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Thursday, April 3, 2025

Some Foundational Black Americans (FBAs) Told A Woman Who Learned About Her Black Ancestors During Her Genealogical Search To "Stay Out Of FBA Business"


NYTN, Mar 28, 2025

#findingyourroots  #nytn #ancestry  #familyhistory #genealogy 

I shared the story of my enslaved ancestors, and suddenly I was being told to “stay out of FBA business.” This video unpacks the backlash, the gatekeeping, and what it really means to claim family history when you weren’t raised in a single identity. If you've ever felt like your roots didn’t fit the rules—this is for you.

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a YouTube video of Danielle Romero whose genealogical search led to discovery that her great grandmother's Black ancestry. This discovery led to the creation of her YouTube channel. This particular video in this channel focuses on Danielle's response to a statement from a woman who identifies as Foundational Black American (FBA)* that Danielle should stay out of FBA business.

This pancocojams post presents a compilation of some comments from this video's discussion thread. 

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and historical purposes. 

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Danielle Romero for this YouTube channel. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
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* Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/06/article-excerpts-about-population.html for the closely related June 2024 pancocojams post entitled "Article Excerpts About The Population Referents "ADOS" (American Descendants Of Slaves) And "FBA" (Foundational Black Americans)."

Also, click the tags below to find other related pancocojams posts.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
I consider myself to be African American (Black American) who is culturally pan-African.

If I correctly understand their positions, people who use the terms 
American Descendants Of Slavery (ADOS) and the Foundational Black Americans (FBA) lineages.wouldn't consider me eligible to use those lineage referents because I'm unable to verify that one of my ancestors was enslaved in the United States. My mother's parents were from Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados and I can't trace any enslaved Black American ancestry on my father's side. (My father was adopted from New York state by a Black family in Michigan. I believe that he was Black/White racially mixed, but I don't know anything about his ancestry.)

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE NYTN YOUTUBE CHANNEL

 https://www.youtube.com/@nytn

Description

A good story reminds us that we are all more connected than we think.

I'm Danielle Romero and my content is all about exploring the nuances of American identity and unearthing hidden historical narratives. My great grandmother Lola left her heritage behind in Louisiana when she moved to NY in the 1930s. Last year, I decided to uncover our family story and begin finding our roots. I'm still on the journey of hidden heritage, genealogy and finding out how our family history fits in the context of community history!


Why NYTN? I was born in NY and now I live in TN! Sometimes it's best to just keep it simple.

[...]

United States

Joined July 31, 2022".

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD

With only a small number of exceptions , these selected comments from this showcased video's discussion thread are from people who identified themselves as Foundational Black Americans (FBA),   Black, African Americans, American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS), Black Caribbean, or racially mixed (Black and another/other race/s or ethnic group/s). 

All of these comments were published in this video's discussion thread from March 28, 2025 to April 2, 2025.

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jSr-uz83yo

1. @tycoon-j6q
"FBA here. I have been watching your channel off and on since its inception. You have been genuine from the beginning. Some of us are confused when it comes from people who can "pass." America has mislabeled people from the beginning on purpose, so we are all trying to figure this thing out. Be proud you have found out the truth."

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2. @nytn
"
I really appreciate you saying that!"

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3. @ronaldtaylor4198
"Black American here your channel is very informative keep doing what you do 🌹."

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4. 
@vicferrmat4492
"I am Black and I love your channel. Your content is factual and evidence based, that is the important thing.

The information you provide is of interest to all humanity.

Keep doing your good work."

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5. @roxannewatson4785
"Then why are yall mad that Black ppl have something to say about it. I mean she and ppl in the comments are very close to saying it's not Black ppls business. Some have said it."

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6. @rgold_
"She’s definitely stuck her foot in her mouth in the past, but so have we all 🤷🏽‍♀️ I enjoy some of her content. Nothing too egregious yet."

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7. @Sumayyah-Kr267
"@vicferrmat4492 I subscribed also because it's evidenced based and she accepts all of her ancestry not just the Caucasian ancestry I was intrigued by how her grandmother hide part of her ancestry and was white passing"

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8. @KAH-7
"@roxannewatson4785

We're saying it's NO ONE ELSE'S business to Police it⁉"

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9. @hasinsaunders260
"I do identify myself under that accurate historical account by definition FBA. However we all are not under one umbrella when it comes all matters. Case and point I'm a poor man's historian. However history is like a mystery novel the more you find out the more intriguing it gets. Plus as a historian, don't they know that their were black women who passed for white, even in Hollywood and Broadway. So to say by looking at you you can't acknowledge your heritage is paposterous. Many of our people black people are her complection and pigmentation also there's a history to prove It. So sister woman teach about your ancestors your family and more power to you and yours. They will learn the young sometimes don't always do what they are told. A salute you sister😊"

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10. @BrokenCrayonsstillcolor18
"For anyone, your history is your history!!!!!  I’m a Black woman with an unknown family history and there are Black people who are aware of or have discovered their white ancestors - it’s their story/truth.  I have watched you on this journey and appreciate your honesty in discussing the truth.  You exist because of choices your ancestors made. With DNA advances you are not the only “white” person discovering their Black ancestors.  Whether hidden or stolen, the truth is the truth.  Your story, our stories, are American stories and so much has been stolen/hidden for too long.   Some comments may make you feel some kind of way but I suggest you ignore those who obviously don’t understand the assignment or are easily led by the “algorithm”.   I love and enjoy your history content!  ❤"

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11. @williamsanders1585
"Love your content and how you present it.  I'm an African American male interested in and researching my own genealogy. I'm blessed to have found you and the stories you tell so well. Always great to find truly good people nowadays, and you have certainly shown where your heart is.  Congratulations.  BTW, this is the very first time I've ever left comments in a chat."

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12. @sanaaangel95
"As an African-American woman with Congolese ancestors on my father’s side and multiracial ancestors on my mother’s side. I’m from Atlanta, GA originally. Many people who commented are speaking out of their ignorance or fear of their true identity being revealed. I never find fault in your channel because I find your channel very interesting and relatable. I’m still curious about my ancestors and claiming them as my own including Blackfeet Native Americans. Keep sharing your content because history is beautiful and it makes us who we are today!"

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13. @JacquelineMontpellier9074
"This happened when I acknowledged my  6.4% Native American. I identify as white but I hold a very special place for the Native American woman ancestor. She represents bravery and strength. I’m proud of her but I don’t claim belonging to a tribe since I didn’t experience living the culture. Just acknowledging her with gratitude 🙏🏼🕊️💙"

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14. @Ice-c-o8q
"Hey, Cuz!  Even though I'm black I know that you are my cousin. My Creole grandmother from Louisiana has relatives who live in West Monroe, La. And I have Goines and Chavis relatives as do you.  Don't pay any attention to those haters. They probably don't know their ancestry as well or as far back as you do.  The things that you have discovered about your ancestors including pictures are phenomenal! I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL!!! Keep up the good work! 🎉🥳🥰😍👍🏿✌🏾"

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15. @nytn
"thank you <3"

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16. @jacklyneverage3881
"I am a FOUNDATIONAL BLACK AMERICAN aka American Freedmen. I fully support your channel. I am subscribed to you. You do excellent work! There is nothing wrong claiming your ancestry and speaking on the topics you discuss because it is your lived experience.  Keep doing the good work and educating us on the complexities of race and ethnicity.  Thank you for sharing your journey with all of us. My apologies that you experienced such gross disrespect to you. This is not representative of FBA. Peace and Blessings."

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17. @AJ-mt9zt
"Why are you apologizing for people that you never met and never said they represented all FBAs?? Those people should apologize for their own actions and people don't have to feel like just because someone shares a skintone with them that it represents the entire group. People are individuals."

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18. @trinaewatkins2804
"Likewise, I appreciate the channel as well….I think that we all have many ancestors….all of them important.  It’s unfortunate that we cannot talk in a manner that helps  unravel history and ancestry."

