My Talk About "The Talk"

Read John Derbyshire's essay here.

Last April, a conservative magazine called The National Review fired their longtime writer John Derbyshire for writing an essay for an online editorial called Taki's Magazine. In this essay, he shares "The Talk" he had with his children warning them about the dangers of black people. By posting this, he made a point to let all Caucasian and Asians know that they should avoid black neighborhoods, avoid events where many black people will attend, befriend yet do not envy intelligent and well-socialized blacks otherwise known as IWSB's, according to Derbyshire, and countless of other unintellectual remarks.

I am aware that racism is alive and living but reading this article was mind-blowing. Derbyshire dehumanized African-Americans and viewed us as less than equal. The typical stereotypes that were made prevalent were we cause trouble, the majority of us are unintelligent and that the few of us that are ingenious are "luxury goods". It slightly breaks my heart that not only people still carry those negative stereotypes about an entire race but some of those people are put in with power and spread their preservations to a sea of followers in which subconsciously a small spark of racism is being ignited in their brains.

This is how racism continues to live on generation by generation. I believe racism is taught; it is a learned behavior. Children play with children of all different skin complexions. They do reach an age where they may start to be curious about the differences between themselves and their classmates and/or friends but it is our explanations as adults that plants the seed. Their own experiences with other races help grow that seed but we make the decision to teach them our own feelings about different ethnicities whether they be positive or repugnant. If we would stop linking the way people think and act to their race and start linking it to their own personalities and upbringing, then maybe the racist mind would start to decline. I'm hopeful.

Justice For Trayvon

On February 26, 2012, the worlds of Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin changed forever. Their seventeen year old son, Trayvon Martin had be shot and killed by the neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman for looking "suspicious". When he confronted Trayvon an altercation broke out and Zimmerman claimed he shot Martin because he was afraid for his life. From that date on, this case has been highly publicized gaining the attention of all media and the support from many celebrities and people around the world. On June 24, 2013, the Zimmerman trial began and the nation tuned in. He was charged with second-degree murder and man slaughter and many people in the black community started to look at this as a race issue. 

Trayvon was wearing a hoodie while returning to his dad's house after purchasing skittles and an Arizona iced tea. Zimmerman didn't recognize him and called the police from his vehicle to report a suspicious person in the neighborhood. Against police direction, Zimmerman was armed and decided to  get out of his vehicle and approach Martin and the end result led to his death. The black community was and still are outraged by Zimmerman racially profiling and killing Martin. They are even more outraged because an all white women jury of six found him not guilty on all accounts and Zimmerman walks free leaving everyone heartbroken, confused, and disgusted at the justice system.




I share those same emotions; however, even though race is evident, it shouldn't be the focal point of this trial. The main points that should stand out are: Zimmerman disobeyed police instruction by confronting Martin; Martin was a teenager approached at nighttime by a man he didn't know; Martin was shot and killed while unarmed. Those three points should've been enough to convict Zimmerman and find him guilty of something. A teenager is dead. A family is in mourning and justice was not served. These types of situations happen too often and this case represented the recurring injustice of our beloved justice system. Even though there is nothing anyone can do to bring Trayvon back to life, knowing that the man who made the decision that Trayvon did not deserve to walk this earth anymore would be behind bars would've brought some peace. It would help the Martin family move on. Instead the verdict added salt to an open wound, an open wound that will be very slow to heal.

There is too much killing going on. Once you chose to  take someone's life, that's it. That person can never come back. You will never be able to apologize face-to-face. All of that person's goals in life and dreams they may have been trying to pursue ends. Their journey stops. Ethnicity doesn't matter. The only race that matters is the human race. We are all brothers and sisters. When will we all get along and love one another? What drives someone to the point to kill? We would do better as a people if we build one another up instead of tear one another down. When will people realize that? This case hits close to home and I will continue to have Martin's family in my prayers.

