This may sound like an odd subject, but I got to thinking about...well, a number of things.

I know that, statistically, African Americans are more likely to live in urban areas, so that would cut down on the number of potential encounters if we're to assume bf is real and resides primarily in the montane, PNW areas we suspect. I seriously doubt there's ever been any attempt at catagorizing who, demographically, "sees" sasquatch, but, perhaps, if the phenomenon is limited to Anglos only (or largely), then knowing so would lend its way toward a sociological interpretation of the whole thing. Of course, there's one minority group that has a long history of bf encounters, and that's Native Americans. If it could somehow be determined that we, as Anglos, "picked up" from Native Americans the predilection--the "meme," if you will--to encounter sasquatch, then...

I doubt it'd ever be possible to prove such a thing, but who knows?

Huh. Dunno....

I have noticed, though, that white people tend to go hiking and camping hella more than our dark-skinned counter parts. Why is that? Are we so far-gone from nature that we need to go see it every once and a while, whereas African Americans don't care? My dad was saying something about this... keep in mind he's very right-winged and doesn't care what people think about what he says, so here it is paraphrased: "Maybe black people, having had more recent ancestors who had to deal with wild and primitive conditions, realize 'Damn, fool. Why do you think we live in cities? To get AWAY from the woods. Nature's a bitch.'"

I guess anythings possible?

ok... just want to put this out there.... statistically........we know nothing, as you stated!

Where... where is it widely reported of what race you are in these bigfoot sightings? Other than tribal connections, I know of none. And really, as far as I'm concerned, I really don't care.

As usual, the proof is in the pudding. A sighting is just that, and will be evaluated as such.

edited to add: just my 2 cents

I think that it has more to do with being "raised" as an American than it has to do with any particular race. We have a proud history of exploration and conservation. Our National Parks are the model for the rest of the world. I am sure there are rural blacks (afro americans) who have had experience with sasquatch, but do they really wanna come out and say yet? I doubt it. They got enough problems without being associated with bigfoot. That is changing now. Our history of conservation, started with Muir and Roosevelt has inspired millions. And, like I said earlier, all of the easy creatures have been found already. Now it's time to get dirty, and find the more elusive creatures.

Down here in the south, blacks are just as numerous living in the country as whites. There are lot of reported sightings by blacks in East Texas and West Louisianna.

I've investigated hundreds of sightings both in the BFRO and on my own, and unfortunately, race was never asked for or documented. We only accounted for gender by the voice and the name! Of all the NA people I interviewed, either I could visually tell (and I'd then ask) or they offered the info during the interview.

I suspect though, if you look at the statistics on who visits National Forests and Parks in the west, African Americans represent a small portion of overall visitors (and logically therefore would have a similar proportion in bigfoot sightings/encounters).

Boy, they brainwashed you too huh? It's ok to call them blacks. They actually prefer that. Can't believe you're being politically correct on a bigfoot site. Amazing.

Growing up for the most part in the deep south I have known a lot of other races that spent some time in the woods. But I would have to say I know 20 white people to 1 other race be it black or what ever that goes into the woods.
Here is a little something that sort of ties into this subject. Not all but most of people that are none white do not like lets say strange pet type animals as much as white people do. A great example is my youngest girls pet bearded dragon. When ever she takes it any place black people almost always head the other way when they see it. The ladies will some times scream if they do not see it until they are close by lol. Now what is strange and my kid and I have talked about this, Is that white people for the most part will come right up to her and want to touch it. I would say maybe 1 out of 100 none white people will do that. But maybe 80% or higher of whites will.

Uh...there is no "they" who "brainwashed" me. I'm not trying to be politically correct. I call "them" African Americans because, if I were one, that's what I'd prefer to be called, and unless someone comes on here and tells me differently, I'm going to assume that "African Americans" is the least "loaded" name I can give them, what with the many, many I have to choose from. No doubt my ancestors--God knows how far back--contributed in some way to the devestation of their culture and enslavement of their people, so--even if you see it as stupid--I see it as the very, very least I can do. Should I call Native Americans "reds"?

******* right, I'm a liberal.

Not that this is what the subject matter of this thread IS or anything...

Only two breeds.

Those who think, and those that know.

Never cared who made a report.

Just so long as it was honest.

DR

Okay, cool, so it's alright for me to say blacks on this site. Phew. I come from an extremely liberal and politicaally correct part of the country. Just didn't want to rub anyone the wrong way.