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19. @liltoaster7308
"A lot of people on all sides misconstrue or purposely misrepresent what FBA actually is supposed to be. At its base, being a Foundational Black American is pretty simple and it comes down to being a Black identifying (Black identifying as in it's use on federal demographics documentation) individual born in the United States with ancestral ties solely to either chattel slavery as it happened and developed specifically within the borders of what would become the United States, and/or Freedman status in the US prior to the Emancipation Proclamation (all enslaved or those with Freedman status also listed as Black in documentation as well). Sometimes the 1870 US Federal Census is also used as a cutoff point. It's function is to address the existence of Black Americans as an ethnic group among other Black ethnicities, whether they're also from the Americas or Africa, and many titles such as ADOS, Soulaan, Afro-American, Negro etc. have all been used and considered, but are often too imprecise when addressing the Black American ethnicity as a whole. Many use the title correctly but unfortunately some people may use it as a gateway to express xenophobia or over-exclusionary. On the flip side, some may purposely misrepresent the label with a negative bias or even try to take away from the Black American ethnic experience when possible. There's absolutely nothing wrong with you claiming/researching your ancestry though, but like you stated, it could be problematic for you to speak on the behalf of an ethnic/racial perspective that you may not have or understand fully."

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20. @chrisconnors9449
"FBA website mentions being of black aboriginal descent also.. and those who are freedman.. and those that are of mixed native & African ancestry. All 3 of those groups are also incorporated into FBA. According to Tariq Nasheed and their own official website breakdown criteria. I know a lot of former African centered Afrocentric folks hate that but it is what it is."

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21. @jbrown8601
"Good breakdown. Personally I think the term African American is enough, there is need for this "black" identity politics. The lines between us are thin blurred and have very little real world affect.  After doing my own research I discovered that I am truly  firmly African and American. Those Black Belt, Carolina coast roots run deep but guess what? The African roots run deeper, where did our enslaved ancestors come from. I know it is the current trend to identify as this or that but really it doesn't change history or your dna. Not even addressing the elephant in the room that division has been used and continues to be used to keep afro/black peoples bickering amongst themselves while getting whooped by the global power structure."

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22. @chrisconnors9449
"@jbrown8601 

For those who only have African ancestry.. sure… but those of us who also have indigenous Native American ancestry & European ancestry as well.. for others to expect us to just ignore that just to fit in with some Afrocentric slave trade narrative is ridiculous. Just because some Africans were brought here and intermixed with my Native American ancestors that doesn’t just magically erase my ties to this landmass and erase my native ancestry."

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23. @jbrown8601
"​@chrisconnors9449 yes as I wrote, I am firmly  African and American."

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24. @chrisconnors9449
"@jbrown8601 

The issue isn’t so much the title..

it’s more so the lack of a concise definition. Too much that is left out of the definitions of these titles. I see how you are looking at it.. but If I look up the definition of African American it’s pretty much only about Africans that came to America. Again That doesn’t define large majority of us black Americans here who have more than just African ancestry."

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25. @reiserkeiser
"None of it is "problematic" for her to speak on. She's literally speaking about HER family. You have to remember, these are all just made up labels, anyways. Black, White, FBA. All BS. Means nothing"

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26. @liltoaster7308
"@reiserkeiser  What I described as potentially being problematic is speaking on behalf of an ethnic/racial group that you may not be part of nor share experiences with. A scenario in which that happens can lead to an inaccurate understanding of said ethnic group. Because she has a large platform, she also has the potential to disseminate inaccurate information about an ethnic group that she may not be able to represent. It's true that these labels are social constructs, but because we live in a society (many would argue world) that places great importance on those constructs, they play a very significant role in the shaping of our lives, respective histories and communities. It only means nothing if it truly does not affect you."

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27. @beaujac311
"@ I will say this about her, she is not a group who tells you how you should think.  I've seen FBA "members" saying that they have no connections to Africa at all.  Is that a true statement?"

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28. @claudexandam
"@beaujac311 

FBA is a lineage, not a group.  Yes, some if not MORE FBAs are NOT AFRICAN at all."

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29. @liltoaster7308
"@beaujac311  FBA is just another name for an ethnicity that already exists so I'm not sure if referring to it as a "group" is accurate unless we define ethnicities as groups. As for your second point, Black Americans (or FBA) are culturally and natively (not indigenously) a North American ethnicity, not African, but they do have majority African DNA and share a small number of cultural similarities. The overwhelming majority of Black Americans however have no existing (and/or) modern familial ties, political ties, tribal affiliations, geographical ties, national ties or religious connections with Africa. A few historical cultural elements have certainly survived, but the vast majority of that connection was systematically severed as a result of slavery."

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30. @beaujac311
"@claudexandam  It's a group that you join.  If a lot of people knew the tenets of FBA they would say " that is not me".

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31. 
@beaujac311
"@liltoaster7308  It is a group.  I know what FBA is and I would never claim to be a part of it.  The term FBA is not synonymous with the terms Black American, Afro American, African-American et al."

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32. @liltoaster7308
"@beaujac311  To be fair I don't really claim the title "FBA" either because there's so much surrounding the title and how it gets used, but I'm most certainly apart of the ethnicity it describes so I can't deny that heritage either. I'm just interested in describing the term accurately."

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33. @beaujac311
"@liltoaster7308  Another of the problems I have with the term is Tariq Nasheed.  He's a hustler.  He saw ADOS and did not like them using slavery in their name.  So he made up another name and saw the money making potential in it.  That is how he see race as a way to make money.  To me him and Dr. Umar are birds of a feather."

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34. @SunnyDaysAOK
"@happyfire777 No. Not at all. African American historically has been a term used to describe Black African descended people. The term has been in use for centuries. However, in the 1980s, African American came back into vogue because it was it focused less on color and more on heritage. In deed, the importance of the term was to reflect that black folks have many different skin tones. It was unifying term.

 

Read a history book."

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35. 
@cornileusweatherford1910
"She's not Black she said it herself. Stop caping for people that left "Black" for dead.

FBA exist to stop confusion. Her people opted out of our lineage and they have that right. She can't double back generations later and place blame on the warriors that didn't flee our lineage and lay blame for her people's cowardice of us."
-snip-
“caping ("capping")” = lying

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36. @tonybone132
"I’m FBA and I really enjoy & respect 🫡 what you’re doing. I have been watching you for a few years now and I appreciate your findings. 🙏🏽"

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37. @vanessachantal7218
"I’m a biracial woman, and I appreciate you speaking on every aspect of your ancestry. You don’t need to address these types of comments from ignorant people. What they think is none of your business or ours! Keep being great I’m learning a lot"

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38. @Me-lp1uj
"FBA woman over 50  here!  I have been following your channel and wholely support you and celebrate your journey in discovering your roots!  I agree with you 100 percent regarding negative feedback: don't let anyone silence you, no matter what  your race is: including white folks! Carry on, sister!"

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39. @AKiEM.
"agreed. It’s important to not let anyone claim FBA somehow have one single voice or point of view."

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40. @KidPoe
"Same. It makes no sense to go off on someone for talking about their own ancestors. Those people leaving those comments are unhinged."

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41. @vblake530530
"I’m a Black Man . I got white folks in my family line. Ain’t NOBODY gonna tell me how I talk about my family."

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42. 
@tabiagebre8168
"Hey, continue to educate. I'm from New Orleans and you're  actually darker than my Sister and she's considered Black 😅"

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43. @dawnd.5290
"Wow !  Please keep doing these videos.  I'm African-American and I love your commitment to historical research and social issues. You are intelligent, positive and honest . You have a right and responsibility to claim your ancestors.  Talking about them sets them free. It helps all of us to be free."

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44. @zitamalaykhan
"But As a Black woman . she does have to respect us....to an extent and she does. Just because our blood flows through many mixed race people that does not give you the right to look down on us in no shape form or fashion....Or tell us how to feel about certain situations. We are not a dress you can just try on and take off when you feel like it.."

