If You Don't Do This...You're Not Black.

If you don’t do this, You’re Not Black.

This is something I heard a lot growing up, especially at school. Black kids didn’t want to be around me because I spoke too well, was too kind or weak, had a white family.

Not black enough.

Disqualified from participating in the black community due to cultural nonconformity. That’s me putting it nicely.

Now growing up, I was well aware that I was black. My adoptive mom (who happens to be “white”) was an educator and pre-K teacher. So I learned all kinds of incredible things about black history, culture, music and art.

I didn’t have a problem with being black for the most part. I knew that I probably had slaves in my background and had ancestors that struggled under Jim Crow. But all that was in the past. It didn’t have any bearing on who I was presently.

Why? I believed that I was living under the blessings of the Civil Rights Acts, and other acts that made me a full American citizen with all the social, economic and cultural rights that came with it. My skin color was not something that would hold me back.

I was inspired by the likes of Booker T. Washington, The Tuskegee Airmen and plenty of others that showed that you can do great things despite your skin color and the pressures that others put on you because of it.

With the freedoms and liberties I had, I saw myself as being without excuse. My ancestors went through far worse than I could even imagine.

So I was confused when I almost, constantly heard black kids say things like “White people are to blame for this” or “White people are racist” or “I can’t do X because of the racism from white people”.

Now, if this was the mid 20th century or earlier, that was true. But we’re in the 21st century now.

That’s not to say that that there’s no racism at all because there is. Is it at the levels from the past? I’m not sure. But I’d lean towards no. At least in the United States. From the rhetoric that comes from certain politicians like Democrat representative Jasmine Crockett and others, you’d think blacks were getting lynched in every neighborhood.

The definition of racism is very simple. Merriam-Webster apparently has 2 definitions split into FOUR different parts. So I’ll give you the first one:

Racism: a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

You need to have two things in order for racism to work.

1. You need to see humanity as broken into multiple races rather than ONE human race.

2. You need to believe that “racial” differences mean either superiority or inferiority.

Don’t believe in these two things? Great. You are not a racist.

The words racism and discrimination go hand in hand for many.

Here’s the Merriam-Webster definition of discrimination in a social context:

Discrimination: the act, practice, or an instance of unfairly treating a person or group differently from other people or groups on a class or categorical basis (such as race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation)

Racism is believing that someone is superior or not depending on their race. Discrimination is treating them like it.

What do you see more of going on today? Racism or discrimination? I personally see discrimination going on more. In various ways.

Discrimination, prejudice, racism, bigotry etc. All words with different definitions.

Yet there are many in the political elite that would have you believe that racism is the biggest problem. And that it’s primarily against blacks.

I’ve heard countless times growing up and sadly in adulthood too, that blacks can’t be racist. Why? All the suffering and oppression that blacks have historically faced means that they are part of a disadvantaged group in America and therefore have the right to treat whites poorly or with contempt.

Read that sentence again. Slower this time.

It kinda reads like racism and discrimination doesn’t it? Believing that you are racially superior because of oppression and have the right to discriminate against another race because of something that happened in the past?

If this is true, the Japanese and Whites in America should hate each other, both being able to cite grievances from World War 2. The Irish Americans and British Americans should hate each other. Native American tribes should be at each others throats.

The list could go on and on and in every country throughout the world.

But let’s bring it back to the personal level here. Because you have a choice to make.

Racism requires very intentional division. If you refuse to see people as one human race then you’ve already given it power.

And there are some that will use this power to divide and control or even conquer. It’s been that way for millennia.

Are you going to let someone tell you what you can and can’t do because you look a certain way?

Black History month is coming to an end now. And we can remember those that were of the “black race” if you want to call them that, that refused to let their humanity and future be strapped down by “racial expectations”.

They dared to say, “I’m going to do this as a man or woman. Not just a black one”. They dared to take their humanity back.

When watching the news or media or whatever content you consume, be aware of these tactics. Be aware of the people that are trying to take your humanity away from you by putting “racial labels” on you. Don’t let them.

I believe that there is a Creator that made every single color and ethnicity that graces the human race today. And He called it good. Don’t let others tell you that it’s bad.

Take your humanity back.

Live free!

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