Also, I'm not sure what we would do if we knew the race of the report-ers... couldn't that possibly lead to some unconscious bias towards the sighting?

As to the PC clan...

I'm a cracker, a shortshit, a bohunk, a gypsy, a crab, an Orwellian imposter....

Sticks and stones.

Lighten up, folks. It's a bigfoot forum. If you're here and a repeat visitor, you're not close-minded. It's good to have ya' without a need for apologias.

We dig.

DR

Funny thing about names for minorities is that most of them start out neutral, and then somehow get 'loaded', and get dropped for something else.

Negro, for example, just means black in spanish, but somehow it's no longer PC, while 'black' is currently the proper term (African American is too limited.. lots of black people aren't American).

Chinaman is now seen as derogatory, but Englishman is not, but they are the exact same construction.




Anyway, not much anyone can do about it since it's just a form of language drift.

No, we're not communist. How 'bout braves. Me, imma halfbreed.
(anybody wanna read a good book, try Last Mohiccan, real version. Same with Red Badge of Courage, and Moby Dick (White Whale)
However, if you insist on defining us by political standards, then social progressive, or global citizen is okay.
The above mentioned books can be viewed at Easton Press, they have the harvard edition in print. A whole series on the NPs, and even maps.

The reason why a number of "Black People" don't like being called "African American" is because their ancestry didn't hail from Africa regardless of what science or books on anthropology may suggest. Of course most "White People" aren't really White but Pink, but would hate being called "Pinkies". My skin tends to be towards olive but don't you dare call me a "Greenie". Now with that out of the way let's get off the PC names just use common sense and be polite, and let's get back on topic.

As far as who reports bigfoot I agree with Hairy Man that the question has never been part of the interview process, so who knows. I also agree with Pywacket that in many areas of the south you'll find a lot of people of all races living in the country.

From past experiences, not regarding the subject of Bigfoot but other topics which are held in about the same level of respect from the scientific community, there is a wider acceptance of existence from people of color than the white community. Whether that's based on a history of handing down family stories through generations, which seems less prevalent among white families I don't know but I suppose a good possibility. I had a friend a number of years ago who was in his late 60s at the time, and I suppose for relevance to the topic I'll mention he was black. Somehow or other we got onto the topic of ghosts one night while talking. I'll bet we talked a good hour not only about his sightings while growing up in Mississippi, but the sightings of his mother, father, both sets of grandparents and great grandparents. These were all stories handed down generation to generation and he in turn had handed them down to his children. Maybe my family is different but I couldn't tell you if my grandparents, or beyond ever saw anything or believed in anything out of the ordinary and the same goes for aunts, uncles and cousins. Parents and siblings I do know one way or the other.

So I guess the bottom line is rather than all of us sitting around contemplating it, take the time to ask those that would know. You may be surprised by the answer.

Thin ice.

Be careful.

There was a report in NW LA from a black man, who raised goats on his property. Occasionally a goat would come up missing. The investigator that spoke with this man started off by asking him if anything strange was happening around his property. The man said no, just that somebody would steal one of his goats every once in a while. Then the man went on to say that he witnessed the last theft. He told the investigator that it happened late one night.

He told the investigator,"That "N-word" had my goat under his arm and stepped over that fence and ran off into the woods". The black goat farmer thought another black man had stolen his goat. The investigator took the goat farmer out to the fence and asked him, "Are you sure he "stepped" over this fence?" And you say he had the goat "under his arm"?"

The black man was positive of what he had seen.

The fence was 4 ft tall.

All of a sudden, you might say, a light bulb popped up over the man's head when he realized what he had seen.

Another question that somewhat goes along with this one. Why does it seem that there arent very many Black folks who are Sasquatch investigators or researchers? I've wondered about that one myself.

Get over your liberal guilt bud. You and the rest of us had nothing to do with slavery or the "devestation of their culture". I can make a solid argument how the current urban black culture has devestated itself in the last 30 years.

Hey what do you call a white South African who legally moves to the US? Would your guilt-ridden liberal loons still call him African American? Probably not. That won't fit in with your pandering agenda. But if it makes you fell better like you're doing your part to correct past atrocities even though you had nothing to do with them, then enjoy calling them what you wish.

Typical liberal. Feel-good symbolism with zero results.

That's enough!

I hate to do it because I think this could have been a good discussion, but this thread is closed.