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45. @SG85917
"Fba here who supports your channel, don't let the bad apples get to ya"

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46. @infiniterer287
"As an FBA I can say that you're mostly right here but you're wrong about one part:

It's not about power it's about a sense of inauthenticity. FBAs obviously have a deep, layered and often painful history, that has elements that still persist into the present. When you, a person who does not have to deal with the present lasting challenges that a modern FBA has to deal with, claim you are FBA/ADOS, some (ignorant) FBAs take that as if you are inauthentically claiming an experience that you are not having (IE: the experience of being black in America). This is why they lash out, not to have "power" over you but to challenge someone they believe is fake. Now as you already iterated in the video, you are not claiming the experiences but simply the ancestors themselves. Which is fair and honest. This is all that you ever need to remind them of 👍"

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47. @tracyp3567
"Exactly 💯💯"

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48. @FBATIERRA
" @infiniterer287  I agree."

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49. @beaujac311
"infiniterer287:. I totally disagree with everything you say here.  I'm no fan of Tariq Nasheed.  He's the one who came up with FBA.  All I see him as is a race hustler.  I myself is an African-American who can trace his ancestry to before the American Civil War.  I would never claim to be a part of FBA or ADOS.  I think many African-Americas read what those letters stand for and automatically think it is them without doing any research of those two I don't know what you should call them."

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50. @tracyp3567
"@beaujac311  Nobody is forcing you to agree about anything pertaining to FBA or claim to be apart of FBA do you think because you don't agree with it or believe in it  that it gives you the right to have your own opinion and tell others that they are wrong because you don't agree with it?"

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51. @DavidRucker-i4w
"@infiniterer287  she needs to address the fact that Lola couldn’t handle the pressure and sold out. Yt people will watch a company fire folks for being black and just say “oh well that sucks” rather than quit working for a racist company. People like Lola are part of the problem. She was an opportunist who didn’t stand on business and as a result had a bunch of confused ancestors. Just ignoring this will never heal anything."

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52. @beaujac311
"@tracyp3567  All I tell is to research FBA before saying they are a part of it.  That is all."

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53. @beaujac311
"@Bander471  I don't mind losing all credibility as long as I can get these people to research what FBA is before claiming that is who they are."

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54. @roxannewatson4785
"If she has said she is FBA/ADOS she is claiming that experience."

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55. @beaujac311
"@  All I'm asking is if she know what experience that she is claiming.  A lot of people just read the name of those two groups and automatically think it represents them until they see how those groups move."

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56. @ladyhotep5189
"Ive chosen to call myself a Foundational Black American. I enjoy your content very much.  Please don't take these comments too personal.  Alot of our ancestors were r@p3d by their owners producing biracial children. Most of us probably have a white ancestor from somewhere in all the centuries of enslavement.

I've never thought that you were "trying to be Black ". Seems to me you're a woman who is telling her story, family tree ect.

With the reparations argument on the table again alot of us are super sensitive about who can claim a right to reparations.  Alot of us that have decided to "delineate " ourselves and not be lumped in the same group as caribbeans. Africans and no longer want that "African " put in front of American.

You have put out quality content and i don't think you've been disrespectful in any way. I'm not sure if these people only came across one or two of your vids and came to their conclusions or what.  Im subbed to your channel and watch all your videos and think you do a good job. Again,  please try not to take these comments too personal."

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57. @nytn
"Thank you so much for this! I really appreciate you."

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58. @Original1Real1
"I could never tell someone about their own bloodline and ancestors. It is their ancestors and bloodline for crying out loud! The ignorance is astounding!"

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59. @TheeTwanSolo
"As a black man I say, keep talking yo sh-t*. It's YOUR history. The fact that you are accepting of all of your history is phenomenal. Most would hide it, but you are taking time out of your day to share and educate others. As I said before, talk yo sh-t* Danielle. I got your back."
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.

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60. @mrs.kpbailey
"Black ADOS here. You don’t need anyone’s permission and/or approval to do this work on YOUR family.

Ignore the chatter. 🙏🏾"

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61. @tchallaseven
"I don't listen to these fools. as a so-called, foundational black american, i appreciate your content and respect your research into your ancestry. we all need to learn our family's ancestry. every piece of it."

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62. @nytn
"Thank you, I needed to hear that!"

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63. @heyelights897
"So now fba's are fools??? how about you don't generalize the total IQ of FBA's from comments left on this woman's video from a few FBA ppl."

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64. @tchallaseven
"@heyelights897  i was only referring to the people criticizing danielle. i never said that all FBAs are fools."

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65. @beaujac311
"tchallaseven:. Do y'all really know what FBA stands for?  If not research it.  Tariq Nasheed started it so you can start there."

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66. @heyelights897
"@beaujac311  I understand completely what it stands for. The words were already there. Foundational. -Black -Americans. He just put together as FBA. Any grouping of us as a way to move forward on 1 accord, I'm with it."

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67. @heyelights897
"@tchallaseven  My bad...I get what your saying.."

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68. @Washitaw
"What do you mean by so-called FBA?"

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69. @tchallaseven
"@Washitaw  i am a black american, a descendant of enslaved africans, a so-called foundational black american. that's what i meant."

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70. @beaujac311
"@heyelights897  No that is not what FBA is all about.  Did you see recently where FBA was saying that hip hop came from only the USA and no influences from other countries or US possessions.  They also make up their own history.  Some of them will tell you that they have no connection to Africa.  They will say that they are the original Native Americans.  As I've said in other comments do some research on FBA.  Start with Tariq Nasheed."

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71. @colberthunter12
"​ @beaujac311 so what I Caribbean influence created Hip Hop, what sounds what dances what images? You do know we were doing all of that before Africans and Caribbean and Hispanic people came over here, we were world Stars before melinated immigrants started coming over here and what were we doing? Making music dances and style.

So once again what are the influences and don't talk about some Caribbean people who came to America and assimilated into our culture and contributed to what we were already doing, contributed not created, apparently Africans and Caribbean and Hispanic people can't understand that part."

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72. @beaujac311
"@colberthunter12  I won't engage you on this subject. FBA like to claim that they created everything the same way that Europeans claim that they created everything.  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

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73. @colberthunter12
"@beaujac311  so what did we claim create in America that you think is made up? Give me some examples, which you people never can say, but you have all these complaints about Foundational Black Americans, so again what are we lying about creating?"

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74. @Myopinionmattersthemost
"FBA aren't fools. And Danielle is 100% getting fame by exploring or exploiting her African ancestry. While Black presenting people explore their African ancestry all the time and there's no fan fare or money earned."

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75. @colberthunter12
" @beaujac311  you still haven't answered what Caribbean culture was a part of hip Hop) I'm still waiting. You made that assertion so defend it, foundational Black Americans have receipts for our greatness, show me these Caribbean greatness?"

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76. @beaujac311
"@colberthunter12  I have a problem with Tariq's FBAs because they are about division."

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77. @beaujac311
"@Myopinionmattersthemost  See that's the problem with you FBAs.  Y'all try to make yourself the gatekeeper of whats black in the USA. You are not and will never be.  You sound nuts thinking you can tell her not to discuss her family tree on Youtube."

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78. @beaujac311
"@colberthunter12  Keep waiting."

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79. @Myopinionmattersthemost
"@ I never once stated that I label myself as fba. Also I never typed she couldn’t discuss her family tree. I find it annoying that when racially ambiguous people discuss their African ancestry they get the fan fare and book deals and other monetary perks and undeniably Black presenting people who discuss their African ancestry do not receive the same reception. Historical society has liked to see traditional black things performed/presented by white folks."

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80. @beaujac311
"@Myopinionmattersthemost  No one is stopping you from starting your own Youtube channel."

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81. @Myopinionmattersthemost
"@ I never typed that someone is stopping me. Deflection at its finest."

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82. @yinkent7991
"Everyone who's talking crazy about FBAs in the comments,  don't do that.  Y'all know just as well as I do that a lot of people wanted nothing to do with being FBA and would disassociate themselves as much as possible. It's ok for people to claim their people, but you can't show up to the family reunion and think you can start speaking on family business."

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83. @Washitaw
"Facts."

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84. @choco.es.unlimited
"I am mixed ... my grandmother was full red native. I don't have the stereotype of red native BUT i hold on to my native ancestry as though I'm full blooded.  In addition to, my other lineage. 

