Story by Quara Gant | Photo by Daniel R. Doherty

     The definition of “acting white” isn’t clear. Is acting white speaking with correct grammar? Is it not wearing urban-inspired clothing that a rapper or basketball player advertised? Or is it simply valuing and demanding excellence in academics?
     Freshman marketing major Ebonie Parks said her high school had a variety of races, but blacks were still the minority. Even though there was a balance, there were times when black students would accuse her of acting white because of the way she talked and because she was active in school and had mostly white friends.

The Experiment
     The accusations of acting white are false, says Angela Neal-Barnett, an associate professor of psychology at Kent State. Neal-Barnett began her research on the topic in February of last year. She and other colleagues researched mostly college students, but from time to time, they studied Portage County high school students as well. Though the original research was done in all-black schools, the data did not vary enough to be considered invalid when applied to other schools.
     A person cannot act a certain race because there is no specific way to be black or white. Neal-Barnett said, even though many people feel as though they have the right to say how a black person should act; no one has that power.
     Another observation Neal-Barnett’s group made was that most of the students accused of acting white lived in the suburbs. Although, there was not a designated area where African-American students were free from accusations by peers and community members.

Racial Identity
     “(Students) have the right to define themselves for themselves,” Neal-Barnett said.
     She explained there is no difference in acting white or acting black, and it comes down to how important being black is to you.
     “If a person is black, then how they act is being black, which varies with each person,” she said. “People in this country may know that they are black; they just may not let you know they know.”
     A person does not have to prove to others, for the lack of a better term, their own “blackness,” Neal-Barnett added.
     If a person feels the need to prove their “blackness” to others, it proves how insecure they really are. Though many actions reflect color, it is not always the case.
     Parks agreed with Neal-Barnett that college on its own is hard without trying to appeal to others’ ideas of how black a person should really be.
     Neal-Barnett says there is a spectrum all black people are thrown into by society. The only issue is that it is not always accurate and may offend some.
     “It's like (a spectrum) where Snoop Dogg is on one end, and Tiger Woods is on the other end. But in the middle is Will Smith,” Neal-Barnett said. “But Smith does not act like Tiger and is not as ghetto as Snoop; he’s just in the middle.” Smith, along with many others, lie somewhere in the middle.

Being Black in College
     For most, college is a learning experience about school and about life. Many students, especially freshmen, feel the need to find themselves. For students accused of acting white, it can be difficult to handle because not only do they need to figure out who they are, but also how black they are.
     Neal-Barnett said these students should ask themselves, “What is being black and how important is being black to you?”
     For some, the first and second years of college are the most difficult in trying to understand who they are. This is a time known as a developmental transition, says Neal-Barnett, a time to grow into a responsible adult.
     For example, Parks grew up in Canton, a diverse area, but some black students claimed she was acting white when she attended a predominately white high school. She had attributes that many black people associated with white people, which gave people more reasons to taunt her. She is tall, thin and has long hair with a medium complexion. For many, this was enough to harass her.
     “I got tired of it,” Parks said.

The Acceptance
     The response a person gives is a way to get past the accusations of acting white. Do not respond in the defensive, Neal-Barnett says.
     “The accusations won’t stop, but the response can,” Neal-Barnett said.
     One way to get past the harassment is to just rise above it, as cliché as it sounds. Sometimes others’ minds will not change. A person cannot change who he or she is because someone doesn’t like it. If a person is born black, then he or she is black; there is no need to prove it to someone else who claims he or she isn’t black enough.