The Truth About Black Fatigue Trending on TikTok
There’s a growing trend on TikTok that’s sparking significant discussion and controversy – the term “black fatigue”. While some news outlets are quick to label anyone making these videos as racist, our view is that this trend is far more complex and interesting than it might initially appear.
The core idea behind “black fatigue,” as expressed in many of these videos, is a growing weariness with the actions of the quote unquote black community. However, it’s crucial to understand that this sentiment, surprisingly, isn’t limited to non-black individuals; some black individuals also state they experience “black fatigue”.
Why would black people experience this fatigue? According to discussions around the trend, it stems from the damaging impact of seeing negative aspects or individuals within the community attract disproportionate negative attention. This attention, unfortunately, often gets ascribed to the entire group. We see examples of this across different racial and ethnic groups, where negative stereotypes or behaviors associated with a few can unfairly impact the perception of the whole.
One key point raised is the notion sold to the black community that the color of one’s skin dictates the content of one’s character. This leads to internal criticism, such as the phrase “Oh, you are acting white” used towards black individuals who don’t conform to expected behaviors, implying there’s a “correct” way to act black. Those within the community who unfortunately fulfill negative stereotypes are seen by some as dragging down the collective whole. Positive examples, like individuals working to uplift black youth, often don’t receive the same level of attention as the negative.
The frustration driving this trend is palpable. We’ve seen countless videos where people are opening up, expressing that they are simply tired and fed up. They are calling out things they find ignorant within the black community. While some critics immediately jump to calling this racism, many argue that these videos are, in fact, about accountability. The argument is made that constantly crying wolf or claiming racism in situations where it doesn’t apply has made it difficult to distinguish actual racism from valid calls for accountability.
Some voices within the trend, including black individuals in comments, acknowledge that the behaviors being highlighted clearly originate from within the black community. There’s a sentiment that the community has allowed this situation to develop by refusing to be held accountable for negative behaviors. When individuals within the community try to address these issues, they are often attacked or called names. This leads to non-black individuals stepping in, stating they are tired of being labeled racist simply for trying to hold people accountable for ignorant actions. This isn’t necessarily a new phenomenon; some white people have expressed dealing with this kind of behavior for many years. There’s a strong sense that a small number of individuals who are self-centered and disrespectful significantly impact the perception of the entire group.
It’s a misconception, in our view, that the majority of the black community stands in solidarity with these negative behaviors. Sure, some might, like when Karmelo Anthony commented on the idea that a specific behavior didn’t represent the majority, saying “Yeah you got one of them for us this time I don’t believe that that’s the majority of the black community.” However, many, both black and white, hesitate to speak out against them. Black people fear being called “coons,” while white people fear being called racist. This silence, it is argued, has slowed down the healing of the country. Some even suggest that political parties have exacerbated racial tensions for their own gain.
From what we’ve observed, the “black fatigue” being expressed is primarily directed at two specific types of behavior or individuals:
- Those who are loud, ghetto, ratchet, violent, mean, and constantly angry. These individuals are widely avoided, even by other black people, because their behavior is predictable and negative.
- A group described as the “fake black bougie intellencia”. These are often privileged individuals with large platforms and financial success who, despite this, perpetually claim victimhood. They are seen as lecturing both white and black people on how they should think or speak about black issues, often criticizing anyone who doesn’t conform to their approved viewpoints.
We believe it’s a positive development that people are starting to talk about this, especially when those discussions originate from within the black community itself. It’s harder for the mainstream to dismiss these conversations when they come from black voices. Our hope is that this trend will lead to more dialogue and a focus on improving behavior and fostering accountability within communities. Because, ultimately, behavior is unlikely to change until these internal issues are addressed. We want the best for everyone and believe people should be judged on their character, not their skin color, but that requires accountability. We’re watching closely to see how mainstream media reacts to this growing conversation.
