invent racism — that was invented by the black Senegalese “Moors” who invaded Spain in the thirteenth century and ten thousand times all over the world, before and since.)

    • Linda

      You sound like a racist for referring to all the interviewees as “black pigs”. Maybe there was a reason you were fire bombed.

  • http://twitter.com/mjsimons9757 THE MICHAEL J SHOW

    Racist is a made up word. The Suffix “ist” indicates one who is involved in an activity or field, one who specializes in. Like scientist or dentist. So how can one specialize in a race? How can one be involved in a race. I know the made up word “racist is used usually to denote white peoples attitude towards blacks. That makes it a word used to inflame a specific response. Words mean things. The word you are looking for is bigot or prejudice. Bigotry holds no color.. Prejudice is not bound by age or social standing or education. Whether you hate someone for their color or their income or political party. It is still a hatred based upon preconceived judgement. Whether you use the word bigot or prejudice, to behave in such a manner of living is unnecessary and it makes those behaving that way an @$$h0l3.

  • http://twitter.com/mjsimons9757 THE MICHAEL J SHOW

    Racist is a made up word. The Suffix “ist” indicates one who is involved in an activity or field, one who specializes in. Like scientist or dentist. So how can one specialize in a race? How can one be involved in a race. I know the made up word “racist is used usually to denote white peoples attitude towards blacks. That makes it a word used to inflame a specific response. Words mean things. The word you are looking for is bigot or prejudice. Bigotry holds no color.. Prejudice is not bound by age or social standing or education. Whether you hate someone for their color or their income or political party. It is still a hatred based upon preconceived judgement. Whether you use the word bigot or prejudice, to behave in such a manner of living is unnecessary and it makes those behaving that way an @$$h0l3.

  • oneblood

    makes me sad all this racism bs, I’m white but in some circles they say I’m racist, just because I’m white no other proof but the color of my skin is accepted. Truth is I’m white, my family has nearly all major “races” of people in my family. We all belong to the only true race & that is the human race, we all have dna that they say came from a common woman & common man (LIFE mag had a huge story on that years ago). In ALL groups, there are good & bad, no exceptions & that goes for any group of people, whether it is heritage or opinion groups. We need to refrain from jumping on the racist, prejudice band wagon when someone from another group says or does something or is against something, we need to find out the whole truth & then evaluate the situation. Let’s start focusing on who people are not on what group they belong to. wrong behavior is wrong behavior & is not conditional on what group they are associated with. Judge me on MY behavior not my looks.

  • oneblood

    makes me sad all this racism bs, I’m white but in some circles they say I’m racist, just because I’m white no other proof but the color of my skin is accepted. Truth is I’m white, my family has nearly all major “races” of people in my family. We all belong to the only true race & that is the human race, we all have dna that they say came from a common woman & common man (LIFE mag had a huge story on that years ago). In ALL groups, there are good & bad, no exceptions & that goes for any group of people, whether it is heritage or opinion groups. We need to refrain from jumping on the racist, prejudice band wagon when someone from another group says or does something or is against something, we need to find out the whole truth & then evaluate the situation. Let’s start focusing on who people are not on what group they belong to. wrong behavior is wrong behavior & is not conditional on what group they are associated with. Judge me on MY behavior not my looks.

  • koffybrown

    Yes black people can indeed be racist. Its in our own culture. Darkskinned Vs Lightskinned,straight hair Vs nappy hair and so on. We all bleed red so whats the logic in racism. IDK it is what is, *shrugs^

  • Linda

    Any race can be racist. Whites did not teach black people to be racist. I’m sure before black people came to America there was racism where they lived also. Tribes against tribes, light against dark.