I’m Black All Year!
I often find myself torn between many emotions of frustration, anger , pure love and sheer appreciation of my black experience. Everything that is amazing about the black culture is often mimicked by others being passed off as their own. From how we talk, how we share in community, the way we do our nails, dress and even dance. This would be consider an idea we call plagiarism, right?
I am BLACK all year long! Let me repeat this again, I am BLACK all year long I can’t change anything about myself for the outcome to change.
My blackness shouldn’t considered as a sprinkle of diversity so that your next client will believe that you are mindful of inclusion. My blackness shouldn’t be an afterthought to rectify a situation where your racism was louder than your ability to be kind. My blackness shouldn’t be only considered when you don’t want to be the next candidate of cancel culture. My love of my blackness as well as my desire to be PRO- BLACK doesn’t mean I don’t want others to win. I just want to see BLACK folks WIN and LIVE too! That’s fair right?
There has never been a moment in my life when I have ever wanted to be anything other than black. Even in the moments when history has shown and proven we have always been hated, killed, given the shortest end of the stick for simply showing up and being black.
We are told work harder than the average white man and woman. While mediocrity is a way of life for many of our white counterparts we are told to live above and beyond mediocrity. Not one time have I ever wished that mashed potatoes and string bean casserole was apart of my Thanksgiving dinner. I have always loved the creativity of my black friends and family. The love, the care, the resilience of the black mamas that lived on my block growing up. I have always admired the black fathers who had a way of loving us sternly and providing us young black girls and black boys on my block the strength of their presence.
Growing up I don’t remember having the luxury to be the loud little black girl I see so many young girls being now. There was always the reminder to tone down my laugh, make sure my style fit into the career journey I was on. I was told to make sure I didn’t show too much of my blackness. I was reminded to live but don’t LIVE too loud as a black girl. Make sure you dress the part, speak the part, be yourself just make sure you aren’t TOO much of yourself.
My goal in my adulthood is to live as freely as a black woman as I possibly can. That means showing up as my full self unapologetically. Creating spaces in which little black girls, women will feel safe to be. Where their blackness is celebrated in a world where we aren’t. Instead of focusing on how we aren’t loved, how we are mistreated I choose to remind people my blackness can’t be borrowed or imitated today or ever. Being black is the most unique, beautiful, amazing, life changing experience to have. There would be nothing and I repeat NOTHING without Black creativity, music, style, inventions, this country, NOTHING! I would NEVER want to be nothing else other than Black.
So if you come across someone who is gatekeeping or not giving out invitations to the BBQ, it’s because being black isn’t seasonal or the latest style. Being black doesn’t happen only on Mondays in February on Black History Month. Being is what happens all year long, 24/7 365.
I’m Black All Year!