I think the issue is, in America, if you have other ancestry, they tell us fbas that we can only be black and we aren't anything else.:

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85. @happyfire777
"@choco es unlimited, You've nailed it on the head. In my opinion. THAT! Also it's about the enslavement of one's ancestors in this country. Actually, it's my estimation a lot of Black folk are FBA and ADOS but the continued African American identifier will disqualify most because then it will be said to make claims with the country in Africa."

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86. @KAH-7
"@happyfire777

WRONG! African American ALREADY has that factored into the definition.

Of a "majority" of Sub Saharan ancestry."

**
87. @honeyjazz4147
"I'm Black I was raised in the black culture, but I have Cherokee ancestry,  I don't claim to be of the Cherokee tribe,  I'm not looking for any benefits from them , I  totally get where you're coming from,  you can be proud of your ancestry without claiming to be a  part of it, many people today are ashamed of their ancestry, be proud of all the ancestry that brought you here today!"

**
88. @KannIsBornToWin
"As someone who is a FBA, I have no problem with your channel and enjoy learning about your history. The issue is complicated. It’s a rejection of the one drop rule that was forced on us. It’s also a separation from people of African ancestry from other countries and cultures. Especially since our culture is either rejected or hijacked (for lack of a better word). I believe I understand what you are doing. But since you are also profiting from black ancestry that isn’t openly apparent at first glance, it can insult people. But I still support you. Some things are not your fault."

**
89. @rebellejacobs777
"I really relate to you ,I'm half Hispanic but a pale redhead with blue eyes and get exactly the same attitude ( mostly from white people) -

My grandmother picked fruit her whole life and struggled to give her kids a better life but I get told I'm not allowed to talk about her , or that I'm ' only Spanish which os white '

I'm NOT only Spanish, I'm Hispanic and that means indigenous too , California indigenous in my case .

I get told not to talk about my ancestors and I WILL NOT listen to these people.

My ancestors matter too, just like yours do .

Your work inspires me and I'm so grateful for your channel, thank you 💕"

**
Reply
90. @tigerstallion
"similarly, as part native, they wont accept any stories of mixed lineage, but they will accept Italian or Mexican.  These same people claim to be social justice warriors concerned about oppressed minorities."

**
Reply
91. @rebellejacobs777
"@tigerstallion 

Thank you for replying, it's nice to know I'm not alone 💖

 It SUX, I've noticed that too !

Italian is accepted among Mexican and other Hispanic groups - my cousin is Italian and less Hispanic than me , by blood , and they accept him because he can pass being darker skinned- then I get hate for telling the truth about my blood.

SMH 😞

It's hard , I know you know 💕

💖💕💜"

**
92.
@bamboosho0t
"There are a lot of "keyboard commandos" on social media, and some of them claim to be FBA.  Bottom line, you don't need their permission to speak on these subject matters.  Keep up the good work! 👍🏻"

**
93. @sanaaangel95
"As an African-American woman with Congolese ancestors on my father’s side and multiracial ancestors on my mother’s side. I’m from Atlanta, GA originally. Many people who commented are speaking out of their ignorance or fear of their true identity being revealed. I never find fault in your channel because I find your channel very interesting and relatable. I’m still curious about my ancestors and claiming them as my own including Blackfeet Native Americans. Keep sharing your content because history is beautiful and it makes us who we are today!"

**
94. 
@JacquelineMontpellier9074
"This happened when I acknowledged my  6.4% Native American. I identify as white but I hold a very special place for the Native American woman ancestor. She represents bravery and strength. I’m proud of her but I don’t claim belonging to a tribe since I didn’t experience living the culture. Just acknowledging her with gratitude 🙏🏼🕊️💙"

**
95. @
tknows470
"Today I learned FBA and ADOS exist. You have every right to be here, and I’m glad you are speaking out and sharing your story and your family history. Your story MATTERS. I was glad to see you display a bit of righteous indignation at the ignorant comments. Bravo, Danielle! ❤"

**
96. @jcortese3300
"The dude who said "ain't no white folks in my family" seriously needs to take a DNA test."

**
Reply
97. @tg8000
"He's in for a rude awakening if he is a true FBA. I'm even considered an afro latina on top of other things. FBAs are a different ethnogenetic group. It is truly a lineage. Most of the blks in the US are 1st, 2nd or 3rd descendents of carribean or african families. So he may not have any wyte ancestors, and that's ok."

**
Reply
98. @komickazetoons3992
"If it got out that whites in this country had some black dna and blacks had some white dna than maybe we could move past race here in America"

**
Reply
99. @MerlotBaby
"
They don't have whites in their immediate or close extended family is what they mean. Many FBA know we have white ancestors or share a very insignificant amount of DNA with some white ppl lol."

**
Reply
100. @PhilCherry3
"Many of my family members would say exactly what that man said. “Ain’t no White folks in our family!”  But they have never explored their family’s lineage past maybe the great-grandparents level. But I’m in year twenty of my exhaustive research into the various branches of my family tree.  I have found branches that were lost to our collective knowledge of our family history or were never known to begin with.  Through those lines I have met several White cousins who didn’t know they were anything less than 100% White until their DNA results were revealed.  Many of these cousins had been put up for adoption by their White mothers when they were born.  Many of these events took place in major cities as one of the byproducts of the Great Migration.  In all cases these cousins had been raised with a White identity.  I now know better and will not say, “Ain’t no White people in our family.” "

**
Reply
101. @the_wb
"Many FBA have a white branch in their genealogy.  But that don't make us white.

Her family white now but a few generations ago one side of her family was not.

So if her even had any questions why she was drawn to anything culturally blk and loving it. It was that ancestral spirit in her bloodline.  Yall hatin on her learning who she is."

**
Reply
102. @Arkansas223
"Not all FBAs have white DNA, slave owners didn’t rape everyone & not everyone was a slave, and some of us are in small towns in Arkansas never mixed & never moved since slavery ended."

**
Reply
103. @the_wb
"@Arkansas223  that's 💯 % correct.  But we do tend to overly simply it to explain it, as we know the depth of our lineage is American history itself."

**
104.@Below-Average_Joe
"Hey Danielle, FBA person here. I enjoy your channel and no one has the right to tell you not to acknowledge your ancestors. I have had a DNA test twice and I am 85% African, 3% Native American, 12% White. Physically, I look like a dark skinned FBA with kinky hair. I am not trying to claim whiteness or an Indigenous identity, but the facts of my origin are what they are."

**
105. @mrkellycottle4592
"I am an American Black male. I applaud your channel. This is so important. Slavery and Race in America is very complicated. There are so many uncomfortable truths about race that most people don’t understand or want to understand. Your family history isn’t unique to just you and more people need to learn that. Thank you 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾"

**
Reply
106. @JCSAXON
"So they’d deny your children of ancestral connection. It’s another wave of bigotry. Don’t let ‘em grind a ya down. Your research is invaluable ❤✨"

**
Reply
107. @BabyRaye411
"Girl,  you do not have to explain yourself.  That is your blood, your story. SPEAK YOUR TRUTH!!!!!  No one can tell you who you are!!!!  Much love!   I am black ...... are they the black police.....they only have power if you give it to them.  Keep going girl!!!!"

**
Reply
108. @tracyclark7560
"good point, do not give your power away.  Speak what is yours and what you know and what you've found.  End of download."

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Young African American Girls Add Roblox's Dress To Impress "Pose 28" & JoJo Siwa's "Karma" Dance Move To Their "Attitude. Now Walk Off" Challenge


 

@grey'sworld, June 28, 2024 

****

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on the TikTok and YouTube challenge trend that is known as "Attitude. Now Walk Off" or similar titles.

This post 
showcases a video example of "Attitude. Now Walk Off" from the popular children's YouTube channel "Grey's World".

This post also presents selected comments from that video's discussion thread that refer to the "Attitudes. Now Walk Off"  challenge and/or the addition of "Dress to Impress"'s pose 28 and/or Jo Jo Siwa's :Karma" dance move. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/04/what-attitude-really-means-in-tiktok.html for Part II of this pancocojams series.That post presents some history of the "Attitude. Now Walk Off" challenge including information about the Jun 11, 2024 YouTube video of that trend that I have found that is the earliest example that I've found. That post also includes a Google Results description of that challenge, my description of how that challenge was/is originally performed, and my description of adapted/variant forms of that challenge.

