BLACKS SHOULD AVOID: PLAYING INTO STEREOTYPES

DO NOT TELL YOUR WHITE COWORKERS THAT YOU ARE FROM "THE GHETTO!!" If you need to talk about where you are from, describe your community in a more positive fashion. Don't even say that you are from the "ghetto" as a joke. The white person you are speaking to will take you for your word and will begin to perceive you as displaying "ghetto" behavior that they believe they are familiar with. Everyone is familiar with the hip hop scene these days thanks to TV, etc. So, everyone is a damn expert on what is or isn't ghetto. Unless you are at some sort of hip hop summit, any disussion of the ghetto will be drenched in stereotypes. White people don't need to know you are from the ghetto. White coworkers don't even need to know if you ....are from a broken home....have a momma, daddy or grannie in lock-up....have a drug addict residing in your household....are in a dire financial situation (read: filing bankruptcy or about to get evicted)....etc. If you're going to play into stereotypes with White folks on your job, just go ahead and bug your eyes, while you shuffle around the office. Calling folks 'Massa will help you play into the stereotype!