Monday, November 9, 2015

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

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