In addition, that pancocojams post also presents my explanations about what the word "attitude" really means in the TikTok or YouTube challenge video challenges that are known as "Attitude. Now Walk off" or similar titles. That information is presented along with the date and description of the earliest example of this trend.

Furthermore, that post presents a few video examples of body gestures that may be associated with African American females' "attitude". Those examples are from stomp and shake cheerleading, majorette dance battles, or the "Attitude. Now Walk Off" challenge itself

The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Grey Skye Evans and all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. 

****

INFORMATION ABOUT GREY'S WORLD

[as of April 1, 2025 at 10:41 AM EDT]
  
From https://www.youtube.com/@ThisisGreysWorld

"Description

My name is Grey! I'm 10 and I loveeee dancing! Make sure you like and subscribe!

[...]

United States

Joined Oct 4, 2016

3.75M subscribers"

-snip-
This channel features Grey Skye Evans, an African American elementary school age girl and a few other African American girls around the same age. In addition to Grey, the two other girls who are specifically named in this video's comments are Grey's sister Phoenix (Phe Phe) and their friend Bella.

This channel has a large worldwide fan base which appears to mostly consist of children and pre-teens. Some of the commenters in this video's discussion thread made mistakes with their sentence structure and didn't correctly use examples of African American Vernacular English. Besides English, a number of comments in this video's discussion thread were in French, Spanish, and a few other languages. I specifically noticed two comments from a boy from the French speaking West African nation of Togo. There were also comments in this video's discussion thread from Ghana and South Africa.

A number of the commenters in this video's discussion thread complimented Grey's physical appearance, told Grey that they loved her, and/or asked Grey to be their friend. Some commenters also asked Grey to come visit them and shared what teenagers and adults would consider to be vague and incomplete details about where they lived. 


The total # of views for this video (as of April 2, 2025 at 10:52 AM EDT) = 143,467,316.

The total # of comments for this video (as of April 2, 2025 at 10:52 AM EDT) =  2,792.

****
Click  https://youtube.com/shorts/Zv2LfLof_mc?si=H5cdg4QcfckMm-Sj, @besperon, Apr 5, 2024 for a link to Jojo Siwa - Karma (Dance Cover) #jojosiwa #musicvideo. 
WARNING-  This video still includes the one word profanity that is part of that song's lyrics. However, it doesn't include other aspects of JoJo Siwa's official videos that may be considered problematic for children and young teens.  

Also, click https://youtube.com/shorts/Vkp6uzB46KU?si=nec4SZjHOzO0n8_K @Glowwithrose14, September 8, 2024 for a YouTube video short of Roblox's "Dress To Impress" Pose 28.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES ABOUT THIS VIDEO
In Part I of this pancocojams series, I wrote that, generally speaking, there are two different ways to perform (play) the "Attitude. Now Walk Off" challenge"

1. The original way of performing this challenge in which participants use certain body gestures and/or certain facial expressions to create their best version of the stereotypical angry, sassy, aggressive African American (Black) woman. On the command "Now walk off", the participants walk or strut or switch out of the sight of the camera. 

or

2. Adapted (variant) forms in which participants use their turn to showcase creative and dramatic runway models'/dancers' poses or moves. These participants' walk off can also be dramatic dance or walking moves.  

****
Grey's World's depiction of "Attitude. Now Walk" is a combination of the original way and the adapted way of performing that challenge.   

Notice that a few commenters such as comment #16 in this pancocojams compilation, refer to Dress To Impress's Pose 28 and/or the JoJo Siwa dance as an "attitude":

This suggests that these commenters who are probably children to young teens (which I believe is the targeted age groups of Grey's World YouTube channel) don't understand what "attitude" means in this challenge.(My guess is that many adults also aren't sure what "attitude" means in the context of this internet challenge.)

In contrast, based on that subject matter in that video's discussion thread, it's clear Pose 28 from Roblox's "Dress to Impress" and a dance move from Pop singer JoJo Siwa's "Karma" were very familiar to this video's commenters. Those additions were generally quite well received by the majority of  that discussion thread's commenters as documented by some selected comments that are quoted in this pancocojams post.
 
****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS SHOWCASED VIDEO

https://youtube.com/shorts/AJUjcBD0k9g?si=YszJwZ6WLFw6v3Rn Attitude 😂😂 #shorts #greysworld @ThisisGreysWorld,  Jun 28, 2024

These comments were published from June 2024 through April 1. 2025. Most of these comments are given in relative chronological order with the oldest dated comments presented first.

I assigned numbers to these comments for referencing purposes only. I also added brief notes after a few of these comments.

****

1.@yaybrown2099
"The first one gray yes queen"

**
Reply
2.@VoldyLourena
"But grey in the end 😂😂"

**
Reply
3.  @Aubrey-o4l
"@yaybrown2099 she was at the end too she went again 😂"

**
Reply
4. @flyohmyhollyy3758
"she did the jojo dance lol so cute"

**
5. @AbbyDownard
"Grey And phe are SO FUNNY😂😂😂"

**
6. 
@Leahworld22
"Not Phoenix doing the karma😂😂 but all of y’all ate though especially grey at the end she act like dress to impress (edit it)"

**
Reply
7. @KamrenDill
"GREY HIT DAT 28 POSE: Don’t forgot I did see phe hit dat karma dance"

**
8. @henrynico268
"Phe I can’t with the way she walk😂😂😂

 

Edit: the “oh😑…” got me ded 🗿"

**
9. @Tiffanie-k8p
"Attitude walk off gone wrong😂"

**

10. @MELANIE_FAN_FOREVER13
"The second one made me laugh 😂😂 she my fav😂😂"

**
Reply
11.@rebekahandrachelavenger2952
"
But phe is too young to wach that video  do you know what is in that video"
-snip-
This comment refers to JoJo Siwa's "Karma" song/video

**
Reply
12.@Leahworld22
"
 @rebekahandrachelavenger2952  we don’t know why she watching it but they’re just kids let them have fun"

**
13. @Unicorn_power123
"Bro was doing the dress to impress"
-snip-
Read my comment in this pancocojams post's discussion section below about how the word  "bro" is used in this particular comment and in some other examples from this Grey's World's video discussion thread.  

**

14.@Exsternal-f9m
"Bro grey had pose 28 on at the end and she had the summer update clothes from dti 😭😭😭😭"

**

15.@ZozibiniMaloni
"Don't give me that atitude 😂❤"
-snip-
This is a common saying that an adult might say to a child who is "giving" ("showing") negative attitude.

**
16.@nataliedelvalle5271
"At the end she did the dress to press Attitude😂😂"
-snip-
This comment suggests that that commenter (and probably others) didn't understand what "Attitude" meant in that video.

Read my notes in Part I of this pancocojams series.

**
17..@gloriaowusu2497
"Not grey doing dress to impress move on roblox ❤❤❤ 😂😂😂😂"

**
18.@robertbrullo5422
"The first one looks like a bully

**
19.@Davidbonamy-k5x
"How did dress to impress get into this😂"

does it

LETZ GOOO
-snip-
The bold font was used in the original comment.

** 

21.@SerenaOropeza
"Wh
y you doing like a Roblox😂😂😂😂❤🎉"

**
22. @Exsternal-f9m
"Bro grey had pose 28 on at the end and she had the summer update clothes from dti 😭😭😭😭

**
23.
@hannasvibes-vv2mx
"The second one is being Jojo lol"

**
24. @FROG_GIRL01
"
Girl really did talk

To the hand cuz the face ain’t listening💀💀💀💀"
-snip-
This comment refers to the "Talk to the hand" gesture. That gesture originated among African Americans in the 1990s.

**
25.
7. @lindahenderson7795
"Bogey💀"
-snip-
"Bogie" is probably a mis-spelling of the African American Vernacular English word "bougie" (pronounced BOO-gee). This comment and its accompanying emoji means that the commenter didn't like this video. "Bougie" is an adjective that putdowns a person who thinks and acts like they are better (higher class, ritzy) than other people. One opposite of  "bougie" is "ghetto". Neither of these adjectives should be used as they could cause a fight. 

