What are we to do?

     This guy said on Twitter today that, the reason for the Missouri strike was not actually racism! What does he think it was really about. Do white people honestly believe Blacks bring up racism because where lazy? Do they truly believe Blacks cry out for equality because were not smart enough to maneuver around the US?

      I consider myself to be a very smart Black American but, everyday I woke up, for years; I felt I had a disadvantage because I was Black. Nothing personally happened to me, that was racially motivated however; with February and the constant reminders of racism drown into my consciousness. I immediately felt this dark cloud over my Black skin. Another lady said on Twitter that we have to understand that racism is a psychological problem- and this is way we all (white, black, brown, purple, etc...) need to wake up.

      Black people don't want racism to exist. We dont cry wolf because we like being excluded or singled out for our race. Michael Brown's family is not imagining that he was killed because he was Black. Racism is clearly real! Its so real and so in grained in all American's we don't know we do it. I was staying in a hotel and this white lady came in a few days after us. She was there for about three weeks before we actually had an interaction. Everytime she would see my wife and I she would speed up or bend her head down, to walk past.

      One day I was doing laundry, as I begin walking back into my building; she got out of her car and also headed into the same building. I was about fifteen steps behind her and as she got to the door she speed up and close it in my face. I didn't do or say anything because I didn't want to be that girl- oh she did that cause Im Black. I left it alone and gave her the benefit of the doubt. A few days later, she was coming out of the building as I was coming into the building. Now, its been about two months; we all have been here a while and I had an arm full of grocery bags. As she approached the door and I stood there looking for my keys she stepped to the side and waited for me to use my keys. And then proceeded to try and come out the door before I walked in, as I opened the door.

      I immediately stopped her: "Why didn't you open the door? Do you not know who I am?" She paused for a moment and looked me in my face: "I was afraid that you would do something to me. Every time I see you, I get nervous and I'm not really sure why." "Did you not open the door for me because I'm Black? Are you afraid of me because I'm Black; even though you see me everyday with my dog, son and wife. Even though I had an arm full of grocery bags!" I said. "I didn't even notice I was doing it. I didn't even know I was being this way; because you where Black. I opened the door for this young white guy, with forty tattoos and they kepted me up all night. Am I a racist?" She said with this disturbed yet sad look on her face. "I have never considered myself as a racist but, as I think about it, I do a lot of racist things. Which makes me a racist!" She couldn't believe it and I couldn't believe that she was obvious to what she was doing all her life. Ive done the samething; to Black and Hispanic men. When/if I see one, at night; I grab my things and bring them close. Or lock my car doors if their walking up the street.

      We all do it! Or have done it but, because we have millions of people, like this guy mentioned earlier from Twitter; who continue to believe and pass around the notion that racism is over. We will always live in this world.

What we need to do.....

-Take away Black History Month! Or talk about all of Black History; not just America's Black history.

-Stop praising the Black activists from slavery!

-Get rid of the "minority" standing or standard.

-Remove race from our vocabulary! Figure it out-you figured out a way to put it there.

      This is just the beginning! Join the conversation and share what else needs to change, to evoke change.

@CrysWashington6 on Twitter & Periscope
Crystal Washington on Facebook

Random....

       It's three am, on the east coast of America and I'm trying to put things together - or at least make sense. Do we deny that racism exist; to present the theory that it no longer exist?! When did being a "reality star" become a credible job? Why is everyone upset with homosexuality?

       Racism didn't exist in my neighborhood, as a child. My introduction to the hatred for another's race or your own race, came from school. We were taught bad things that happened to people based on their race and exposed to the damage it did. We were exposed to Jim Crow, The KKK, "Nazi Hitler" & the Holocaust. To teach us how much minorities, "as a people" have overcome. However; do we need to relieve something, over and over again; that we have overcome? Why must the notion of racism be drilled into every fourth graders head? Why must you remind me of the bad, if it no longer exist? Is my life better knowing that; for years it was ok to think openly, that Blacks are less than? We get a refresher course every February; a Black leader, of this great nation and systematically enslavement of Black men: with the criminal justice system. Am I confused or is this one big circle? Racism; a system created by intolerable men; is continuously taught and relieved, along with numerous racially motivated crimes, actions and injustices; deployed amongst the minority. Pfft, if we continue to deny it's existence, we can not fix it.

      In a world where racism is #trending but, not #trending; one should expect that work isn't the same. As a teenager, reality tv, for me; consist of Big Brother & The Real World. Now, everyone is a celebrity from one show to another. There is a reality show for almost anything, like rbeing a "bad girl" - it now pays off; not listening to your mother "ladies are to be seen, not heard." They have shows to show you, your next door neighbor; how they became your neighbor; how you can pick better neighbor's; if your neighbor has ghosts or if they keep a lot of things. Has Sesame Street gone so rogue that, Keeping up with the Kardashian's is your child's favorite show? Have we gotten so smart, sophisticated or rich that we lost our common sense? How has doing the right thing become heroic and the wrong or bad thing become normal or expected? How is Zimmerman still harassing people and police, are able to create and or change the laws? And on the other hand, a mother is awarded "Mother of the Year" for doing what every mother should have done.

      Nothing's a secret anymore; everything you've done in the dark is coming to light. Rules that where put into place, morals, codes and standards that were established so long ago are being broken down; some good, some bad. Communities are no longer; family is non-existent and on the other hand - homosexuality is coming out of the closet. Great thing for me; sad for many others: but, why? Does my homosexuality offend you because, you believe that God said it is a sin? Does my homosexuality offend you because, you believe in a law that said; marriage is for a man and woman. Black people, who are firmly against homosexuality because of your religion: I want you to think about this - the same God that you believe in, is the same God that says its ok to enslave Black people. Or in some way, his words can be interpreted as, to enslave Blacks. The same God that allowed others to harm you, in your righteousness; is the same God you use, to do the same to others. Second, this law was created at a time when there was a clear separation of human beings and other; in America. Black people where not considered human, let alone a man or woman so; in creating the law they needed to be clear: only men (white men) and women (white women) could marry, in this new great nation.

      You cannot interpret the truth to be whatever you want it be. Its the truth - it's only interpretation is itself: the truth.