"Code Switch"

As I was scrolling through Facebook today I saw a video about code switching. Now, I know what it means to code switch and its necessity to do in this country. For heaven's sake, just don't scare the White people!!! Frightening the White people will surely cause you to die. (see post: "Not While Black, You Can't" for reference)

As I grew up in a majority white community, I have this role down. I even once had a Black student tell me she knew she wasn't going to get along with "no little white girl" because our only interaction was on the phone. She did not know I was Black until I showed up at her school and introduced myself. She looked at me with wild confusion, I code switched, spoke to her where she was, and magically I was part of "the group." My God-Grandmother (my godmothers, godmother) would even call the house to talk to my mother and she would "compliment" (?) me on sounding White. At the time, I had no idea what this meant. I was just answering the phone.

Code switching is survival when dealing with the "outside" community.

But I wonder, why do we need to code switch within the community to be considered a fellow community member? Why do I need to speak with ebonics within the Black community to be considered Black? The attached video shows an example of this. The actress states, "you know I just had to check..." As if her brown skin wasn't enough to be a part of the club. The actress couldn't even be bothered to introduce the new employee to the other black people since she was #TeamTayTay and therefore not a community member?

Outsider within the community.

I remember in college, my friend and I were the outside within the community. The other Black children didn't play with us nor did they want associate with us. I mean, I understand at the time I was in to Death Metal bands... ( I know, I've grown) but it would have been nice to understand I could be a community member and still be true to who I was. That we weren't so limiting to what it means to be Black that we cut our own feet off. I mean, think of it. If there problems within the Black community, you need those "cuspers" to be able to mediate the White community in order to change the balance of power.

Whatever... I need to work on my dissertation. I'll flesh this out when I have more time. Below is the video I was watching this morning. Check it out.

https://www.facebook.com/BuzzFeedCocoaButter/videos/1279991948798807/