**

26. @Jeany3466
"When I play dress to impress i always do the iconic pose 28 i do it in freeplay mode to this is to funny the way she spammed it like ppl do in dti she just said pose 28 i love is ❤❤🎉🎉"

**
27.@beatricejohn6114
"GREY IS THE BEST"

**
28. 
@anyalysejohnson4958
"
DRESS TO IMPRESS GREYY YASSS"

**
29. @Jalenandlatoya
"I do  this with my friends at school at recess so much I wish I met you"

**
30. @FROG_GIRL01
"Bro did the karma dance"

**
31. @TameikaFegans
"NOT THE POSE 28 IN DTI ON ROBLOX😂😂😂😂😂"

 **
32.
 @BlackQueen-x4c
"bru they doing 28pose in dress to impress"

**
33. @stacypike5181
"Sobbing on how there good attitude is."
-snip-
I believe this sentence would be written this way in standard English:
"[I'm] sobbing because their attitude [performance] is so good."

The word "sobbing" here may be like the saying "crying tears of joy."

**
34. @ShalonLoveherfan123
"
Not the karma dance and how she said ohh.."

**
35. @flyohmyhollyy3758
"she did the jojo dance lol so cute"

**
36. @Jeany3466
"When I play dress to impress i always do the iconic pose 28 i do it in freeplay mode to this is to funny the way she spammed it like ppl do in dti she just said pose 28 i love is ❤❤🎉🎉"

**
37. @NosiphiweDuru
"
The last attitude so funny😂😂"

**
38. @SerenaOropeza
"
Why you doing like a Roblox😂😂😂😂❤🎉"

**
39.
@nataliedelvalle5271
"At the end she did the dress to press Attitude😂😂"

**
40. @BunmiIshmael
"POSE 28 IS EVERYTHING"

**
41. @watayachangachirwa5963
"Does she play dti? btw dti means dres to impress ❤"

**
42. 
@Nia-c6q
"😂 bro, started doing the JoJo Siwa dance"
-snip-
This is the way this comment was written in that discussion thread. Read my note after comment #13 above.

**
43. @Ayo649
"
NOT THE JOJO SIWA AND POSE 28 😭😭😭✋✋"

**
44. @vhanjulyesguerra6176
"Dress to impress HAHA"

**
45. @DamilareShoyoola-wt1sf
"
Grey at the end was very funny OMG can't stop laughing 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂"

**
46. 
@Mee-ri4lx
"phoenix was gonna do pose 28 but she did     karma and LoL grey did pose 28 LoL 😂😂😂😂"

**
47. 
@Bellasilly14
"Second one is giving Jojo siwa vibes😅"

**
48. @
Jalenandlatoya
"I do  this with my friends at school at recess so much I wish I met you"

**
49. @dyergirlsgang8455
"Do attitude grown-up
-snip-
In English the adjective comes before the noun. Therefore, the sentence would be "Do the grown-up attitude.

I wonder if this commenter is referring to the aggressive body gesture and facial expressions that stereotypes Black females as "the grown up attitude". I'm glad that some of these girls didn't do that when it was their turn in the spotlight. 

**

50. @riskrich5748
"Am afraid of the first one 😅😅😅"

**
51. 
@AllJustMoon
"Am I the only girl who does not play dress to impress 😂"

**
52.
@Kailani-su6kl
"Grey I love your you are Roblox character cuz I saw it and I love your videos too and okay girl you and Phoenix are you cute and yeah bye and I love how you did that attitude thinking"

**
53. @EmmikaWalton
"She hit sum pose 28"
-snip-
"Hit [add the name of a particular dance] " means to start doing that dance. This word probably coms from the African American Vernacular English saying "to hit the dance floor",  meaning to go onto the dance floor". However, maybe that saying came from dancers hitting the floor hard with their feet (i.e. to be serious and not timid in how people danced.

**
54. @itzelgomezroblero9647
"The pose 28 got me rolling on the floor"
-snip-
In the context of this comment, "rolling on the floor" here means "laughing a lot ".

**
55. @ThisisChetanna
"
omg phoenix the karma dance jojo siwa is coming for you"

**
56. @shirleyfulton4115
"Pose 28 go crazy ☠️"

**
57. 
@Jennifer-tj6
"
Nahhh the second one was MJ(Micheal Jackson) for a second but she so cute an she slayed"

**
58. @Malia-ix1qv
"
Not the jojo siwa+pose 28 combo"

**
59. @bettylovesanime
"Gray is like I'm not doing attitude again already did attitude so I'm just do pose 28 from dress to impress"

**
60. @BerryAmes
"
That’s what I’d be doing when I get hyped"

**
61. @Drama_queenheree
"
Not they pose 28 😭🤚🏻 they alll slayedddd . PERIODDDD GURLSS"

**
62. @andemcgraw
"
These attitudes Period"
-snip-
The word "Period" at the end of that comment and other comments in that discussion thread means that there's nothing more that needs to be said. This can mean that hat was done (in this case those attitude performances) can't be improved upon.

My guess is that in this context, the word "period" means the same thing as "mic drop".

**
63. @LuvlyZyzy
"Nah number 7 understood the assignment

 

Also the "Attitude" "Ooo ok no problem walk off" got me Rollin 😂😂"

**
64. @karenjupiter-edmund3287
"I can't stop cringing😅"
-snip-
I added this comment to represent the fact that a few of the commenters in this discussion thread didn't like Grey's World's version of "Attitude. Now Walk Off". 

**
65.@EmmikaWalton
"She did pose 28 that got me dead laughing 😂😂😂😂"

**
66.@AnnDunn-w1b
"
The first one was really good"

**
67.  @user-alvin93
"The first one was the best ❤❤"

**
68. @BryanKepdib
"
Les filles vous avez fait fort 😂😂😂😂"
-snip-
Google translate from French to English:

"Girls, you did well 😂😂😂😂"
-snip-
There were a few other comments in French (including one comment from a person who indicated that they live in Togo which is a French speaking country in West Africa.) There were also a few comments in Spanish as well as a few other comments in other languages besides English.  

**
69.
 @dominiquelewis1182
"Post 28 is my favourite pose in DTI😂😂😂"

**
70.
@immasigma
"Not at the end doing a pose from dress to impress😂❤"

**
71. @SaraKadezabek-wu3jw
"I think the 1st 1 was a better than all the ones"

**
72. @lady_k8790
"Aditude then walk off 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 the last one 😂😂😂😂😂 and the first one 😂😂😂"

**
73. @Lillian-c1e
"
The first one knows it nicely 👌"

**
74. @bettylovesanime
"
Gray is like I'm not doing attitude again already did attitude so I'm just do pose 28 from dress to impress"

**
75. 
@Mistysback4857
"They all slayed but Grey's hair and her second pose at the the end, and the moms concerned "oh" "

**
76. @EvaaniAinstin
"Grey did the dress to impress pose 28

(You have to like my comment if you play dress to impress)"
-snip-
This comment had 11 likes a
s of March 31, 2025 at 9:45 PM EDT

**
77. 
@LuvlyZyzy
"
Not the second girl doing pose 28 as she's walking also Grey😂"

**
Reply
78. 
@MunachisoOnovo
"She has a name, it's Phoenix.😒"

**
Reply
79. 
@Namronchannel
"@MunachisoOnovo its not that deep"

**
80..@LakenyaBLANCHARD-e5u
"Y'all all ateee and left no crumbs  period slay girls"

**
81. @KamrenDill
"GREY HIT DAT 28 POSE: Don’t forgot I did see phe hit dat karma dance"

**
82. @GurmanpreetKaur-p5l
"The pose 28 killed me😂"

**
83. @Coolgirl-m3w
"All ya ate😂❤ Bella was really showing that attitude😂❤"

**
84. @AshekieRicketts
"Lol looks like they are having fun ❤❤️"

**
85. 
@jarettamonger
"Girl you slay"

**
86. @andemcgraw
"
Grey and Bella ATE this"

**
87. @higiniocabrera8529
"
My friend was doing this"

** 
88. @РозаМамытова-ж7э
"Жинди.  😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂"
-snip
Google translate from Kyrgyz to English: "Crazy"