R.I.P Trayvon Martin

"Dark Girls"

On June 23th, a documentary called "Dark Girls" aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and broadcasted many of the emotional struggles that darker-skinned women go through. Many women never felt attractive or capable because there were always people around telling them so. They felt they're not represented much in the media so little girls don't have someone in the limelight to really look up to that looks like them. It was a very touching and somewhat heart breaking film. I didn't get to watch the entire documentary but when the DVD releases on September 24th, I'll be sure to pick it up.

Read Tika's story here.

Even though I'm a dark-skinned woman, I've never dealt with the emotional struggles that those women had to deal with. I was raised in a home where I was being told I was beautiful and loved everyday. My story is similar to Tika Sumpter's, only I'm not famous...yet :) There was no negativity in my household, nor in my outside environment. I went to a predominantly black elementary and middle school so during the times where I would've been affected most, I wasn't. There were black people in all different hues and I was never singled out because of my complexion. Even my friends range from all different complexions. I also spoke proper English and was a straight A student. Not every dark-skinned girl speaks ebonics as her main form of communication. We know how to carry ourselves too. That stereotype should be based on how a person is raised, not the color of their skin. Looking at that documentary, it shows how truly blessed I was to be raised in an environment where I so accepted and loved.

My first and only altercation where my skin-tone was brought up was as an adult when I was dating a light-skinned guy. I forgot what we were arguing about but I do know it had nothing to do about complexion. Out of the blue, he texted "you're not a light-skinned baddie". I was confused because that had nothing to do with the conversation and I never proclaimed to be such. Where was that statement coming from? I just brushed it off and ended the conversation. It didn't really bring out an emotion in me, but I will never forget that statement. I don't live under a rock; times have changed. Back in the day, video girls and actresses were women of all different complexions and equally beautiful. I'm aware that now mainstream society favors caramel to light-skin complexions. It's in the cartoons, the TV shows, the movies, and the music and this message is mainly being broadcasted by our own people and mostly dark-skin males.

The documentary also touches on how other races view us as an exotic, attractive, and unique race where from the lightest to the darkest skinned people are equally beautiful. So the fact that our own race can't share that same thought process is sad.

All in all, I agree with the main point behind the documentary. Parents need to show their dark skinned girls love and self-respect as they should any child. Don't say things like, "My child is pretty for a dark skinned girl". Just call her beautiful. Love starts within the home and if our people get that, I mean truly get that, we'll be alright.

No Puffs Allowed

On June 14th, Horizon Science Academy located in Ohio sent a letter to the parents regarding dress code. In that letter, they stated that "afropuffs and small twisted braids, with or without rubber bands are NOT permitted" to be worn at school. There was an immediate outrage and parents began taking to social media as well as contacting the administration regarding the injustice of their new rule.

Most African-Americans have a natural hair texture that is tightly curled and kinky; therefore when you tie this type of hair into a ponytail, it doesn't hang low, it's pulled into a puff. Naturally, these families felt they were being racially targeted because they were, in a sense, forcing parents to relax and straighten their children's hair to resemble the Caucasian texture in order to attend this school.

Since then, the school has released a statement apologizing not for banning these hairs styles but for the community taking their initial statement out of context. They didn't intend for that part of the dress code to be addressed to African-American women; it was supposed to be addressed to African-American men.

-____-

How is that any better? I can understand wanting a clean image for students attending this school. Banning tattoos and sagging pants is a rationalized rule but when you ban something that comes natural, that's discriminating. I don't understand how a group of educated individuals approved such a statement to be released to their community and think that it was justified in the first place. 

The black community already has pressure to straighten their hair because no one wants to be "nappy". There are many people in the community who want to lighten their skin and dress like their Caucasian counterparts. They are constantly being told, mostly by their own people, that that fake version of themselves, that individual modeled after the white person's image, is more beautiful than the natural traits they were born with.

This situation proves how even though we've come a long way in race relations, we still have an even longer way to go.