Was our teacher being racist or it it just me?

Hey, I have an English teacher who said some pretty racist things to me. I'm black, I was born in the USA, and lived most of my life in the U.K, but later me and my family moved back to the USA. Lately he's been saying some racist things to me, for example he said I was his favorite "African kid." Once we were seeing a movie set in the 1800's, and my teacher said " I bet your parents were in Africa while this was happening"In front of the class and I was embarrassed. There was another time when he was talking about how even poor Americans could afford a car and then asked me " can poor Africans afford a car?"

He's pretty cool, but I strongly dislike him now because of what he's been saying. Do you think our teacher was being racist or am I overacting? Thoughts? I live in the "Deep South" btw

Racist? That I don't know. Inappropriate and tactless? Yes, definitely.

Everyone's heritage traces back to Africa...

Why are you not proud of your heritage?

I do think it is racist and I would speak with the dean about it. At the very least you should tell your parents to let them now about the situation.

Maybe, I'm not sure to say it's racist but it does seem rather annoying. Just have a private chat with him and let him know you're not from Africa.

Doesn't sound racist to me. Just stupid.

This. I would have informed him that you're American, not African.

He already knows I'm not from Africa.

Then why did he call you, as you said, an African kid if he knows that you aren't African?

@Pirate700: Teacher just sounds like a stupid douche, to be honest.

He may not be trying to be racist at all. but I do agree with it is at least the above that he is doing.

I think he is just joking around. But I find his jokes offensive and embarrassing.

lol how is it not racist. Telling someone you're his favorite "African kid" means that he is segregating based on race.

Ever try asking him to stop? He may just be joking and have no idea that it's offending you.

Or maybe you could try growing some thicker skin. Nothing he said is really that offensive. If saying that you're African, when you have African heritage, is enough to offend you, you'll need a lot of help in the real world.

As for whether or not it's racism, I'd say it's discriminatory, but not really racist.

Tell him I am offensive and I find this African.

Yeah, that's pretty racist. It's probably best to ask him if he can stop though.

He might have a dozen "african kids" in his class.I mean, some people are against teachers playing favorites, but racist? hardly.

@Nibroc420:

I am the only black in his class, and one of the only blacks in my school.

Putting yourself on quite the pedestal here.

Based on my twenty five years of life, I've come to the conclusion that most non-Blacks are racist toward Blacks (though not all to the same degree). At the very least, a non-Black person will be selectively racist towards Blacks, deeming some Blacks good (i.e. attractive, intelligent, respectable, etc), while deeming the rest to be bad (as if being bad is the default state of Blacks); essentially, such people see good Black people as aberrations. There are some people who will become angry and frightened at the mere sight or presence of a Black person. As for your teacher, he's what I'd call a mildly racist individual, meaning that he'll socialize with Blacks, but condescend to them; his racism is benign and non-hostile.

The same goes for all races...
Some white people are good, some are bad.
If you're not good, you're probably bad.
Doesn't matter if you're White, Black, Hispanic or Asian, you're either Good, or you're Bad.

Your statement was more racist than the TC's Teacher.

Racism is stupid. And yeah, it's racist. Why does everyone feel the need to call racist remarks something other than what they are? He's making ignorant statements that are making someone feel bad about themselves because of their race, it's racist, let's not sugarcoat it.

How is it ignorant?Any educated person knows that humans migrated from Africa, to the other parts of the world. We're all descendents of Africans.

I don't know the tone he's using but he's most likely trying to joke around with you. The jokes are pretty bad though, I would just speak to him in private and tell him to cut it out. If he doesn't stop, go speak to the dean.

I actually agree with BluRay for once, well put.

I wouldn't do anything about it either, probably make things worse if you do. Just get good grades to get scholarships and get the hell out of the south.

I know exactly how you feel , I've been humiliated in classroom too.

Ain't got nothing intelligent to tell you , just next time that sick **** says bullshit to you in the class , just reply him back firmly.And don't try reasoning with him in private.That ****-face insulted you IN FRONT OF OTHERS , so why would you keep it IN PRIVATE with him? you should retaliate in public. Beat him in his own game.

Sounds racist to me.

He's clearly singling you out as different from the others and he also seems to have some misconceptions in regards to poor people.