**
Reply
89. @user-hs4mf2hi8x
"
Nah the first one is crazy fr"

**
90. 
@Jennell-g6r
"Bella look like she is going to fight someone 😅"

**
91. @priyabhardwajhhbnpnkl
"Pose 28 period slay baddies"

**
92. @Khanyokuhlle
"
Me and my sister and my friend we always try this and she said I said attitude and she said I’m sorry what she said I said attitude and she said OK and then she she she turns her hair and it was like so weird"

**
93. @rolandarobert428
"Grey at the end is ding pose 28 from dress to impress and she was like Attitude. And walk of oh"

**
94. @TITOCED-hc3hb
"Pov:dress to impress😅😂"

**
95. @TTkhyperLive
"
Nahh there to young for attitude😂😂"

**
96. @given6372
"
That was super funny😂 I love your videos😊"

**
97. 
@TristanPhillips-z7o
"I do not know pose 28 was coming up grey😂😂"

**
98. 
@SoereshKalidien
"Are they in dti

bro just dit pose 28"
-snip-
"dit" is a typo for "hit".

**
99. NaomiSimmons-ds7qv
"SEND HELP😭💀 THE POES 28😢😢😢😢😢"
-snip-
"POES" is a typo for "Pose"

**
100. @NeslyNoel-qy5es
"
Hi I'm a big fan of you and I like your dance"

****
This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

What "Attitude" REALLY Means In The TikTok / YouTube Video Challenge Known As "Attitude. Now Walk Off"

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision - April 2, 2025

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on the TikTok and YouTube challenge trend that is known as "Attitude.  Now Walk Off" or similar titles.

This post presents some history of the "Attitude. Now Walk Off" challenge including information about the Jun 11, 2024 YouTube video of that trend that I have found that is the earliest example that I've found. This post also includes a Google Results description of that challenge, my description of how that challenge was/is originally performed, and my description of adapted/variant forms of that challenge.

In addition, this pancocojams post also presents my explanations about what the word "attitude" really means in the TikTok or YouTube challenge video challenges that are known as "Attitude. Now Walk off" or similar titles. This information is presented along with the date and description of the earliest example of this trend.

Furthermore, this post presents a few video examples of body gestures that may be associated with African American females' "attitude". These examples are from stomp and shake cheerleading, majorette dance battles, or the "Attitude. Now Walk Off" challenge itself.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/04/young-african-american-girls-add.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a video example of "Attitude. Now Walk Off" from the popular children's YouTube channel "Grey's World". This post also presents selected comments from that video's discussion thread that refer to the "Attitudes. Now Walk Off"  challenge and/or the addition of "Dress to Impress"'s pose 28 and/or Jo Jo Siwa's :Karma" dance move. 
  
The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. 

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GOOGLE RESULTS FOR THE QUESTION: "WHAT IS  THE ATTITUDE. WALK OFF CHALLENGE (April 2, 2025)
"
The "Attitude Now, Walk Off" challenge is a social media trend where participants express an attitude or make a statement, then abruptly walk away.

Here's a breakdown:

The Concept:

The challenge involves someone expressing an attitude or making a statement, often with a confident or sassy demeanor, and then immediately walking away, as if they're done with the situation or person.

Variations:

The "attitude" part can be anything from a sassy remark to a confident pose, and the "walk off" can be a quick exit or a more dramatic departure.

Popularity:

The challenge gained traction on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, with users creating videos showcasing their "Attitude Now, Walk Off" moments.

This video demonstrates the "Attitude Now Walk Off" challenge:

[The video that is embedded in that Google Results entry is the "Give me attitude challenge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLyyXXDmQ84 The Tia Bee Stokes 🌺 choosing happy, Aug 4, 2024 Attitude.. now walk off‼️ WHO ATE?? Tell me in the comments🤣" -snip- The participants in that video's challenge followed the original description of that challenge (as given above in this pancocojams post. WARNING: One woman made the stick out her middle finger gesture ("flipped the bird" with both hands) while walking away. -snip-
I believe that it's important to document that the earliest videos that I have found for the "Attitude. Walk off" challenges consist of young African American girls or young African American women. The selection of a video of young White women to represent this challenge presents a false narrative of this cultural activity and is a continuation of the "White people as default" representation that is ubiquitous in American and other Western cultures.    

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MY EXPLANATIONS ABOUT WHAT "ATTITUDE" MEANS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE TIKTOK & YOUTUBE CHALLENGE "ATTITUDE. NOW WALK OFF"
"Attitude. Now Walk Off (and similar titles) are lightly competitive, fun internet videos in which (usually female participants take their turn standing in front of an unseen camera and responding to a person's "[Attitude. Now walk off" commands. The word "attitude" is an abbreviation of the words "Give" (or "Show") attitude. 

Each participant has an equal length of time to respond to those commands. The camera records how the participants' demonstrate their "Attitude" and how the participant walks off.

These individual performances occur immediately one after another without any audience or without any audience responses such as applause. However, in a few videos, appreciative comments are heard during or at the conclusion of some participants' turn.

No formal winners are determined at the completion of this challenge. Commenters writing in the discussion thread for those videos share who they think won the challenge and/or rank the participants on a scale of one through ten, with ten being the highest. Commenters may or may not share why they chose that participant as the winner. Some commenters may declare a participant to be the winner because they are "stans" (serious fans) of that participant. Some commenters may (also) use certain criteria to select who they believe won that challenge. Criteria may include which "attitude" and "walk off" is the best because of its authenticity (i.e. its adherence to stereotyped "angry/sassy Black woman trope), and/or most skillfully performed, and/or most creative, and/or most dramatic. 

The Original Description Of The "Attitude. Now Walk Off' Challenge 
Generally speaking, there are two different ways of performing (playing) the "Attitude. Now Walk Off" challenge: The original way and the adapted version.
 
The original way of performing "Attitude. Now Walk Off" challenge consist of the participants taking turns in front of an unseen camera and responding to the camera person's "Attitude" command by silently performing a specific body gesture or gestures and/or a certain facial expression or expressions and then immediately walking (or strutting) away. These body gestures/facial expressions were supposed to be associated with the stereotypical image of "the angry, sassy Black (African American) female. Less often, participants say some taunting words, or self-bragging statement. This usually occurs/occurred as the participant was walking off 9strutting or switching) away from the camera's view.

Adapted Versions Of The "Attitude. Now Walk Off' Challenge  
Adapted versions (variant forms) of the "Attitude. Now Walk Off Challenges consist of participants taking turns in front of an unseen camera and responding to the camera person's "Attitude" command by silently dramatically posing in place like a model or performing some brief creative dance move. The participant responds to the camera person's "Walk off" command by dancing off, strutting away, or performing some other creative movement that takes them away from the camera's view.

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THE ORIGINAL MEANING OF THE WORD "ATTITUDE" IN "ATTITUDE. NOW WALK OFF" CHALLENGES 
Here's some information about this meaning of the word "attitude"

General Definition Of The Word "Attitude". 

https://www.dictionary.com

noun [2 of 4 meanings]

-manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind:

a negative attitude; group attitudes.

-position or posture of the body appropriate to or expressive of an action, emotion, etc.:

a threatening attitude; a relaxed attitude."...

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GOOGLE RESULTS FOR THE QUESTION "WHAT DOES "HAVING AN ATTITUDE MEAN?" (retrieved March 30, 2025)
"What does it mean if someone has an attitude?

AI Overview

When someone is said to "have an attitude," it generally means they exhibit a negative, often aggressive or uncooperative, behavior or demeanor, suggesting they are difficult to deal with or unwilling to be helpful or polite.

Here's a more detailed explanation:

Negative or Disagreeable:

The phrase often implies a person is consistently negative, difficult to please, or generally disagreeable.

Unwilling to be Helpful:

Someone with an attitude might be perceived as unwilling to cooperate, assist, or be polite.

