But what I am struggling with now is who around me can help me understand how the world's most free nation, most wealthy nation, most enterprising nation on earth can be moving backwards in lightning speed when it comes to race relations? I have never felt more black under a black president no less, more so than my parent's felt in the 1950's under Jim Crow. What is happening here? Excuse me but haven't we been here before? Whatever happened to onward and upward, progress, and we shall overcome?
The climate is killing me inside. I am not afraid as much as I am concerned for all of us, all shades. Forgive me for chiming in, but I am trying to raise children here. And I thought I was doing a pretty darn good job until recently. My strategy has always been, just get them to college age, then they can fend for themselves, make up their own mind about black and white. Well now phooey on that idea. The college campus is now under siege with placards of racism. This a place where bright minds are supposed to be watered and leveraged for life-changing milestones that await just beyond. But instead, hunger strikes, sit-ins, take-overs, demonstrations, riots, threats. Must I go on? And it would be different were I not talking about the year 2015 some 60 years after segregation ended. And if these events weren't happening simply because of one or more group's skin color, ethnicity or religion. Really? How 1950's is that?
Grow up small-minded people! Where is your mother? Didn't she teach you better? We are all the same. Get over yourself already! Geeze Louise, really? How much can one person take? Don't you have bigger fish you can be frying? Racism does not wear well on you! Change up!
And on to my generation let's call a spade a spade. Perhaps if we were minding the store more closely along the way it might not have come to this. It is not as though the signs were not there, even bread crumbs painting the picture in full view. Somewhere maybe we forgot, ignored or denied that fact that we come from a speckled history. And unless told, history can and will repeat itself. Just saying.
Some of us are just trying to go about our business, but now, like it or not we are going to be drawn into this fight once again. And each of us will have to decide for himself or herself what side of history they want to be on.
Signed, #SpeakTheTruth