In high school, I would sometimes make outbursts in my film history class. For example, one time the teacher showed us the clip from the original Barney and Clyde film in which the title characters were shot to death (they were riddled with bullets). After showing it to us, he decided to show it again, which prompted me to yell, "Are you that sick that you'd show us that again?! Are you that sick?!"

He later said to me, "You think you're Black Jesus, don't you?"

I'm not sure if that was racist or not.

I don't know if he's being racist, he may just be trying to be nice.

Thanks for demonstrating racism....

You can easily carve this guy up with logic and a little common sense, you obviously know everything he's saying about you is false so let him know that. Are you really going to let some douche stand there and soil your name and humiliate you in front of all your peers? If you don't do nothing then like a typical bully he's going to keep picking at you again and again until something is done. Even if he's playing, it's clear that it's bothering you so it should stop. If standing up to him doesn't work then simply bring in your parents and the school officials, that'll fix him. As for racism, maybe? who knows? Maybe he's extremely ignorant and needs to be taken down a couple of notches.

I call bullshit

Or he's just using a describing word. You know, adjectives, as they're called? The dude is an English teacher.

@crazyguy111: i call bs.. cant ever see a teacher saying that to a student

Except he's not African, he was born in the US.

Where did your parents descend from? No one calls Americans of German decent German kids. It's racial segregation, sure it's mild but it's there.

Racism is putting yourself above another race, or putting down another race. Your teacher was just asking dumb generalized questions/making dumb statements.

Yes it is. You should ask him to stop and if he doesn't the next time he makes a "joke" - not very joky if you ask me - then tape it, show it to him and if he doesn't stop - then show it to the principal. I bet the principal won't find it funny either.

Ditto. Insenstive and ignorant for sure. But unlless is comes out as vile hate talk, he's not a full-on racist.

Exactly!!!

I wouldn't go as far to call him racist but he's def a fckin idiot and insensitive. He probably grew up around white people his whole life and thinks black people are a separate class of human or something. It's sort of similar to how most of OT thinks.

Oh God *smh*

I'm not touching this topic with a 20 ft pole.

you should speak to someone in the administration about it.

although if he calls you a limey and asks if you would like some worcestershire sauce on your terrible blood based food item that would be pretty funny.

Eh? why would be he racist? your ancestors did come to US from Africa like his came from Europe and probably England, But if he bothers you with it , just tell him and say that you dont like it.

@crazyguy111:

Your teacher is a cool dude .... imagine the highschool teacher Phil Wenneck (bradley cooper's character from "the Hangover") ..... he just want to be in the South Park Universe.

plus ... most minority group are overly sensitive lately like those LGBT, PETA, Trayvon fandoom, Atheist, westboro baptist church, The Young Turks, boko haram......... just relax and call your teacher a neanderthal

not racist but just ignorant... just talk to him 1 on 1 like a bro. hell understand

This. Not sure how things work in the southern USA, but if a teacher did that here in the UK (I've worked in London schools before), then s/he'd be called out for racism.

Racism goes well beyond just using racial slurs. Most racists these days wouldn't be stupid enough to throw around the N word... although some are that stupid.

Why if he was indeed born in Africa would that justify the teachers actions? He is clearly a racist but he tries to hide it as much as possible, I mean he is just trying not to be way too harsh with racist comments and make it sound as if he was simply "joking" but deep inside I do believe he is racist or at least disliking black people.

PS: I'm white and still I've to tell you that indeed A LOT of whites are still discriminating black people, especially rednecks. Just leave south, move somewhere else. Of course things are getting better each generation, but racism is still there and will remain for quite some time, that's why we truly need to abolish this nationalistic stupidity and try to embrace globalization. Until we understand that we're all human species and we need to stand united as humans without stupid country borders to dictate all our actions. (It's supposed to be a joke but I truly believe that this will happen only if we're invaded by another species, only then humanity will stand united).

United we stand, divided we fall
-Pink Floyd

btw you experienced racism in UK?

For some reason was not expecting anything less from you.

PS: Lol at you trying to insult Atheists by posting a Christmas tree, you sir are a true brainiac. Hahahah

@crazyguy111: Where do you live in the Deep South where you're one of the only black kids in school? Are you at some elitist private school or something?

sounds like a fox news troll.