Aggressive or Confrontational:

It can also suggest a person is confrontational, argumentative, or even aggressive in their interactions.

Lack of Respect:

The expression can also indicate a lack of respect for others or a disregard for their opinions.

Cocky or Haughty:

In some contexts, "having an attitude" might mean someone is acting overly confident, arrogant, or haughty"

****
"ATTITUDE" AS PART OF THE STEREOTYPICAL "ANGRY/SASSY BLACK WOMEN" TROPE
"Sassy" is often used as a synonym for Black (African American) females.

Here's an excerpt from https://stanforddaily.com/2018/02/15/the-sassy-black-girl-no-more/ The ‘sassy black girl’ no more" Opinion by Natachi Onwuamaegbu, Feb. 15, 2018.

..."Webster defines “sassy” in a few different ways; their primary definition is “impudent, vigorous and lively.” While this might be the prominent connotation, Webster’s second definition found further down the webpage is “having or showing a rude lack of respect.” It’s this definition I think applies to the sassy black girl trope.

The term sassy is not just reserved for black females — it can be used to describe men and women of all ages and races. But there is a connotation of the word that is highly racialized. By grouping all black females under one umbrella of a term–outspoken or not, lively or not–by labeling us all as that “sassy black girl,” you are ridding us of individual personalities. You are dismissing our thoughts and our voices as being out of anger. By labeling our words as sassy, you are reducing our opinions to a trope. Instead of talking, we are always talking back. Our emotions are set aside. Every feeling–anger, sadness, discontent–is sassy. But we are so much more than a single word. We speak up because we are brave enough to. Because in this society that works to silence our voices, we speak up anyway. Black women are beginning to rise, ushering a new wave of voices. …These Black voices are brave because they yell loudly enough that someone hears us. The voices that do escape do not deserve to be dismissed as sassy.

[…]

On top of that, maintaining a sassy persona is a feat in and of itself. A lot of young black girls felt pressure to be that sassy sidekick. The way the media portrays the black woman is flat and one dimensional, consisting of one liners and and dramatic personality flairs. We have no substance, no opinions worth actually taking into account. We are simply the sidekick to the ever so emotionally complex white woman. Our existence is portrayed as a foil–highlighting aspects of others personalities delegating ours  to the sidelines. I ask young black girls to forget that. They are not the side character, they are not the sassy trope, they are not anyone or anything ascribed to them. They are who they want to be."...

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A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF AND THE EARLIEST EXAMPLE THAT I'VE FOUND OF THE "ATTITUDE. WALK OFF" CHALLENGE
"Attitude. Now Walk Off" is an challenge performance that became a somewhat popular trend/meme on TikTok and on YouTube (particularly YouTube video shorts.) . Almost all of the "Attitude.Now Walk Off" videos that I have come across showcase African American girls or African American women. .

"Attitude. Now Walk Off" challenges are labeled as videos that are fun /funny. The participants who are videotaped doing the "challenge" compete with each other (in a light hearted way) to perform the funniest and/or most authentic example of [Black female] attitude. However, that explanation isn't given in any of these videos that I've come across. I've sussed out that explanation based on the similarities these videos have regarding their performers' body gesture/facial expressions as well as the "sassy" taunts or putdowns that a few of the performers make while they are "on camera". Some of the comments that are found in these video's discussion threads also support my belief that the "attitude" portion of this challenge was/is meant to specifically refer to African American female attitude.  

The earliest example of the "Attitude" Walk off" challenge that I've come across is “Attitude Then Walk Out] – Is this the earliest one? published by @thebigefamily Jun 11, 2024 
https://youtube.com/shorts/um_lwYOThyI?si=wYcwYCP3b5SitId3 

{Pancocojams Editor's note- This may not be the earliest internet example of this challenge. However, it's the example with the earliest date that I've come across with extensive searching. 

The Bige Family video showcases that Black (African American) family performing the "Attitude Walk Off" challenge in their home. In the beginning of this video, the father explains the challenge as one in which people rank on a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the highest), who does the best.

The father chats with his wife a bit then says the words "Attitude. Then Walk Off". In the context of this challenge, "attitude" means to show or give your best demonstration of what is stereotypically considered to be Black woman's attitude. "Walk off" means to strut away or otherwise immediately leave that space so that the next person in line can have their turn.

The children range from girls and boys who are elementary school age (the oldest around eight years old) to a pre-school girl. After the last child has her turn, the voice of the mother is heard saying "Attitude. Then Walk Off" to her husband and he is shown doing that challenge.  

This format that has become standard for this challenge: The people performing this challenge stand in a vertical line facing a camera person that isn't shown in the video itself.  One at a time, a person responds to the unseen camera person's command to "[show] attitude" and [then immediately] "walk off". 

In that video (and in almost all of the subsequent video examples of this challenge that I have seen) the "attitude" walk off" performance is done without the person saying anything. However, in a few videos, the person (usually a young girl) whose turn it is to show [or "give"] attitude makes a rude, or confrontational, or self-bragging/putdown to another person remark (or "taunt").

Most of the "Attitude Now Walk Off" videos use the same recorded female voice for the unseen person making those commands. A commenter in the discussion thread for the July 2024 video given as #5 below, wrote that he or she thought that that recording came from that particular video. However, that wasn't confirmed by that video's publisher.

I believe that many of the non-Black examples of this challenge that I've watched showcase women or men who are parodying the body gestures and facial expressions of the stereotypical sassy/angry Black woman or showcase participants performing dancers' or models' dramatic poses/movements. I think this may have been because those White or other non-Black participants "didn't understand the assignment" (i.e. they didn't know what "attitude" was suppose to mean in this challenge.). Unfortunately, I can't publish TikTok videos in this pancocojams post. However, TikTok has a number of examples of non-Black people doing both forms as I've just described  of this "Attitude Now Walk Off" challenge.  
-snip-
*In my opinion, the Bige family's "Attitude. Walk Off" is quite problematic for a number of reasons, the most glaring one [to me] being that a young girl sticks her middle finger up in her "attitude" portion of the challenge and then walks off with both her hands doing the middle finger. A number of commenters in that video discussion thread expressed shock that she did those gestures and wrote that they would have faced severe consequences from their parents if they had done that.

****
A FEW VIDEO EXAMPLES OF THE "HEAD JERK" & "LEAN FORWARD TO INVADE OTHERS' PERSONAL SPACE" GESTURES WITH SOME FACIAL EXPRESSIONS THAT MAY ACCOMPANY THOSE GESTURES 

These videos are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

VIDEO #1 - You Don't Want No Problems, You Just Talk Like You Do!

Courtney Rená, April 15, 2023

The full video of the high school stomp and shake cheer battle at a high school game. Absolutely love these young ladies 💯❤️ This is an example of some body gestures that may be associated with African American "attitude" (from a performance of a stomp and shake bleacher cheer).

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VIDEO #2-  Lady Dawgs x Garfield Gators Termite cheerleaders 



Cheer Mom Dance Mom Videographer, Oct 10, 2024 [Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
-snip- This is an example of some body gestures that may be associated with African American "attitude" (from a stomp and shake cheer battle). **** VIDEO #3 - Bring It!: Call-Out Battle: Jackson Dolls vs. Birmingham Dolls (Season 4, Episode 7) | Lifetime

.-snip- This is an example of some body gestures that may be associated with African American "attitude" (from a majorette dance battle). **** VIDEO #4 - HER FACE SAID IT ALL... like "NEXT"!!! #dance #majorette #tumble




@PolabearRed, February 24, 2024
.-snip- This is an example of some body gestures & facial expressions that may be associated with African American "attitude" (from a majorette dance battle).

**** VIDEO #5 - Student estheticians ATTITUDE… WALK OFF @SAGINAWDANCESHOW, July 25, 2024 **** VIDEO #6 - Attitude now walk off! #shortsvideo #funnymomment
Jeffersonfamilyofficial, September 16, 2024

**** ADDENDUM -
Angry Black Woman | Black Women | One Word | Cut


Cut, Mar 21, 2016
-snip- Read the comments in this video's discussion thread for different opinions about this subject. **** This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.

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