ALL THOUGH WE MOVED FORWARD, SEEMS AS IF WE ARE MOVING BACKWARDS! WHERE IS THE JUSTICE IN THAT? OR IS IT JUST US?

I was born in the year of 1966, December. I unfortunately missed Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. fighting for equality. I missed the Watts Race riots. I missed the Jim Crow laws that seemed to have been in existence for many many years. I missed the club era where some matched your skin to a paper bag. That was how you were determined if you could get in or not. I missed out on the silly rhetoric of prejudice on our own culture! Not liking someone because they are too dark or too fair in skin tone! Ridiculous! Now for the record this has nothing to do with what men and women are attracted to men who are of darker complexion, and you are of fair complexion. That is your choice. This goes deeper...much deeper.....

This small minded thinking between us as a unit is absurd! How can we expect other cultures to accept us, respect us if we are thinking in this manner? Why is their prejudice against “black people?” Why?? What did this class of race do to anyone to be treated as if we were bottom feeders? That we don't bathe, we are scavengers? We did nothing but provide free labor and were beaten, raped, molested by our fathers who raped our mothers. We were torn apart from our families. Removed from our original homes by force. Treated as if we had no soul. So how do you hate us?

I can imagine the hate mail and death threats the President receives because he is a black man! I cannot fathom it at all! The many people who loath and detest the ground he walks on. So what we have a black president! Has that made too many changes for African American people? On one hand yes, we have made some wonderful strides. But why does it have to be the progression of colored, black people, so innately called African Americans. Why are we not just “people”? A people of a different ethnic or cultural background? Is there not poor, criminally insane, disenfranchised, rich, intelligent, make bad mistakes in all races? One culture or race is not worse than the other. There are jails, prisons and insane asylums, ghettos all over the world. Those who are dying of cancer, AIDS or other health issues. Not one particular group of “people” endure tragedies or misfortunes. Yet we, or some I should say focus on African American.

Though it has never stopped, but don't you find it funny (not in the ha ha way) that since Obama has reigned in office that more and more police brutality's are now and have come to the surface? That we are now seeing more and more videos of police brutality against African Americans. Now placed on the forefront of the world, African Americans were now placed center stage! Rather it was good or bad. Unbeknownst to many of us. We were all being looked at just as our new President, Obama. By the way, the beatings of police brutality had never stopped against African Americans. It was always there!

There was an invisible precedence that was set before us. We were expected to straighten up and fly right. Speak, educate, walk, talk, live, perform at a high level. The pressure was now on! If this group, this race made a mistake it was put on the front burner. (more than ever) If Obama did something wrong, said something wrong, didn't rise to the occasion he was belittled and thrown so many curves of hard retribution. Yes! Of course other Presidents were thrown under the bus and ridiculed when they had said, done or didn't do what was right in the eyes of media and the residents of the United States. Look how many tried over and over and over non-stop to find something negative about this brilliant man President Obama! Wow!! Such hate and disdain! Like some political officials so much has been found in their background that brought public shame. No children outside of his marriage, drugs, affairs with men nor women. Nothing! Yet they still pursue to throw this man under the bus and place him under the microscope. Again, not that other Presidents had not gone through public persecution. Because I'm black! That is why the headhunters continue to bash and bash over and over. How do you clean up someones else's mess from the past eight years? Can we at least give this man a standing ovation?

There is still to this day a lot of prejudice against a people here in America that is uncalled for. Yes there were immigrants that came from all over to America. The Statue of Liberty says, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Was this for everyone? I mean really??? I guess not us...we were not or ever considered to be immigrants. We were here already. The funny thing is, or was. When the immigrants gotten to New York they lived in the same ghettos and slums as “colored” people at that time. However, while prejudice existed. These immigrants or new settlers were able to start business' and move on and forward while black people were still fighting for equal rights, good jobs, better housing, to be able to live and go where ever they wanted to. Not looked upon as dirty, unintelligent or unworthy. I mean we have proved over and over and over we are worthy of such praise and host a bevy of talents and intelligence. I mean look at how we are copied by so much of what we do and have accomplished. Again, all of our witty inventions, music, fashion and more have been duplicated.

I cannot tell you the many stories I have heard from my mother and father how they were discriminated against. How I have made sure, I mean by not dressing, speaking, hanging or being around “those” who did the wrong thing or said the wrong thing. Why? Because I didn't want to be categorized and classified as such. I fought in my own way to sharpen my own edges. I loath the embarrassing things my culture did and said. Feeling they were saying to the masses, “We are exactly what you said we we are.” How they were portrayed in the media and to society. I still to this day loath and detest placing people in categories!!! I say it allll the time! I stick to it! How is one to fight mentally, goals, dreams and adversities because of the pain, hurt and struggle not to be like “Them”? A question that I struggle with....the shame I feel for my people. Though I come from a diverse background of ethnicity's. I don't believe that one person who is African American can wholly say their background is 100% pure. But when I hear stories of my father speaking on racism and diversity in how he was raised. His family members turning their backs on him because they were now “passing” because they wanted a better life. It is indeed so sad to hear. While my mother and her side of the family didn't embrace their diversity and take to it as unkindly as my fathers side. My mother recalls meeting relatives that she thought were “white” her own mother not being pure. Her mother appearing to be “Indian” some doctors have said. Having straight hair that reached her knees and a light caramel complexion. Who was one generation from slavery and was a sharecropper. Along with her father who was full blooded Black Indian, but was called a “nigga” All because at that time Indians, colored people were considered the bottom of the barrel. So they took to one another. They embraced the hardships together and mixed the races.

It is so hurtful that still in 2015 black people, colored people, African American people are looked at in disdain! Like some ugly cancer you can't get rid of. That some are still beaten, hated, and detested for who they are. That when going on interviews, traveling, looking for a house or buying a car or still frowned upon. That no matter how many of African American people are successful. We are all still categorized as bottom feeders. The NYLTH, (niggas you love to hate) That now me, living in the south, I still see and feel the incredulous looks of prejudice. From some of the whites that so happen to see me in all my glory, say, “I love the way you dress! I love your look! I don't see many that dress like you or speak.” Or my name, when I go on interviews. They are expecting a “white” female or some have told me outright. They thought I was from an Asian background. That is until they see me! I scoff at this! Not that I have any prejudices at all! None! And I say again, are we not all trying to make it from day to day? Are we all not trying to keep a roof over our heads, eat, vacation, hang out here and there? Wanting love? It seems we all “want the pursuit of happiness” which is never ending.

I do have some answers, I truly do. But that would make this a book, and not a blog. To me it's just like Christianity, many people loath and detest Christians. From Ceaser till now, not one religion is put down more than this one. Isn't t funny that the apostles and Jesus were men of color as well? Come on! You had to know this! He was born in a region of the country where people were “colored” just like us!

Toy High